The Calgary Flames got a shorthanded goal early and never looked back as they rolled over the Anaheim Ducks in a 6-3 win. The Flames handily controlled the pace of play for all three periods, only having about 10 minutes at the start of the third where they were collapsing a bit defensively. Nazem Kadri then put his leadership on display with a beautiful rush that ended in an Andrei Kuzmenko insurance goal – it was needed to stop the bleeding. Throw in yet another offensive outburst from Kuzmenko and there were a lot of reasons for the Flames to smile a bit heading home for the final week of their season.

CF% &#8211; 61.25%, SCF% &#8211; 60.77%, HDCF% &#8211; 66.63%, xGF% &#8211; 62.35%
It’s a Team Game – Top to bottom fantastic metrics which is exactly how it should look when you play a team of this quality. Too many bad performances against San Jose and Chicago have taught us we can’t simply expect this as a natural outcome. The first and the third were filled with over 4 high danger chances at 5v5 respectively. The second period they kept momentum going on their powerplay – more on that for the first time in months below – putting together what was about a 55-minute team effort together. Not bad compared to what has been happening lately.
Corsi King – Martin Pospisil (74.50%) and Nazem Kadri (73.71%) weren’t about to string more than a couple subpar games together before a big bounce back. They are the best offensive driving combination on the team this year. Pospisil has certainly picked up his point pace as well with 10 points in his last 23 games. They really helped drive Zary’s (50.54%) high finishing numbers by generating so much offence early in the year with tremendous ability to keep plays alive along the boards low in the offensive zone. Now, with Kuzmenko (70.41%) in tow, they have a player with a naturally higher finishing ability benefitting from all these chances – it’s been a decent combination so far. By the way, Zary was the low guy on the sheet tonight and he still had over 50% in his shot attempt disparity.
Under Pressure – Integral error on the HockeyViz.com website has made it so I am unable to provide this chart at this time.
Taken By Chance – 8 high danger chances for the K-Pop line – oh yeah that’s certainly going to work – at 5v5 alone. Kuzmenko (69.59 SCF% // 90.50 HDCF%) had two power play goals on top of all that. It was absolute domination every time they rolled over the boards. Jonathan Huberdeau (63.65% // 100%) and Dryden Hunt (63.65% // 100%) went the game without seeing a high danger look against – Zary (56.79% // 72.53%) showed once again he can certainly play quality minutes at center against teams lower in the standings. I’m super intrigued to see how he is going to stack up against the boys in Vancouver next week. They need a third centre to push Sharangovich (62.38% // 0%) to the wing where his natural finishing ability clearly shines brighter and is more useful to the team. Pinder has been beating that drum for a while and I am inclined to agree with him.
xG Breakdown – Integral Error, same as above
xGF% &#8211; MacKenzie Weegar (66.45%) led a defence group that finally had all three pairings play above average hockey. I saw some more positive body language in the play of Nikita Okhotiuk (63.95%) as he was making better passes and using his legs to get dump-ins for line changes. The Flames have so many defenceman in their system now with Poirier, Solovyov, Kuznetsov, Brzustewicz, Morin and Grushnikov all pushing these guys on the roster – the current construction of the defence has the potential to flip over massively in the next 2 seasons. With Miromanov (57.88%) and Pachal (59.78%) earning what appears to be everyday roles, and Weegar, Andersson (64.93%), and Kylington (59.29%) being locks there’s only 1 spot open for all those young guys to fight for.
Let next year&#8217;s competition begin.
Game Flow – 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125534" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-GF.png" alt="" width="751" height="350" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-GF.png 751w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-GF-300x140.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 751px) 100vw, 751px" />
Game Score –
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHL</a> GameScore Impact Card for Calgary Flames on 2024-04-12:
 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CofRed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CofRed</a> <a href="https://t.co/bNDVIiireo">pic.twitter.com/bNDVIiireo</a>
&mdash; HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) <a href="https://twitter.com/hockeystatcards/status/1779006975000371319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shot Heatmap – 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125535" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-SH.png" alt="" width="803" height="422" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-SH.png 803w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-SH-300x158.png 300w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-SH-768x404.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px" />
In The Crease – Enough to get the win is what mattered in this one. The Flames were doing so well and then the Ducks started getting deflections and filthy behind the back drop passes that nobody saw coming. Kadri stopped the Ducks momentum in its tracks and Wolf settled back down to secure the win. He made some pretty athletic stops in this one despite not having the busiest workload. When the defence all plays in sync the goalies job becomes so much easier, but mentally the lack of chances can be draining. He fought through and got a well-earned W.
Today’s Specials – Andrei Kuzmenko has single-handily fixed the Calgary Flames powerplay. His aggressive attacking nature and ability to find soft spots in coverage has been impeccable. Nazem Kadri took on the role of the primary puck carrier a long time ago and now Kuzmenko complements everything he does as he moves up the ice. Throw in his willingness to be creative with his high-end skill and we get tangible production at an alarming rate.  I’m done complaining about his defensive woes – for this season at least – because the value he brings to a rejuvenated powerplay almost evens things out. Last year also showed if he can be on a capable line he can thrive – K-Pop line should see reps through the end of the season.
The Goals &#8211; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Andrew Mangiapane scores a short handed goal to put the Flames up 1-0! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> 📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/OqVthEUeaE">pic.twitter.com/OqVthEUeaE</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1778971673406132730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Nazem Kadri scores a beautiful goal playing in his 900th game! 
2-0 Flames 
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/6rXXyV0zOE">pic.twitter.com/6rXXyV0zOE</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1778974156308218265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The Flames power play continues to operate at an elite level recently. Kuzmenko with the finish.
3-0 Calgary 
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/DPXS6M3Ds6">pic.twitter.com/DPXS6M3Ds6</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1778984907840352421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Connor Zary goes backhand shelf and puts the Flames up 4-0!
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/tAR4HwcENz">pic.twitter.com/tAR4HwcENz</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1778991750117540168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
An Andrei Kuzmenko shot finds it&#39;s way to the back of the net! 
5-3 Calgary! 
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/nkrqoLWCLD">pic.twitter.com/nkrqoLWCLD</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1779004231930020039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
ANDREI KUZMENKO HAT TRICK!
This Lindholm trade is the gift that keeps on giving!
6-3 Calgary
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/TpPmyA2jC9">pic.twitter.com/TpPmyA2jC9</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1779005832279236814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Flashalytic’s 3 Stars –  
1) Andrei Kuzmenko
2) Nazem Kadri
3) Martin Pospisil
(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqqh8evbkOzKweyPF_hyDP_kWDI5877Ts"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-121465" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/DoD.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" /></a>
Was it a legal hit? Will the NHL hand out a suspension? How does the appeal process work? Who is the heavyweight champ? Every Thursday, Ryan Pinder &amp; former NHLer Jay Rosehill are in your Department of Discipline. Tune in to catch their takes on some of the most scrutinized parts of hockey. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqqh8evbkOzKweyPF_hyDP_kWDI5877Ts">Check it out and subscribe to catch the latest episodes!</a>

