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G26 Calgary Flames vs Ottawa Senators: High-event hockey |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
Five things to watch when the Calgary Flames take on the Ottawa Senators:
1. Goals aplenty. Calgary and Ottawa have faced off four times this season. At least six goals have been scored in each game, with an average of eight(!) per contest. These matchups have featured a lot of pace and a lot of shots. Combine that with questionable goaltending and it’s no wonder we’ve seen so much offense. Both teams continue to put the puck on net at a high rate – Ottawa is 5th in attempts/60 over the last 10 while Calgary is 8th – and neither Matt Murray nor David Rittich have played well this season (Murray especially). Thus, I’m not sure I’d expect things to be much different this time around. This could be yet another track meet; potentially the last one we see from Calgary for a while with Darryl Sutter taking over early next week.
2. Carry it forward. The Flames ultimately failed to pick up even one point but I liked a lot of what I saw against the Oilers. They started the game on time, which is a big accomplishment these days. They largely were the better team at 5v5, winning the high-danger chance battle 11-6. They scored a power play goal; again, an accomplishment these days. And, for the most part, they were largely more structured and supportive than we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. It’s not going to be a seamless transition to Sutter’s system; especially when he’s not there in-person to oversee things. But I think Saturday night was a step in the right direction. Now they need to carry those habits into today’s game.
3. Lapping the field. Brady Tkachuk is an elite chance generator. We all know that. But I think many would be surprised by the level he’s at right now. Tkachuk has generated a league-leading 25 HD chances over the last 10 games. No player on the Senators has generated more than nine in that span. He is an absolute monster around the net and he gets opportunities there each and every game. The Flames must box out with real purpose because he’ll bully you otherwise. He has no problem pushing guys around and pouncing on every rebound opportunity that presents itself.
4. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Matt Murray has allowed 18.3 goals more than expected. 18.3! Outside of one good stretch of play, he has been terrible all season long. He’s clearly fighting it and doesn’t have much confidence so the Flames need to kick him while he’s down, so to speak. Even low-danger shots are a challenge right now. There is a saying that it’s never a bad idea to put the puck on net, which isn’t always true. I think, in this case, it is.
5. A pleasant surprise. Small sample size, of course, but Brett Ritchie has been able to provide the Flames with some much needed juice on the wing. He has two 5v5 points through four games, is averaging 1.25 chances per, and his on-ice numbers are strong across the board. He’s provided real sandpaper as well, hitting seemingly everything that moves. He seems like the kind of guy that could flourish in a Sutter system; he generally likes to have a worker and/or physical presence on each line. A strong showing vs the Senators could help ensure he’s in the lineup in G1 under Sutter next Thursday.
numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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