Post-Game: Johnson blanks the Wild
By Ryan Pike
7 years ago
(Bruce Hemmelgarn / USA Today Sports)
The Calgary Flames have had a rough year so far. They led the National Hockey League in losses heading into tonight. A big reason for their woes is they seem like a jittery bunch. They seem nervous that the next mistake they’ll make will end up in the back of their net, which makes them too nervous to try anything offensively.
Well, the Flames seemed to work their way out of their nervousness tonight against the Minnesota Wild. They got a timely goal, good goaltending and played 60 rock-solid minutes in a well-earned win that was strangely devoid of the type of nervousness and fragility that’s come to define the Flames this year.
THE RUNDOWN
It’s hard to really dress up a game where there was just a single goal, but don’t get me wrong: this was a pretty good, tight-checking game.
The Flames opened the scoring in the first, six minutes in, on the power play. Considering they rarely scored first and have rarely scored on the power play, that’s huge. Mark Giordano sprung Johnny Gaudreau into the Minnesota zone with a great pass and, with three Wild defenders on his heels, Gaudreau tucked it between Dubnyk’s legs to make it 1-0. Shots were 10-7 Minnesota in the first.
Nobody scored in the second, though there were lots of penalties and power plays. Follow along!
- Dougie Hamilton took a minor at the horn in the first stopping a scoring chance. (Minnesota PP.)
- Zach Praise took a slashing penalty mid-way through the period. (Calgary PP.)
- With Parise’s penalty almost done, Jonas Brodin took the ever-popular “puck over glass” minor. (Short Flames 5-on-3 PP.)
- Sean Monahan took a cross-checking penalty which nullified the Flames advantage. (4-on-4.)
- But wait, Ryan Suter took an interference penalty a minute into that 4-on-4, giving Calgary a short 4-on-3 followed by a shorter 5-on-4.
- But wait, because before Suter’s penalty expired Matt Stajan took an interference penalty, causing a 4-on-4 and then a short PP for Minnesota.
The referees were earning their money tonight. Well, mostly. Shots were 13-9 for the Flames in the second.
Nobody scored in the third. Minnesota pressed, but the Flames defended well. Shots were 8-7 for the Wild and the Flames, a team whose coach described them as “fragile” a few days ago, seemed eerily calm defending a one-goal lead on the road.
WHY THE FLAMES WON
They scored and played a smart road game after getting the lead, punctuated by improved attention to detail and better execution team-wide. The now-characteristic big mistakes that always end up in their net didn’t really happen tonight – and on a few occasions Chad Johnson bailed them out.
THE TURNING POINT
It was the only goal of the game, but Gaudreau’s goal was big. It gave the Flames a lead they never relinquished.
RED WARRIOR
Gaudreau. He had the game’s only goal and was buzzing otherwise.
But a few others deserve stick-taps as well, including Johnson for his shutout, Dennis Wideman for a stangely poised game by a usually streaky player, and Matthew Tkachuk for a nice energy game coming off a two-game absence due to injury.
THE NUMBERS
(Percentage stats are even strength. Game score is overall.)
| Player | Corsi For% | O-Zone Start% | Game Score |
| D.Hamilton | 60.0 | 62.5 | 0.625 |
| Gaudreau | 57.1 | 62.5 | 1.600 |
| Chiasson | 54.1 | 55.6 | 0.500 |
| Monahan | 52.4 | 60.0 | 0.150 |
| Giordano | 48.2 | 52.6 | 1.400 |
| Engelland | 47.1 | 25.0 | 0.125 |
| Brouwer | 47.1 | 55.6 | 0.490 |
| Bennett | 42.9 | 50.0 | -0.010 |
| Stajan | 40.9 | 50.0 | -0.340 |
| Kulak | 40.0 | 20.0 | -0.150 |
| Backlund | 29.6 | 40.0 | -0.050 |
| Tkachuk | 27.6 | 36.4 | -0.210 |
| Brodie | 27.5 | 25.0 | -0.475 |
| Ferland | 27.3 | 0.0 | 0.000 |
| Frolik | 26.7 | 36.4 | -0.425 |
| Wideman | 26.2 | 25.0 | -0.650 |
| Hathaway | 25.0 | 0.0 | -0.015 |
| F.Hamilton | 23.1 | 0.0 | -0.230 |
| Johnson | — | — | 2.700 |
THIS AND THAT
Starting with tonight, our team will be curating Twitter Moments for you to follow along with for most games. Check ’em out and tweet us your feedback!
On a crappier note, Gaudreau left the game twice due to getting slashed on the hands (once by Ryan Suter, once by Eric Staal). The second time, mid-way through the third period, he didn’t return to the game.
UP NEXT
The Flames jet home and are back in action tomorrow night when they host the Arizona Coyotes at the Saddledome.
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