The Calgary Flames went into Vancouver with an opportunity to move a step closer to a division title. They were full marks in a 3-1 victory over the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
The Rundown
The opening period was played with great pace and very few whistles. The Flames opened the scoring off some nice back-checking and a heck of a pass. The fourth line lost a face-off, but they retrieved the puck before it could leave the zone. Derek Ryan drove the net, then passed to a driving Mark Giordano for a redirect past Jacob Markstrom to make it a 1-0 Flames lead.
14 other teams: zero 70 point scorers
Flames: five 70 point scorers pic.twitter.com/thMVXqDhSS
— FantenbergNation (@FlamesNation) March 24, 2019
Shots were 12-6 Flames and scoring chances were also 12-6 Flames in the first period.
The Flames doubled their lead in the middle frame. A Canucks outlet pass was intercepted in the neutral zone by Giordano, who skated into the zone and fed Garnet Hathaway in the slot. Hathaway chipped a backhand shot that blooped over top of Markstrom’s pad to make it 2-0 Flames.
Garnet Hathaway has ten goals this year. For context, the team he's playing against only has six ten goal scorers pic.twitter.com/mkva69YvIW
— FantenbergNation (@FlamesNation) March 24, 2019
Shots were 10-9 Flames and chances 7-5 Flames in the second.
The third period opened with Johnny Gaudreau taking a tripping penalty, leading to a brief four-on-three Canucks power play. Brock Boeser beat Smith with a rising shot to cut the Flames’ lead to 2-1.
But the Flames restored their two goal lead off another pair of good individual efforts. Giordano rushed to hold in a puck that was leaving the Canucks zone, then fed it to Andrew Mangiapane in the slot for a bang-bang one-timer that beat Markstrom to make it a 3-1 game.
Small boy, big goals pic.twitter.com/BSUt6aVaTB
— FantenbergNation (@FlamesNation) March 24, 2019
The Canucks pressed a bit later in the period, but to no avail. The Flames held on for a 3-1 victory. Shots were 13-9 Canucks and scoring chances 6-4 Flames in the final period.
Why the Flames Won
The Flames had a pretty solid game. They didn’t shy away from physicality, they didn’t make a ton of mistakes with the puck, and they out-scored the Canucks 3-0 at even strength. When a team is that sharp on the road, they’re in a good position on most nights.
Red Warrior
Giordano was superb. He had a goal and two primary assists, making a series of strong offensive and defensive plays and generally being what he’s been all season for the Flames.
The Turning Point
Mangiapane’s laser beam of a goal gave the Flames a two goal cushion in the third period and some wiggle room in case the plucky Canucks were able to get a bounce.
The Numbers
(Percentage stats are 5-on-5, data via Natural Stat Trick)
| Player | Corsi For% |
OZone Start% |
Game Score |
| Andersson | 70.0 | 50.0 | 0.625 |
| Frolik | 66.7 | 40.0 | 0.715 |
| Tkachuk | 65.5 | 40.0 | 0.900 |
| Fantenberg | 65.2 | 50.0 | 0.475 |
| Czarnik | 65.0 | 40.0 | 0.500 |
| Jankowski | 63.2 | 40.0 | 0.295 |
| Backlund | 60.0 | 40.0 | 0.600 |
| Ryan | 58.8 | 50.0 | 1.345 |
| Neal | 58.8 | 40.0 | 0.225 |
| Brodie | 56.8 | 55.6 | 0.900 |
| Giordano | 55.8 | 55.6 | 2.925 |
| Mangiapane | 55.6 | 50.0 | 1.450 |
| Hathaway | 50.0 | 50.0 | 1.665 |
| Gaudreau | 45.8 | 75.0 | -0.125 |
| Hanifin | 45.8 | 42.9 | 0.200 |
| Hamonic | 42.3 | 42.9 | 0.025 |
| Monahan | 40.0 | 75.0 | -0.110 |
| Lindholm | 34.8 | 75.0 | -0.115 |
| Smith | — | — | 1.950 |
| Rittich | — | — | — |
This and That
The Flames now have 101 points, the most they’ve had in a single season since 2005-06.
