Post-Game: They are who we thought they were

The Calgary Flames are high in the standings. The Ottawa Senators are low in the standings. Thursday night’s game between the two clubs at the Scotiabank Saddledome ended as many predicted it might, with a 5-1 victory for the Flames.

The Senators opened the scoring early in the first period off a great individual effort by Anthony Duclair. He strode into the Flames zone with speed, out-raced Rasmus Andersson, then teed up a tap-in at the front of the net for a streaking Dylan DeMelo to make it 1-0 Ottawa.

But the Flames evened things up in a very Flames manner: on the penalty kill. Bobby Ryan bobbled the puck in the neutral zone and Mark Giordano stole the puck and despite not getting a ton of separation on the rush had himself a bit of a breakaway. Giordano’s initial shot was stopped by Craig Anderson, but he poked the rebound in to make it 1-1.

The Flames took the lead a couple minutes later off a really nice passing play off a three-on-two rush by the fourth line. Derek Ryan entered the zone, passed to Andrew Mangiapane, and he passed it to Garnet Hathaway for a redirect that beat Andersson to make it 2-1 Flames.

Shots were 11-5 Flames and scoring chances 7-1 Flames in the opening period.

The Senators were probably the better team in the second period. They played fast, they generated chances, and they likely deserved a better fate than they got. But the Flames added to their lead midway through the period off a very nice bit of puck retrieval by the fourth line. After a dump-in, Ryan and Hathaway fished the puck off the boards and passed it to Mangiapane in the slot for a quick wrist shot that beat Andersson to extend their lead to 3-1.

Shots were 10-9 Flames and scoring chances 10-8 Senators in the second period.

The Flames added another goal in the third period. A dump-in to the Senators zone bounced to Brady Tkachuk. Before the younger Tkachuk could corral it, his older brother grabbed the loose puck and a couple passes later Mikael Backlund beat Anderson with a quick shot that made it 4-1 Flames.

Matthew Tkachuk added a goal of his own on a net-front redirect with 1:27 remaining in regulation to make it 5-1 Flames and cement the two points for the home side.

Shots were 15-5 Flames and chances were 16-7 Flames in the third period.

Bless their hearts, the Senators work hard. But it was evident in a lot of game situations that they’re a bit out-matched and out-gunned. The Flames didn’t play a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination – they tended to be a bit too loose in their own zone – but they were a little bit better than Ottawa in several areas (and way better in a few) and really turned it on in the final period.

Collective hat-tip to the fourth line, who generated the go-ahead and insurance goals to cement the victory for the home side.

Mangiapane’s goal in the second period was huge. The Flames were bleeding scoring chances to open the second period, but the fourth line gave their team some breathing room and assurances that a bobbled puck by one of their players wouldn’t potential force extra time.

Ryan’s assist on the Flames’ second goal was the 100th point of his NHL career.

The Flames (46-21-7) head west. They’re back in action on Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada when they take on the Vancouver Canucks.