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Flames 6, Flyers 5: Five observations from another wild comeback win

December 13, 2018, 11:35 AM ET [24 Comments]
Todd Cordell
Calgary Flames Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell

Five observations from Calgary vs Philadelphia:

1. The Flames did it again

It's seemingly impossible to put this team away. No matter how hard Mike Smith tries, he can't take the Flames out of a game. Their offense – led by one of the league's best trios – is simply too good. The Johnny Gaudreau line can turn the game on its head any given shift and they've shown that time and time again. Last night was perhaps the best example. Trailing by two with less than 80 seconds remaining, it still felt like the Flames had a legitimate chance to win. It turns out they did. The top line scored, or picked up the primary assist, on the 4th and 5th goals in quick succession, then converted again at the beginning of overtime to seal the win. In the span of fewer than two minutes, somewhat quiet showings for Gaudreau and Sean Monahan – at least from a production standpoint – turned into three-point nights in a winning effort.

Though the Flyers love to make life difficult on themselves, the Flames deserve a lot of credit for yet another impressive comeback victory. Their reward is a spot atop the Western Conference

2. Mike Smith is back!

During Smith's hot streak I cautioned people not to get too carried away in thinking he can be the answer in goal for the Flames. Despite the run he went on, his numbers were still god awful over the last year. He's also 36 and his track record was never all that impressive to begin with. There was no reason to believe he'd continue stopping pucks at an above average clip.

Regression hit hard against the Flyers. Smith allowed four goals, including some stinkers, on 14 shots and was the sole reason the game was even competitive.

Among 45 eligible goaltenders (500+ minutes), Smith ranks 44th in 5v5 save percentage. He also sits 42nd in save percentage vs low-danger shots. In other words, he's prone to allowing soft goals.

He might put together decent stretches of play but I think the bad is going to outweigh the good with him. Sooner or later, the Flames need to realize this and adjust his workload accordingly (or move on entirely).

3. The Flames deserved the two points

They were a little slow out of the gate. Philadelphia controlled play early on and recorded the first six or seven shots of the game. From that point on, the Flames were the much better side. At 5v5, they out-attempted the Flyers 37-23 (61.67%) and out-chanced them 19-9 (67.86%).

Aided by plenty of power plays, the overall numbers were even more one-sided. All situations included, the Flames won the shot attempt battle 71-37 (65.74%) and the chance battle 38-20 (65.52%). It wasn't even close. Had Smith been somewhat competent, the scoreline would probably suggest that as well.

Nevertheless, the Flames still walked away with another two points and deservedly so. They really dictated play.

4. Matthew Tkachuk was a beast...again

Prior to the game, I noted Tkachuk's shot and scoring chance rates were way down this season and suggested he might need to be a little more selfish given the linemates he had to work with. Tkachuk did just that registering nine shot attempts, seven shots on target, and seven scoring chances. Those were all season highs. Tkachuk didn't convert on any of them, however, he still managed to find the scoresheet time after time picking up four assists (three primary) in the win.

Tkachuk has now piled up 37 points in 32 games while driving possession, shutting down opposing team's top guys, and playing the role of a super-pest. This guy is going to get paid.

5. The streak continues

Another game, another pointless night for James Neal at 5v5. He finished 4th among forwards – behind the big line – in ice time and mustered up just one scoring chance. It wasn't even a high-danger opportunity. His pointless drought at 5v5 is now up to 18 games, which is ludicrous for a player making so much money. Perhaps it's time to give him some run opposite side of Matthew Tkachuk because he's creating goals for anyone and everyone these days.

Recent posts:

Offense stagnant as winning streak comes to an end vs Oilers

On penalty killing prowess, Lindholm’s scoring, and goaltending

Predicting the Pacific Division standings
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