#Flames Mark Giordano is just the 3rd defenceman age 35 or older to record 70 points in a season, joining Nicklas Lidstrom (twice) & Sergei Zubov
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 24, 2019
Up Next
The Flames (47-21-7) head back to Calgary tonight. They host the Los Angeles Kings at the Saddledome on Monday evening.
The 4th line is my new favourite line!
4th line??? You mean 1st line!
Yeah i guess so!
When they play against the opposing teams first line, then I will call them a first line. Our first line keeps all our opponents top defensive players busy so our other lines can score.
ok Mr. Serious
It took a bit but so great to see Hathaway and Manigapane’s offence translating over from the AHL to their NHL game. They scored a lot with the Heat then got called up and weren’t able to score right away and got jumped on but now they are clicking well and doing it consistently.
That slash on Byng was nasty. Markstrom should at least get a fine for that.
Same with that hit on smith?
Ps. I love watching Smith when he’s this engaged.
Agreed!
Oh please. Smith’s a big guy, it was a penalty and it was called as such. Calling for a fine is ridiculous.
I agree…It was quite an embellishment on smiths part but a penalty was deserved.
Nuckleheads didn’t draft him and they are still crying about it.
Man, Monahan did not look good. Probably turned it over 7 or 8 times, out of position defensively, caught deep often. If he is still hurt let him sit and rest for a while.
It’s not a good look when Derek Ryan replaces you on the top line and his superior puck retrieval skills, defense and overall battle level is painfully obvious.
Wow. Drama Queen much? According to the stat sheet Mony had one giveaway, Flames only had 5 in total.
Got it. Throughout the entire game, possession of the puck was lost unintentionally by the Flames a grand total of 5 times.
Open your eyes meat head
Flames should rest Sean Monaghan as soon as they clinch first.
They should sit him for the rest of the year including the playoffs. I think they played better when he wasn’t in the lineup. Lindholm and Neal show as much intensity as a mouse fart in a hurricane. Right now Lindholm seems to be fighting the puck in the offensive zone and for Neal he just can’t skate at the NHL level anymore. Several times tonight he was not anywhere the puck. Hey tough, gritty win and winning makes everything better.
Mangi another goal, Hath another GWG, and Neal picking up exactly where he left off… hope it’s just rust and timing.
It’s that third line wasteland. Time to blender the 1st and 3rd lines.
Best case scenario we can ship Neal off to Robidas island. If he “turns it on”’ in the playoffs I’ll eat my shorts.
He will and you will.
Thanks for coming out Vancover. You know you really suck and you are a pack of poor sports. Not only that you were a dirty team from start to finish. Your coach deserves his pee pee slapped. Sending out a bunch of goons like that. Thanks again Vancouver enjoy your summer.
The first line makes me squeamish and I’m not sure they’re up to playoff hockey.
The 2nd and 4th lines are solid.
The third line….do we have a third line?
It’s okay. They will keep our opponents top D players busy so our other lines can score. You can really see how much the third line misses Bennett.
Didn’t like the slash on Tkachuk, better not have injured him. Something about Markstrom makes me want to punch him in the face. GFG 🔥😁
He’s always been like that. Wanted to punch him way back in the world juniors.
Cheap shot coward , only 12 secs to go and your gonna lose anyway there should be extra punishment for that kind of dirty unsportsmanlike crap.
Bluemoon, not sure you know but there is a 3000 word limit on comments now.
Hathaway: 1 goal/1 assist/2 points/+2/5 hits.
And some here still say he’s “riding on the coat-tails of his linemates”? Please!
My alma mater got destroyed in the first half of March Madness, by Auburn. Ended up on the losing end, out of the tournie. The Flames scoreline made this evening an easier one to sleep through. We Flames fans have a good hockey team, here. Let’s enjoy it.
Hathaway was awesome tonight, Mangy reminding me of cammalari abit with his sweet one timers !! Got another sniper on our hands ,
If Mangi played up the line up you’d see that on a nightly basis. That’s what he’s does….score goals.
Sorry about your J-Hawks. They were out of that one early last night.
On a great note my Zags are into the Sweet 16. Not sure they are getting by Florida State though.
It was just a good day all round by my account.
