Post-Game: Flames hold on for exhibition win over Sharks

In the penultimate game of the 2018 preseason calendar, and playing against the most stacked lineup they’ve seen so far, the Calgary Flames looked pretty good against the San Jose Sharks. With roughly 95% of their big league lineup dressed, the Flames got out to an early lead and then hung on for a 4-3 victory in the Shark Tank.

The Flames were chasing a bit early and gave up the first goal. Erik Karlsson’s initial point shot was stopped, but the Flames had trouble containing the traffic in front of Mike Smith and Antti Suomela poked in the rebound for a 1-0 Sharks lead

Later in the period, with Sean Monahan in the box, the Flames evened things up while killing a penalty. They forced a turnover and Mikael Backlund carried the puck into the Sharks zone. He was given a bit too much time and space, and he found Mark Giordano sneaking into the zone for a one-timer that beat Martin Jones to make it 1-1.

They took the lead later in the period. Elias Lindholm collected a loose puck and checked a Sharks defender, knocking him to the ice and spring himself on an odd-man rush with Johnny Gaudreau. Some nice back-and-forth passing later and Lindholm beat Jones to make it 2-1 Calgary.

Shots were 12-8 Flames and scoring chances were 8-7 Sharks.

The Flames added two more in the middle frame. Travis Hamonic scored at the tail-end of a Flames power play to make it 3-1, entering the zone at the end of roughly 45 seconds of pressure and puck movement – the best any Flames PP saw on the night. Following a Flames penalty kill that saw few, if any, good Sharks chances, James Neal was sprung on a breakaway and beat Jones to make it 4-1.

Suomela scored again late in the second period off some iffy Flames defensive zone play to cut their lead to 4-2. Shots were 10-7 Sharks, but chances were 10-4 Flames.

The Sharks had the lone goal of the third period, as Evander Kane found Timo Meier for a short-handed tap-in on a Flames power play – TJ Brodie was sliding on the ice in an attempt to take out the pass, but failed to do so – to make it a narrow 4-3 lead.

But that’s as close as the Sharks got. Shots were 8-3 Sharks and chances were 2-1 Flames.

The Flames were pretty damn good in the first 40 minutes: they created chances, they buried chances, they prevented chances, and their penalty kill was very sharp. They took their foot off the gas a bit in the late stages of the game, but they were generally the better team.

The coaching staff won’t be in love with their defensive zone play, as too often they (a) coughed up the puck while attempting to leave the zone or (b) gave up secondary chances because they couldn’t clear after Smith made the initial save.

It’s a joint award to Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Lindholm was dangerous all game, while Hanifin was whirling around every zone like he was the second coming of Brodie (skating-wise).

The Neal goal held up as the eventual game-winner, but it also came right after a Sharks power play that had no energy to it. It was very tough for them to claw back in afterwards.

With all the NHL regulars dressed, Backlund wore the alternate captain’s A.

The power play units were:

Their special teams were uneven. The PK was very solid, but the PP only really generated 35 seconds of good pressure on four advantages.

Dillon Dube played 12:54 and was +1. He was solid, if unspectacular, and he did a good job using his speed to get to loose pucks. Juuso Valimaki 13:46 and was even. He was barely noticeable, which is just fine for a 19-year-old defenseman playing against a good team.

Sam Bennett “fought” Evander Kane in the third period after a clean Bennett hit on Kane. The scuffled served its purpose, as Kane got an extra penalty for roughing and the Flames got a power play out of it.

The Flames practice tomorrow in San Jose as they prepare for a trip to Edmonton on Saturday afternoon for their final exhibition game of this year.

The 2018-19 regular season begins in less than a week.