The Calgary Flames beat the Nashville Predators by a 5-2 score on Saturday night. Here are selected reactions from players and coaches following the game.
Oliver Kylington steps up
For much of the past several seasons, the Flames offense has really flowed through their captain (and best defenseman) Mark Giordano. With Giordano absent from the lineup, their offense flowed through 21-year-old Oliver Kylington. Kylington led the way with the team’s first goal, as well as an assist on the game-winner by Garnet Hathaway.
Kylington reflected following the game about the feeling of his first NHL goal – and unlike Mark Jankowski’s “off the pants” goal last season, Kylington’s was a picturesque shot.
“Amazing feeling,” said Kylington. “I think it’s the first time I touched the puck there. So when I got it off my stick, I had a good feeling. And then I saw the puck at the back of the net. Happy feeling, obviously.”
After spending much of last season playing with Olympic medalist Cody Goloubef, Kylington spent Saturday night alongside former Stockton Heat teammate Dalton Prout. Kylington played 15:34, second-least among defenders (ahead of only Prout), but he had two points, two shots and a plus-two rating.
Depth gains and line shuffling
The first question of Bill Peters’ post-game press conference was regarding the strong performance of the call-ups from the Heat.
“Did they win tonight?” joked Peters (they did, actually). “I agree, it was a real good night. I think guys settled in. I thought there was a bit of, I wouldn’t say nerves early, but a little uncertainty early, but I thought we got better in the second period and then again I thought we played better as the game went along in the third period.”
Peters noted that a lot of the team seemed to step up in the absence of Giordano and Mikael Backlund, thought it seemingly took until midway through the game for the Flames to find their stride offensively.
“Somebody has to pick up Backs’ minutes, ’cause he touches the game in every aspect, so that changes things a little bit. Same as Gio,” said Peters of his team’s adjustments. “So I thought the guys did a good job with the opportunities they were given, I thought everybody did a real good job. We shuffled the deck a little bit after 20 and moreso to get guys into better positions, where we think they’re better.”
The Flames head to Edmonton for a Battle of Alberta rematch on Sunday night sitting in first place in both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference.
Huh. pic.twitter.com/5VFfc6Z6Yj
— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) December 9, 2018
love Bill Peters …what a nice change watch a good coach!
Really?
You couldn’t tell GG was a flake from the moment he was hired like WW did…?!
WW
I am not sure if flake was the word I would have used but when we heard about the finalists he was definitely not on my list just listening to his credentials.
Nuff said; lesson learned.
I’m with you man. GG deceived BT with his big hocus pocus stories of what he could do with this defense but GG is all smoke & mirrors.
He talks a big game but his results are awful!
Critisizm deserved.
Yeah, I admit It took me a while.
Dear Santa I just have 3 requests Please take that evil monkey off of James Neal’s back and give the mediocre WW a Mikael Backlund jersey for Christmas. Also could you remove that blood clot from Michael Stone. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone
I forgot please convince Matthew Tkachuk to sign for $6.5 x 8 but I think I’m pushing my luck on that one
On After Hours Tre said that Tkachuk will be a Flame for a long time and he said that with conviction.
Doesn’t mean he’s going to over pay him. Tre will negotiate a good contract for Tkachuky both for him and the team.
Right price but it will only be 5 years. Unless somehow Tre gets fired, he has a Johnny up his sleeve. Should be an easy negotiation. Tre says “Sorry Mr Agent man, but your client is my second best left winger and I can’t pay him more than the other guy”. Done. Now that is how you work the internal cap. I’m really quite surprised the media hasn’t figured that one out, not that I credit the media with intelligence. But I guess fear-mongering is what media people do best.
I’m loving this feeling like the Flames could win any game. It so strange this feeling but it sure feels good. Flames have had some good players over the years but it’s been at least ten years since we’ve seen them so dominant. They look more like the Flames team that won the cup than the one that last lost one. Looks kind of like the 89 Flames with a whole lot less sandpaper.
Totally agree. They’re a well rounded team that can win both track meets, and defensive battles, and have the strength to overcome individual poor performances. GFG
Last year I railed on this site about Gelbots inflexible player deployment and lack of in-game management of players… what a breath of fresh air Peters is. He may still be blind regarding DRyan but elsewise you gotta like it.
WW said GG was a flake from the day he was hired.
Just look at his YouTube videos….total flake!
WW
So did anyone with a brain. Ease upon the self love. Enjoy the results.
You say that as if you were the only one. I also said Hamilton would become “Phanuef 2.0” and I think I was right with that one too.
