The Calgary Flames played their second game in as many nights on Tuesday night. They also played their third consecutive pretty good game, avoiding panic when they trailed after the first period. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in overtime to complete their brief road trip.
The Rundown
The Flames started out slow but David Rittich was sharp early, making several strong saves. The visitors got their legs under them and generated some chances later on but couldn’t bury anything. The Sabres got a lead with 3:30 remaining in the first period, as Mark Jankowski’s attempted pass went off James Neal’s skate and went the other way; Jack Eichel beat Rittich with a nice glove-side wrist shot to make it 1-0 Sabres. Shots were 11-11 and chances were 4-4.
Neither team scored in the second period, thought both had their chances. The Flames had a pair of power plays that didn’t generate very much. Shots were 16-11 Flames but chances were 10-9 Sabres.
The Flames pressed in the third period, but struggled at times with puck management and puck control – things kept bouncing on them at unfortunate moments. But they finally managed to break through as Matthew Tkachuk tipped an Elias Lindholm shot to tie the game with 55 seconds left in regulation.
Matthew Tkachuk with the tip to tie it up #Flames #Sabres #CGYvsBUF pic.twitter.com/JirwkOQjWe
— Sportsnet 960 (@Sportsnet960) October 31, 2018
Shots were 9-5 Flames and chances 8-2 Flames.
Tkachuk took a penalty at the horn so the Flames had to kill off a penalty in overtime. After they managed that, they struck again: Mark Giordano back-checked to defuse a Rasmus Ristolainen scoring chance, then sprung Johnny Gaudreau into the Sabres zone. Giordano then rushes up the ice, accepted Gaudreau’s pass and then set him up for tap-in. It was a 2-1 final for the visitors.
Giordano and Gaudreau combine to complete the comeback #Flames #Sabres #CGYvsBUF pic.twitter.com/QHcE2kKvxe
— Sportsnet 960 (@Sportsnet960) October 31, 2018
Why the Flames Won
The Flames didn’t play a perfect 60-ish minutes of hockey and they were a bit sloppier than they were in Toronto – possibly a product of playing two games in two nights. But they continued to stick to the program and not cheat their system when they got down and eventually they were rewarded.
It also helped that they got good goaltending and timely scoring.
Red Warrior
Let’s go with Giordano, who played a ton and was instrumental on the game-winner. Rittich, Gaudreau and Sean Monahan had good games as well.
The Turning Point
Tkachuk’s tip-in goal guaranteed the Flames a point and seemed to give the group some jump heading into overtime.
The Numbers
(Percentage stats are 5-on-5, data via Corsica.Hockey)
| Player | Corsi For% |
OZone Start% |
Game Score |
| Ryan | 66.7 | 42.9 | 0.180 |
| Gaudreau | 66.7 | 60.0 | 1.625 |
| Hanifin | 66.7 | 60.0 | 0.725 |
| Monahan | 66.7 | 60.0 | 2.115 |
| Lindholm | 64.3 | 60.0 | 1.440 |
| Giordano | 63.6 | 43.8 | 1.125 |
| Backlund | 63.6 | 50.0 | 0.305 |
| Brodie | 60.7 | 43.8 | 0.565 |
| Neal | 60.0 | 36.4 | 0.300 |
| Tkachuk | 60.0 | 50.0 | 0.950 |
| Valimaki | 48.0 | 55.6 | -0.150 |
| Hamonic | 48.0 | 66.7 | 0.125 |
| Frolik | 47.1 | 71.4 | 0.055 |
| Andersson | 46.2 | 50.0 | 0.175 |
| Bennett | 45.0 | 33.3 | 0.155 |
| Dube | 41.2 | 42.9 | 0.085 |
| Hathaway | 38.5 | 50.0 | -0.075 |
| Jankowski | 32.0 | 50.0 | -0.430 |
| Rittich | — | — | 2.050 |
| Smith | — | — | — |
This and That
The Flames held Buffalo to just eight high-danger scoring chances. In all five games where the Flames have kept their opponents from getting to 10 high-danger chances, they’ve gotten points – they’re 4-0-1, per Natural Stat Trick.
