It took almost the whole game, but the Calgary Flames finally found enough goals to beat Jacob Markstrom and the New Jersey Devils by a 3-0 score on Friday night.
CF% &#8211; 53.68%|| SCF% &#8211; 62.33%|| HDCF% &#8211; 38.84%|| xGF% &#8211; 49.83%
It’s a Team Game – That was one of the most boring first 40 minutes of hockey anybody has ever witnessed in the history of the world. The power play – specifically the first two – were not the best. After Ryan Huska sat down Andrei Kuzmenko some momentum started coming to the power play. More sustained zone time and certainly more shots on net. Markstrom stopped them all though, he was really wanting that win from the way he played. Then, on a night Mikael Backlund received his silver stick for 1,000 games played, he makes the casual play on Blake Coleman’s 1-0 goal to keep possession alive along the boards. You do not always see the beauty that Backlund brings to the game, and yet, it is undeniable. Huberdeau would cash in on an immediate 2-on-1 right after, we were still high-fiving our neighbours, to seal the game for Calgary. New Jersey got a late power play and tried like crazy to end the shutout bid, but Dan Vladar stood tall and earned the hard-fought win.
Corsi King – I am going to discuss Andrei Kuzmenko (73.84 CF%) here because I have some other players to highlight below. He was benched around the 33–34-minute mark in this game – and I was not surprised. The one thing Kuzmenko needs to bring to the table is tangible and at least semi-consistent production. Two assists in his last seven games (both in the same game too) is not going to fly. Ryan Huska has a track record of giving his players a real opportunity the next game after a sit down – they are professionals and get the message. Also, If you continue to sit them after a benching, how are they going to redeem themselves? Pospisil (70.30 per cent) holds the real crown with a 20-8 chance ratio vs Kuzmenko’s 6-2. I did miss Connor Zary’s (62.06 per cent) dangles as he hardly got to showcase them playing next to the grind down low game that Nazem Kadri (62.06%) leads with. It was not the most polished game those guys have ever played together, but it was good to knock off some rust against a sleeping Devils team.
Under Pressure – 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133367" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP.png" alt="" width="943" height="1827" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP.png 943w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP-155x300.png 155w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP-529x1024.png 529w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP-768x1488.png 768w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP-793x1536.png 793w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 943px) 100vw, 943px" />
Taken By Chance – I am so freakin&#8217; happy Rasmus Andersson (73.14 SCF% // 39.69%) has found the perfect defence partner. One of the first pieces I ever wrote was about how – in the Travis Hamonic days – Andersson and Noah Hanifin should be paired together based on results and chemistry, supplemented with analytics to make the argument. It worked, but the consistent issue that arose was the partner – Hanifin – would also sometimes jump into the rush leaving sizeable gaps in the defensive coverage. If there was a turnover the best result was for Flames fans to close their eyes. Flash forward four years later and here they have acquired this massive human being who is fast and tall enough to break up a Jack Hughes breakaway while chasing him from behind. Kevin Bahl (74.68 percent // 30.50 percent) is certainly the addition of the off-season for the Flames, but he may be one of the best new additions in the entire National. 20+ minutes of amazing hockey comes from Bahl nightly – something the Flames blueline was desperate for.
xG Breakdown &#8211; 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133368" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2.png" alt="" width="906" height="1142" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2.png 906w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2-238x300.png 238w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2-812x1024.png 812w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2-768x968.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133369" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG1.png" alt="" width="691" height="788" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG1.png 691w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG1-263x300.png 263w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px" />
xGF% &#8211; It has been decades since I’ve seen a guy get a hand loose and just feed the other guy about 5-6 knuckle sandwiches, but Ryan Lomberg (81.34 percent) did just that to poor Nathan Bastian. The hit on Cotter prior certainly was not okay, but he commits to the hit the same time as his teammate and Lomberg gets Cotter after he’s already stumbling. The most snake-bitten Flame – in my opinion – was Yegor Sharangovich (44.55 percent). He got free and let some wicked shots off but could not put one past Markstrom. He’s still working his way back from injury, but it was looking quite good in this game. With 40 minutes of “bleh” to start I can confidently say I never felt Sharangovich was contributing to the “bleh.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Ryan Lomberg is an animal!
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/Adl9wcIGvP">pic.twitter.com/Adl9wcIGvP</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1852529130732159090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Game Flow – 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133370" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-GF.png" alt="" width="751" height="350" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-GF.png 751w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-GF-300x140.png 300w" sizes="auto, (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 2024-11-01:
 <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/o5B7vPFA31">pic.twitter.com/o5B7vPFA31</a>
&mdash; HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) <a href="https://twitter.com/hockeystatcards/status/1852560074775855275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 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-133371" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SH.png" alt="" width="803" height="422" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SH.png 803w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SH-300x158.png 300w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SH-768x404.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px" />
In The Crease – We have a shutout, Houston – we have a shutout. Dan Vladar did not have to be busy, but he did have to make more high danger saves than the other guy. The best save of his came off the stick of Rasmus Andersson too – so he had to stay sharp and vigilant all night long. To start the second period the Devils were really trying some stretch passes to beat the defence, and it worked. Markstrom did some great work on the breakaway AND during all the shorthanded 2-on-1’s the Devils got. Full credits to Vladar with 1.18 expected goals against at 5v5 with nothing getting past him.
Player Spotlight – Tyson Barrie/Joel Hanley/Jake Bean – The rotation continues and if I’m being honest I had no issues with Tyson Barrie’s game tonight. The opposite actually, I felt he was able to get some pucks to the net – hard – when the Flames weren’t generating much of anything. That’s not why I’m randomly highlighting three players though. No, the Flames best options for defence number one through five have emerged and solidified themselves. Andersson and Weegar are clear top pair options, Bahl is a surefire top 4 while Miromanov and Pachal are more than capable third pairing guys. Based on how he’s played so far one could advocate Pachal has shown enough to get a better shot. That leaves one functional spot on the blueline and three veteran spares. I think Jake Bean currently has the edge, but not one of these guys has really risen to the top and staked the claim for a long-term position in the lineup.
The Goals &#8211; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🔥Flames Goal🔥
Blake Coleman gets the Flames on the board in the third period! 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/RGizql3lZu">pic.twitter.com/RGizql3lZu</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1852556586843255071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 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">
🔥Flames Goal🔥
Anthony Mantha sets up Jonathan Huberdeau for a tap in goal! It&#39;s 2-0 Flames!
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/4udqfldDDS">pic.twitter.com/4udqfldDDS</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1852557260847006000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Flashalytic’s 3 Stars – 
1) Dan Vladar
2) Jonathan Huberdeau
3) Blake Coleman
(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)
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It took almost the whole game, but the Calgary Flames finally found enough goals to beat Jacob Markstrom and the New Jersey Devils by a 3-0 score on Friday night.