No where near Phaneuf 2.0, Phaneuf at least bit people. Hamilton skated like a deer but hit like Bambi
As in neither are what you would call team players. Both were bad for team chemistry. Elephants in the locker room.
For me it started on the Niklas Grossman deployment
Flames are number 1 in west !!!!
I am pleasantly surprised. I figured they would make the playoffs but did I think they would be in a fight for first in the west in December? No 🙂
3rd in the league
After noting the leaders in both conferences earlier this morning, Bettman threw a cup of coffee in his old lady’s face, kicked the dog, left the room in a huff and was last seen in a helpless fetal position muttering that a Flames-Tampa final would kill him and the league.
+23 goal differential, 3rd best in the league…including the debacle against the Pens. Good sign.
Good call. It’s all about goal differential (after points, of course)
Kylington played an exceptional game tonight, so much so that he should be at worst our 7 D. He is Gary Suter 2.0. Thank you Arizona! This guy has really grown in ability in the A. If he is not in the Flames line up full time next year. Agility, speed skill, he has it all
Need him on the PP!
A few takeaways from last nights game.
Even if Quine does nothing for the rest of his call up, he made a good contribution to a depleted team.
Hathaway is a useful guy to have on an NHL roster. At $850k he provides energy, penalty killing and is tied for third with 2 GWGs.
There is almost impossible to believe that Maniapane does not have a point, he is engaged, aggressive and opportunistic. He has increased his strength and grit over the off season and keeps getting great chances. This will not continue.
Peters seems to have created a team atmosphere where role players have the confidence to step in for higher profile players without fear of failure and individual glory is secondary to team success.
This team has pride, since the Pittsburgh debacle they are 14-4-2 and plus 28, other teams will be reluctant to insult them in the future.
Manj needs to practice his shooting. Practice practice practice. Hit the target young man. He’s doing everything else right. He’s got to finish.
Anyone have word on when we can expect to get some of the walking wounded back? Backlund, Frolik, Valimaki?
I know that Frolik is one of the goats around here, but I still see good things in his game, and let’s not forget he has/had scored 7 goals in 20 games (.35GPG). If he comes back for game 32 and keeps going at that rate until gm82, he’d finish with 25 goals in 70 games which would be a career high for him even with 12 games missed.
His previous high has been 21 eons ago, 17 has been the highest in CGY. By a goals standard he’s having a pretty good year this year.
Per Capfriendly, Valamaki was put on IR a few days ago.
Who says Froliks a goat? He’s a solid two way 3rd 4th line winger. He’s of course even played 2nd line and has the 7 goals. At most we have the depth to see if we couldn’t trade away his salary for cap space, but FWIW he and Backlund are the best PK forwards on the team. Too many here seem to have to have a whipping boy no matter how well the squad does. Even Neal could be a huge asset come playoffs. Burke said it last night when asked what the Flames need to get better. He said they basically need nothing. He also thinks were not a contender yet, as we haven’t got the playoff chops and he may be right. Frolik a goat? Not in my view.
Exactly why you trade him.
Perhaps but it sure would be nice to have him in the line up tonight. Defensive specialist.
Sooo…what the hell do we do with all these good players when they’re healthy?
My goodness.
Kylington, Andersson were masterful for a couple kids last night. So impressed.
Brodie was awesome too.
What to do with all of the healthy players? You work them back into the lineup and send the rest to Stockton. We need the help! .500 won’t get us in the playoffs. We need to rattle off about 5 or 6 in a row and be between 8 and 10 games above .500 to even think about postseason. Plus, it is good to have this much depth in the organization.
Sure. But I look at these guys as chips.
Get as many as you can and upgrade when possible.
Given the Flames salary structure being so set, it allows them to go big game hunting to fill holes.
Stockton is always going to be important. But they’ve still got guys like Dube as a lock to be a good pro. The kids they drafted this year are looking awesome. A handful of new kids on the way next year.
It allows BT to be in on almost anything. That’s exciting because we know he isn’t shy.
Big game hunting? NO MORE UFA signings, please! You get much better players in trades.
That’s what I mean.
It would seem young Valimaki once recovered needs to do some Stockton time. My hope is that Kylington will be so solid as a Flame for the rest of the season that Mr. and Mrs. Stockton’s Finest will have a place setting at their dinner table for Valimaki every night. Barring and injuries, slumps or suspensions, the Flames are status quo until the season ends and then recalibrate their defence next summer with Brodie being the most likely to be traded. I don’t say trade Brodie with any ease or enthusiasm. Likely the trade candidates in the offseason would be Brodie or Hamonic. Hamonic stays because other than Gio, no other defenceman plays with such grit. It would be easier to replace Brodie in house than it would Hamonic.