In four starts this season, David Rittich is 3-1-0 with a 1.74 goals against average and .950 save percentage. Small sample size, but effective. #Flames
— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) October 31, 2018
Up Next
The Flames (7-5-1) head home. They practice tomorrow and prepare to host the Colorado Avalanche at the Saddledome on Thursday evening.
If Rittich doesn’t start next game I’m gonna have to put my $hittin’ pants back on.
Great Game Rittich
Lets Not Shy Away from the fact the Flames had a goal called off Due to a Home team friendly whistle~!
Just looking at the stats rittich NEEDS to start next game.
In the bush…..taped the game (with extra time)……sounds like I only have to watch the last 2 minutes and overtime…..good times!!!!
WW
You can only truly appreciate the final 2 minutes after watching the first 60.
The whole game is worth watching, but definitely skip the PP’s.
Another great stick-with-it victory for Flames! So happy they got the 2pts as they deserved it. Great game by Rittich and Brodie looks to be getting his game back on track — maybe his best outing of the season. Way to go Flames!
Yes Brodie was fantastic. Great too see. Hopefully builds some confidence off this game
David rittichulous.
Matthew Tipchuk
Johnny Goodgoal (!?!)
The night isn’t over but I hopped on over to NHL.com and it showed the Flames were #1 in the Pacific!
How many times this year are the Oilers playing a team that played the night before….?
WW
Too many
And they still lost. ?
BYNG is obviously generational, scoring timely goals, but he has taken some untimely penalties lately….
Needs to cut that out.
WW
If you’re talking about his penalty at the end of the game, untimely maybe, maybe not. He might have prevented a go ahead goal. Buffalo had good pressure.
Guess he could have just hit him rather than trip though. So, yeah, hate to speak ill of the Byng.
dirty slew foot by Byng, not necessary
Well whatever, didnt like that Bogosian charge on Dube either. Tit for tat.
Including his two poor attempts at clearing the puck prior to his taking a penalty. I like Tkachuk but this painting of him as this perfect type of player is crap. Frequently fails to clear the puck, is frequently not deep enough in the dzone on his coverage the only guy who flies his d coverage more is Johnny and he gets crap for doing so on a regular basis.
You order that #19 jersey with the namebar that reads LADY yet? Of course not.. Any BYNG 19 jerseys walking the streets of Cowtown yet? No..because that would be lame
Ya boys!
Great win….the PP sucks it moves the puck around well, entries are better but especially against good P.K. teams you gotta shoot to break down the box which we didn’t. We then pull our goalie and we tie it up on a point shot. Same thing happened against Washington, you shoot more especially with byng in front. A good PP and it wouldn’t have been close.
I would like to see them try Andersson with his shot on the point. I think the opposition knows there is no point shot threat, so they clog the netfront to prevent the pass. If the Flames could present a genuine threat from the point, it may make a big difference down low. Remember, last season, how the PP never really took off until they inserted Hamilton on the point? I think the same thing could happen with Ras.
Could have been 5-1 or 4-1. Great game by carter Hutton. I think st.louis is regretting keeping Allen.
Tkchuk has to stop taking dumb penalties at the wrong time. The PP looks haphazard, doesn’t seem to be any set plays, beginning of the third Lindholm couldn’t find anyone to pass it to, all the other guys were standing in a position he couldn’t get the puck to, they just stood there, eventually he turned it over. Something has to be done, it looks like Peter’s is letting the guys free wheel around.
Other than that good 2 points.
Generally our PP has been standing still and not moving enough. The better PPs in the league are dynamic, with personnel constantly moving around.
Deryk Ryan with zeros all across the board tonight. No shots, no hits, 1 giveaway. But hey we’re paying him $3.125 million to take 4 faceoffs a night. He’s the brouwer this year on the PP.
Totally. Peters’ one obvious blind spot. Coach’s favourites like that are irritating enough in little league; they have no place in the NHL.
Yes I keep wondering why Ryan is on the power play even though its second power play unit.
