A Rested Calgary Flames Ride Johnny Gaudreau To 4-1 Victory Over Tampa Bay

Calgary Flames 4 – Tampa Bay Lightning 1

Complete Stats

Scoring

1st: CGY 7:35- PPG Gaudreau (Toffoli/Andersson)

2nd: TBL 15:40- Killorn (Colton/Joesph) CGY 19:00- Gaudreau (Tkachuk) CGY 19:52- Backlund (Gudbranson/Lewis)

3rd: CGY 13:44- Gaudreau (Lindholm/Andersson)

The Flames were well rested this evening and it showed on the ice in their 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Scotibank Saddledome. Calgary looked slow and tired in their 5-4 loss to Washington, but there was none of that tonight. The Flames looked refreshed, engaged and unfazed by one of the juggernauts in the East in the Lightning.

Two of the Flames best players were the real story and difference tonight. Johnny Gaudreau paced the Flames offence on the night with three of the four Flames goals, two incredible bank shots off the back of Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The other? Jacob Markstrom. The Flames top keeper stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced on the evening, many of the spectacular variety. Without his play between the pipes there’s no way Gaudreau has a chance at a hat trick and no way the Flames take down the back to back Stanley Cup Champions and prove they are worthy of the challenge.

Mikael Backlund would add a goal as well and Rasmus Andersson had a two point night to help the Flames get back in the win column.

Highlights

Final Thoughts

-This had the potential to be a real battle between the pipes, but Vasilevskiy was robbed of his chance to shine after Johnny Gaudreau made him look ridiculous on the two banked goals off his back. With that said, Vasilevskiy made a ton of quality saves, but it wasn’t his night.

-The Flames defence was on point tonight with the third pairing of Nikita Zadorov and Erik Gudbranson really shining tonight (despite Z’s two penalties). As a group the Flames pairings blocked 8 shots and threw 9 hits on the evening.

-Linesman Jesse Marquis was hit in the head with a puck in the second period and had to be helped off the ice. The NHL hasn’t given an update on his condition and we wish him the best. It didn’t look good.

-The Flames PK continued to be VERY solid, killing all three opportunities that Tampa had with the extra skater on the night.

-Stop doing the wave.

Flame Of The Game

Johnny Gaudreau: 3 goals (1 PP), 4 SOG

What’s Next?

3/12: Calgary Flames vs Detroit Red Wings, 5 PM MT

by Mark Parkinson