The Calgary Flames got a shorthanded goal early and never looked back as they rolled over the Anaheim Ducks in a 6-3 win. The Flames handily controlled the pace of play for all three periods, only having about 10 minutes at the start of the third where they were collapsing a bit defensively. Nazem Kadri then put his leadership on display with a beautiful rush that ended in an Andrei Kuzmenko insurance goal – it was needed to stop the bleeding. Throw in yet another offensive outburst from Kuzmenko and there were a lot of reasons for the Flames to smile a bit heading home for the final week of their season.



CF% - 61.25%, SCF% - 60.77%, HDCF% - 66.63%, xGF% - 62.35%

It’s a Team Game – Top to bottom fantastic metrics which is exactly how it should look when you play a team of this quality. Too many bad performances against San Jose and Chicago have taught us we can’t simply expect this as a natural outcome. The first and the third were filled with over 4 high danger chances at 5v5 respectively. The second period they kept momentum going on their powerplay – more on that for the first time in months below – putting together what was about a 55-minute team effort together. Not bad compared to what has been happening lately.

Corsi King – Martin Pospisil (74.50%) and Nazem Kadri (73.71%) weren’t about to string more than a couple subpar games together before a big bounce back. They are the best offensive driving combination on the team this year. Pospisil has certainly picked up his point pace as well with 10 points in his last 23 games. They really helped drive Zary’s (50.54%) high finishing numbers by generating so much offence early in the year with tremendous ability to keep plays alive along the boards low in the offensive zone. Now, with Kuzmenko (70.41%) in tow, they have a player with a naturally higher finishing ability benefitting from all these chances – it’s been a decent combination so far. By the way, Zary was the low guy on the sheet tonight and he still had over 50% in his shot attempt disparity.