Jankowski does not seem to fit anywhere. We discussed his long stick before. He better make use of it or shortened up so he can handle it. He’s already got the long arms so he does not need the long-stick if he’s not going to use it. That boy needs some serious coaching.
He is becoming more like Local Joe every game….
At least Big Joe Local was big…
Not our greatest game, as we look tired and a bit sloppy, but it was certainly an emotional game to be at. There were lots of Flames fans at the game, including the Jankowski, Bennett and the Tkachuk (I think) families, also had a brief talk with Monahan’s aunt. So glad we pulled it off. Go Flames!
Has Andersson ever shown himself well in the final stages of the game. Had he not kept the puck in, Lindholm wouldn’t have got the shot away, resulting in Byng tying it up.
Wasn’t it the Washington game where he let a slap shot rip in the last minute or so and was tipped by Byng?
Andersson is certainly doing well. Did the haircut have something to do with it? ?
Gio is the greatest. What an effort after taking the guy into the boards behind the net in overtime and and then getting his butt down the ice to be part of the two-on-one with Johnny.
Yeah, and to think some dude calling himself a Flames’ fan had the audacity to call out Gio last week.
Last week maybe Gio deserved it. He’s not perfect. I made a comment but it was only asking people to not blame TJ for all the goals when Gio was the one out of position and lost coverage of his guy. Gio knew it too and you could easily read that from him on that goal. Don’t know what others said through.
What I like is two games in a row with a good defensive effort. I hope they can bring the same effort to the saddledome and get out of the playing lousy at home rut which seems to have carried over from last year.
What a difference in effort between the two captains. Gio hustles and makes a great Defensive play, then hustles to get back into the play and create the 2 on 1…notice who Johnny got a step on for the rebound…yep, Captain Jack! Gio is certainly giving Johnny a run for the team MVP!
As far as I’m concerned Lindholm is in that conversation as well. Wins face offs, scores, plays physical (relative to most others on the team) and has great hustle. Defensive numbers aren’t great but to my eye he doesn’t seem that bad.
. . . And his emotion!!! The guy always seems to be pumped up and smiling. It’s like a Lazar who can actually play.
Another scheduling dump on the Flames this week on Thursday. Flames have been criss-crossing North America, playing 2 at home, 2 on the road. Colorado hasn’t played since Saturday vs the Wild. Another ambush like the one against the Pens. Next game for them is the next night against the ‘Nucks a Pac Div rival. Oh well, at least it is not against the oilers. End of scheduling rant! GFG
Ya, over on ON they’re whining about he schedule but it seems like they’re playing all the same teams we do but the night after they play us or someone else.
Colorado sitting for a four days could work in the Flames’ favour, especially if Calgary can get out front quickly. Too much rest can make a team rusty – just look at how badly most teams played after their bye weeks last year.
I love the swagger Johnny has in this game. There was more then one occasion where he had opposing player turned inside out , and then again. Mony hit someone I saw it. Good game guys.
The big O-fer on the powerplay is a concern. That may cut it against a team like Buffalo, but if they want to keep up with the best teams in this league, they’ll need their special teams to start clicking.
Saying that, Giordano has been playing some of the best hockey of his career and I can’t wait to see what Andersson can do in 2-3 years.
They were o-fer, but there were a couple of grade A chances that didn’t go in (especially the usually reliable Monahan).
A Herald writer made a great point this morning. Two games in a row where the officials blew calls, badly and the Flames as a team did not panic or lose their composure at all, they just kept after it. Good signs.
Yeah, but what excuse do the refs have? Terrible calls both, plus others….
It’s a fast game and hard to call BUT Bettman has given the refs so much protection that they are not being accountable for the quality of their refs. That needs to change. Refs should be invisible and call the game as it’s played. Some do it’s just that some don’t. Shouldn’t happen at the highest level. With expansion, it will get worse. Not enough high level talent to go around perhaps.
Game scores tell the tale on this one. Also, Gio had all the heavy lifting and was an absolute monster. What a player.