Post-Game: Flames find grit against Flyers

The Calgary Flames didn’t play their best game on Wednesday night, but they got yet another late offensive outburst in the third period to force overtime. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers in a 6-5 thriller at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flyers came out with some speed, while the Flames looked pretty jumpy. The Flyers had the first seven shots on goal, but Mike Smith was sharp. The Flames killed off a penalty midway through the period, got some momentum, and then got to work.

The Flames generated a lengthy shift in the Flyers end, with Alan Quine, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk cycling the puck ably. Tkachuk fed Bennett at the side of the net and he chipped the puck past Anthony Stolarz to make it 1-0 for the home team.

Calgary generated 12 of the final 13 shots in the first period. Shots were 12-8 Flames and scoring chances were 10-6 Flames in the opening 20 minutes.

The second period was an adventure.

The Flyers tied the game up on their first shot of the period, as Claude Giroux sprung former Calgary Hitmen star Travis Sanheim – a defenseman – all alone in front of Smith and he beat the Flames netminder with a back-hander. That made it 1-1.

With Sean Monahan in the box for tripping, Mark Giordano beat Stolarz stick-side on a two-on-one rush (with Derek Ryan, who he probably wasn’t ever going to pass to) to retake the lead. The Flames led 2-1 at that point.

As they were announcing that goal, with the Flyers still on the power play, a bouncing puck off an errant scoring chance found its way to an unaccosted James van Riemsdyk and he tapped it into the open net to tie the game at 2-2.

32 seconds later the Flyers generated a two-on-two rush. Travis Hamonic fell down, but managed to get back into position, but Jakub Voracek chucked the puck towards the crease and Sean Couturier beat out Monahan in a footrace to redirect the puck past Smith. That gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead.

On their fifth shot of the period the Flyers got a gift: Dale Weise put a wrist shot on goal from just inside the Flames blueline and it somehow beat Smith to make it 4-2 Flyers.

But just over two minutes later the Flames got one back. Johnny Gaudreau drew a penalty and on the ensuing power play Tkachuk teed the puck up for Monahan in the high slot. Monahan’s big slapper beat Stolarz top-corner to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Shots were 10-6 Flames and scoring chances were 6-3 Flames.

David Rittich replaced Smith in net to open the third period. The Flames had a pair of power plays but couldn’t score, and then Couturier got behind the defenders and beat Rittich on a short-handed breakaway to make it 5-3 Flyers.

But the Flames clawed back: Rasmus Andersson beat Stolarz with a slapper from the point to make it 5-4 with just 68 seconds left in regulation.

They kept pressing and improbably beat Stolarz again, as Tkachuk made a shot that rebounded right to Monahan in the slot. He put it over Stolarz to make it 5-5 with seven seconds remaining.

Shots were 16-4 Flames and scoring chances 3-0 Flames in the third period.

After a big save by Rittich that kept things deadlocked, Gaudreau scored in overtime to make it a 6-5 victory for the Flames.

It’s impossible to argue that the Flames got the goaltending they needed on this occasion, because they definitely didn’t. That fourth goal is entirely on the goaltender. But three of the five goals allowed were direct byproducts of some iffy defensive play that led to odd-man rushes and really nice scoring chances for the Flyers.

But the Flames and their ever-potent offense found a way to win. They just kept pressing and eventually they managed to connect on enough passes to score.

Tkachuk was really engaged in this game and had assists on four Flames goals. But several other Flames had impressive, multi-point games: Giordano (three points), Gaudreau (three points) and Monahan (three points).

Two goals in the final 68 seconds to force overtime. Few teams in the NHL these days have the firepower to tilt a game that late. The Flames happen to be one of them.

It was mentioned in-arena before puck drop that Harvey the Hound was the National Hockey League’s first mascot. During a TV timeout in the first period, they aired a video where Harvey the Hound found a Jack-O-Lantern decorated to look like Gritty, the Flyers’ mascot. Harvey stole the pumpkin and tossed it off a C-Train walkway.

Monahan’s second goal was his 20th of the season, making it six seasons in a row where he’s hit that mark.

The Flames (20-10-2) are off tomorrow, then hit the road for a few days. They play in Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.