Under Pressure – Integral error on the HockeyViz.com website has made it so I am unable to provide this chart at this time.

Taken By Chance – 8 high danger chances for the K-Pop line – oh yeah that’s certainly going to work – at 5v5 alone. Kuzmenko (69.59 SCF% // 90.50 HDCF%) had two power play goals on top of all that. It was absolute domination every time they rolled over the boards. Jonathan Huberdeau (63.65% // 100%) and Dryden Hunt (63.65% // 100%) went the game without seeing a high danger look against – Zary (56.79% // 72.53%) showed once again he can certainly play quality minutes at center against teams lower in the standings. I’m super intrigued to see how he is going to stack up against the boys in Vancouver next week. They need a third centre to push Sharangovich (62.38% // 0%) to the wing where his natural finishing ability clearly shines brighter and is more useful to the team. Pinder has been beating that drum for a while and I am inclined to agree with him.

xG Breakdown – Integral Error, same as above

xGF% - MacKenzie Weegar (66.45%) led a defence group that finally had all three pairings play above average hockey. I saw some more positive body language in the play of Nikita Okhotiuk (63.95%) as he was making better passes and using his legs to get dump-ins for line changes. The Flames have so many defenceman in their system now with Poirier, Solovyov, Kuznetsov, Brzustewicz, Morin and Grushnikov all pushing these guys on the roster – the current construction of the defence has the potential to flip over massively in the next 2 seasons. With Miromanov (57.88%) and Pachal (59.78%) earning what appears to be everyday roles, and Weegar, Andersson (64.93%), and Kylington (59.29%) being locks there’s only 1 spot open for all those young guys to fight for.

Let next year's competition begin.

Game Flow – 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125534" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-GF.png" alt="" width="751" height="350" />

Game Score –

[embed]https://twitter.com/hockeystatcards/status/1779006975000371319?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

Shot Heatmap – 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125535" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/G79-at-ANA-SH.png" alt="" width="803" height="422" />

In The Crease – Enough to get the win is what mattered in this one. The Flames were doing so well and then the Ducks started getting deflections and filthy behind the back drop passes that nobody saw coming. Kadri stopped the Ducks momentum in its tracks and Wolf settled back down to secure the win. He made some pretty athletic stops in this one despite not having the busiest workload. When the defence all plays in sync the goalies job becomes so much easier, but mentally the lack of chances can be draining. He fought through and got a well-earned W.

Today’s Specials – Andrei Kuzmenko has single-handily fixed the Calgary Flames powerplay. His aggressive attacking nature and ability to find soft spots in coverage has been impeccable. Nazem Kadri took on the role of the primary puck carrier a long time ago and now Kuzmenko complements everything he does as he moves up the ice. Throw in his willingness to be creative with his high-end skill and we get tangible production at an alarming rate.  I’m done complaining about his defensive woes – for this season at least – because the value he brings to a rejuvenated powerplay almost evens things out. Last year also showed if he can be on a capable line he can thrive – K-Pop line should see reps through the end of the season.

The Goals - 

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1778971673406132730?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1778974156308218265?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1778984907840352421?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1778991750117540168?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1779004231930020039?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1779005832279236814?s=61&amp;t=10ogqpK31IEkkiBWxfaElA[/embed]

Flashalytic’s 3 Stars –  

1) Andrei Kuzmenko

2) Nazem Kadri

3) Martin Pospisil

(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqqh8evbkOzKweyPF_hyDP_kWDI5877Ts"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-121465" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/DoD.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" /></a>

Was it a legal hit? Will the NHL hand out a suspension? How does the appeal process work? Who is the heavyweight champ? Every Thursday, Ryan Pinder &amp; former NHLer Jay Rosehill are in your Department of Discipline. Tune in to catch their takes on some of the most scrutinized parts of hockey. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqqh8evbkOzKweyPF_hyDP_kWDI5877Ts">Check it out and subscribe to catch the latest episodes!</a>

Beyond the Boxscore: Calgary Flames roll through Anaheim Ducks as Kuzmenko shines

Recent articles from Flash Stevens

Breaking News