Put Neal Jankowski and Hathaway together and Hath will stop scoring.
Not enough for retribution tonight Flames. I know you played the smart game and took the two points but those conical heads deserve a few broken limbs for that crap tonight. Knuckleheads or conukleheads; take your pick, loser nucks (rhymes with sucks).
Should have seen more, especially on the Smith hit. I know he embellished a bit but he still got hit. We cannot lose a goalie and the guys need to make it clear to anyone they face it is not open season on them.
Tonight’s Takeaways:
I am not one to rave on about masculine beauty let alone to make comparative comments about it, but is Brock Boeser the best looking player in the NHL? In the absence of unanimous agreement, I’ll go as far as saying Boeser is a damn fine looking boy, and a helluva hockey player. Two sentences in the form of a dialogue perfectly sum up Brock Boeser.
Man 1: I wish I could play hockey like Brock Boeser.
Man 2: If I could only look like Brock Boeser, I wouldn’t care if I could play hockey.
Terrific energy and finesse by the Flames in the 1st. Shame they were only up by 1.
Thought the Flames’ PP in the 1st was looking pretty good until the Canucks stripped them for the 2 on 1 and glorious scoring chance.
Neal was out about 6 weeks but he was as sharp in the 1st as he had been prior to his getting injured. How long will it take for Tre to realize the Real Deal simply doesn’t fit with the team he is building and do something about it?
What kind of bucks and years does UFA Hathaway command this offseason? Have to think with the playoffs just around the corner, and with grinder rules in effect, the best is yet to come for Hathaway.
I’ll ask that again, again, is Mangipane destined to become a perennial 20+ goal man?
Not a good 3rd for the Flames that began with Johnny’s idiotic penalty. The Canucks had them on the ropes until Edler got stupid and salted away the Cal win.
I thought Haniffin, who was the closest Flame to Edler after the Canuck punked Smitty, was tepid in his retaliation. True Haniffin’s is not noted for his physicality, but he has make more of an effort in standing by his man. He should have jumped Edler and started wailing on him to drill the message into the thug that hitting the goalie is a no go. I truly question Haniffin’s passion to play the game at an elite level, and this can’t be blamed on his age.
Didn’t see Chucky move his left arm after getting whacked by Markstrom and leaving the ice. Let’s hope it isn’t anymore serious than a bruise.
The top line was garbage tonight. Do I bin them in my green, blue or black cart?
This loss by Vancouver could be the one that killed their faint playoff hopes, which is huge for the Flames. The Canucks are the last team I want to see the Flames have to meet in Round 1 as they would be a bear.
Do the Canucks make the playoffs next season? I ain’t betting against them.
Great the Flames won as it gets them a little closer to clinching the Pacific, but had they lost it would have been a double whammy as 3 hours of Randorf is punishment enough.
Face it nucks are pathetic poor sports. They are shameful. Should be fined handed out, dumpling coach included
I just poured a bowl of cereal before bed and Lindholm’s picture was on the milk carton.
Guess that’s a sign you’re not scoring tonight either.
There are certain…..pre-game rituals, you might say.
Should be Monahan’s mug on the carton with the words: “Have you seen this lost child?”
Nope, haven’t seen him.
Prior to this season, the 4th line had always been the teams achilles heel. Aged players, boat anchors, rotating rookies. Hathaway stayed and the rest cleaned out. Ryan was brought in, and we were all skeptical of what he would be, coaches pet and probably overpaid? The 3rd spot would still be a rookie rotation. On paper, I felt maybe we had improved.
Fast forward to after the all stars break. Mark me truly impressed. Ryan is a 200ft center, hes confident and making some sweet plays, big reason the flames are a top faceoff team. He comes up clutch on key draws in the D zone and he hasn’t been on the ice for a single 5 on 5 goal since the break. Hathaway is physical, gritty and in your face. He’s finishing off nice plays and is strong on the PK. I honestly didnt think Mangi would stick around after the first few months of the season, zero points and seemed to be knocked off the puck easily, but as soon as he got his first goal he kicked it into another gear. Impressed and happy to see the kid doing well.
I told everyone to be a little patient with Mange, that he was playing the game “the right way”. Coaches love guys who play the right way, and it takes time to adjust to the NHL game. Guess who’s adjusted to the game now? Oh YEAH!