Yep. But the amazing thing is they can move out about 10 mil in salary and maybe be a better team.
Brodie was a key in last night’s win…
What the hell, you guys? Tre builds up our depth and you want to tear it down after one season?
Brodie’s stock is rising fast which is good for the team and for a future trade. The way Kylington skates he may be able to fill that role a year from now. Hamonics last few game have been back to easy giveaways much like last year, his grit isn’t enough to keep him ahead of our young guys a year or two from now and I think Valimaki has a hidden mean streak, we need to protect nim, Mang and other rookies a little more from taking abuse.
Mang has been snake bit but the rest of his game has been stellar, controls the puck, can skate, I think he could even play a little shutdown as he is a little pit bull on a bone, easily an upgrade on Frolik by years end. Three possible trades going into 2019-20 and throw in Neal for a bag of pucks and you open up a spot for Dube, he will be back!
I think Treliving is going to be getting a lot of phone calls from other GM’s trying to pry one of these young guys out of us.
Going to be an interesting off season draft. Gives Tre some tantalizing options when you have pieces other GM’s covet.
I see some critics on Hanifin on this site but I just love how this kid takes chances in the offensive zone. At his age he will only get better & better on the timing of chances & reducing mistakes. Kyllington looks like he is quite capable of being a similar player to Hanifin. I dont think we can play these two on the same pairing but I love their games. I think Kyllington may just get inspired by Hanifins game.
Amazing what our guys can do if they are left to play their game. Remember the orchestrated game plans of GG?
I love our transition game now – one of the best in the NHL as pointed out on HNIC Saturday night.
I had been beating the drum for Peters to take Lindholm off the top line and have him centre his own line featuring Chucky. I have withdrawn from that position for the time being because the scoring prowess of the top line should not be tinkered with unless the chemistry goes bad. During the last three games, we saw the Flames trailing or tied having surrendered a lead, and in all cases, it was the top line that led the pushback which led to victories. Last night, after the Preds had tied the game at two, the top line immediately tilted the ice in favour of the Flames. What should have been a momentum swing in the Preds favour was quickly taken away as they were once more having to defend than attack. It has been many moons since the Flames had a line that could control a game and strike fear in their opponents. As such, I rescind my order to Peters to break up the top line to create two scoring lines.
I am guessing Skylar will have a (long) retort
You were serious about breaking up the top line?!
I thought you were Trolling; “we should break up the best line in the NHL….”!
WW
You finally came to your senses finally? That is if you had any in the first place about going for mediocrity in balance instead of excellence. We now have our own GAG line, so don’t mess that up.
I said: “Hathaway can do whatever Backlund does but for a fraction of the salary…”
Lots of trashes……Hathaway scores game winner…..
WW
I said: ” Quine is not a downgrade from Backlund”
(I think I got deleted due to trolling…….?!)
Quine scores a goal Backlund NEVER WOULD HAVE!!!!!!!
Better delet this trolling too….
WW
Great WW you maybe a bit giddy about Quine but we will see how he does tomorrow. Hathaway does have more goals than Neal but Garnet is still a 4th line plug. In the NHL though!
But tomorrow Someone has to cover McJeezus. And the Oilers are starting to believe.
I think you’re jumping the gun a bit on Hathaway and Quine. They had a good game, but can they keep it up for a few hundred more?
Enjoy this winning feeling while it lasts! Lucic is going to hit half of your team into yesterday anyways. Go Oilers!
Lucic is a dullard and a non-factor.
He has to do something for the money he makes because it’s definitely not scoring
Well if your team doesn’t take advantage of the Flames current situation, being down some quality players and on the back end of a back to back game. Well, let’s just say you won’t be happy come playoff time. But knowing how crappy your team is, Flames will probably win 6-1.
I am much more concerned about your captain than the poor sportsman that is Lucy as illustrated below.
That clip made my day. I was of the opinion that Prout was the new Nick Grossman but that one punch of Lucille changed my mind. Funny how Lucille found his courage once the ref stepped in.
Lucie went down like a rag doll. Oops. I guess I met my match.
As an Oiler fan, isn’t using Lucic in your trolling, basically trolling yourself?
He ‘s too slow. Most player would already out of the way. All he’ll be hitting is a wall. Nice try. ha