Last game VS Ottawa, Derek Wills of Fan960 said he watched Mange practice and says his work ethic is second to NONE on the team. That is impressive to me, but at the same time worry bout the rest of the team lol.
Great photo! The old lady dressed in her flaming C with her arms raised and a look of joy on her face and her Canucks bedecked old man looking like his team was just scored against.
As Gio curls into that corner and comes out he locks eyes with her and at that moment they fuelled each other in a moment of shared ecstasy
One of the greatest comments of all time😂😂😂
I stopped for a good moment to enjoy that photo. I love it! 🙂
You know what’s even sweeter than the Flames making the playoffs? The Oilers and Canucks missing them. Calgary is Canada’s team.
75% of Canadian hockey fans will be cheering for T.O. or even the Habs if they squeak through. I’ve had my playoffs both ways, nothing is sweeter than BEATING the Oil or Nucks in the playoffs. In my experience, win or lose, Nucks + Flames+playoffs-=7 games of the most exciting, entertaining hockey you will ever find.
Man, as a Flames van living in Vancouver, I could not agree more. I’m the only Flames fan among my friends and at work, and I love repping the C whenever I can. I love that there are other Calgarians, or Flames fans that will come up to me to say Go Flames, and that they love my gear. Comradery is strong out here.
Ok so do we have Lidstrom right now?
Monahan is trash. He is not good. Something is wrong with him.
2nd and 4th lines once again carried the slack. I think the 4th line has been explained enough, so I will just say that the 2nd line had a lot of chances but couldn’t bury. Still look great.
Now, Monahan was outright trash tonight. He hasn’t done much since the all-star break, but good god it’s embarrassing when you look like the 4th best centre as a top line player consistently. I understand he could be fighting injuries, but he’s acting incredibly selfish imo if he’s playing in this state. People may not want to hear it, but we aren’t going anywhere in the po if Monahan keeps this up, and I hope he realizes that at some point too.
3rd line has been meh, and Neal isn’t changing that. So disappointing we gambled on him and it’s been a total failure. Hope things change next year, but I ain’t banking on it. His shot is all but gone, and he’s replacement level without him. Not being a liability isn’t good enough for nearly 6 million a year.
You’re a knob. Stupid take on Monahan. Do some research on his playoff performance and look at his numbers
his playoff performance: GP.15 G.7.A4.P11.-7 What now?
Stupid take based on what? His -30CF relative % tonight? Twice have the puck stripped on the Pk leading to odd man rushes? Looking like he’s skating in mud? How about having only 4 goals in his last 23 games (2 of which were fluke goals against Tampa), and suddenly struggles to elevate the puck? Sorry, but that isn’t acceptable when your getting top line minutes and top pp minutes. No one is saying he’s a bad player, but this “slump” has been far too long. His minutes need to be cut back so he can heal up at least a bit or he needs to be shut down if he’s playing like this through the playoffs.
Too many donkeys popping up on this site like ON has. This Toma41 guy was clearly born in Edmonton because he is an idiot. Monahan is not trash and let’s not run him out of town like the coilers fans do. Draisaitl could score 75 goals and the losers in Edmonton would be calling for him to be traded. Toma please go back to Edmonton and ON you are bringing down the collective IQ over here.
Did you not watch the game?? Between the eye test, good old corsi and stats, he was not good.Even his face off performance was at 33%. He is playing like a shell of his former self since shortly after the all star break. Monahan is great when scoring. When he isn’t, he is useless. He just floats on the ice avoiding all possible contact. SEVERAL people on this site have noticed it and the sportsnet guys have commented on it. Get over your affair with him. if he is hurt he simply should not be playing.
Agreed. I have no clue as to why the organization decides it’s ok to keep giving him minutes in this state. Pretty much all but guarantees we are all but done once we face vegas or San Jose, as there is no chance we have enough firepower when it’s so easy to shut down our top line. Lindy should be the centre imo on that line at this point.
This was a big win for us, we needed to get a comfortable lead on the Sharks, now our only concern is that Bennett is out
This game had a playoff feel. Love that feeling!