CF% - 53.68%|| SCF% - 62.33%|| HDCF% - 38.84%|| xGF% - 49.83%

It’s a Team Game – That was one of the most boring first 40 minutes of hockey anybody has ever witnessed in the history of the world. The power play – specifically the first two – were not the best. After Ryan Huska sat down Andrei Kuzmenko some momentum started coming to the power play. More sustained zone time and certainly more shots on net. Markstrom stopped them all though, he was really wanting that win from the way he played. Then, on a night Mikael Backlund received his silver stick for 1,000 games played, he makes the casual play on Blake Coleman’s 1-0 goal to keep possession alive along the boards. You do not always see the beauty that Backlund brings to the game, and yet, it is undeniable. Huberdeau would cash in on an immediate 2-on-1 right after, we were still high-fiving our neighbours, to seal the game for Calgary. New Jersey got a late power play and tried like crazy to end the shutout bid, but Dan Vladar stood tall and earned the hard-fought win.

Corsi King – I am going to discuss Andrei Kuzmenko (73.84 CF%) here because I have some other players to highlight below. He was benched around the 33–34-minute mark in this game – and I was not surprised. The one thing Kuzmenko needs to bring to the table is tangible and at least semi-consistent production. Two assists in his last seven games (both in the same game too) is not going to fly. Ryan Huska has a track record of giving his players a real opportunity the next game after a sit down – they are professionals and get the message. Also, If you continue to sit them after a benching, how are they going to redeem themselves? Pospisil (70.30 per cent) holds the real crown with a 20-8 chance ratio vs Kuzmenko’s 6-2. I did miss Connor Zary’s (62.06 per cent) dangles as he hardly got to showcase them playing next to the grind down low game that Nazem Kadri (62.06%) leads with. It was not the most polished game those guys have ever played together, but it was good to knock off some rust against a sleeping Devils team.

Under Pressure – 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133367" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SP.png" alt="" width="943" height="1827" />

Taken By Chance – I am so freakin' happy Rasmus Andersson (73.14 SCF% // 39.69%) has found the perfect defence partner. One of the first pieces I ever wrote was about how – in the Travis Hamonic days – Andersson and Noah Hanifin should be paired together based on results and chemistry, supplemented with analytics to make the argument. It worked, but the consistent issue that arose was the partner – Hanifin – would also sometimes jump into the rush leaving sizeable gaps in the defensive coverage. If there was a turnover the best result was for Flames fans to close their eyes. Flash forward four years later and here they have acquired this massive human being who is fast and tall enough to break up a Jack Hughes breakaway while chasing him from behind. Kevin Bahl (74.68 percent // 30.50 percent) is certainly the addition of the off-season for the Flames, but he may be one of the best new additions in the entire National. 20+ minutes of amazing hockey comes from Bahl nightly – something the Flames blueline was desperate for.

xG Breakdown - 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133368" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG2.png" alt="" width="906" height="1142" /> <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133369" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-xG1.png" alt="" width="691" height="788" />

xGF% - It has been decades since I’ve seen a guy get a hand loose and just feed the other guy about 5-6 knuckle sandwiches, but Ryan Lomberg (81.34 percent) did just that to poor Nathan Bastian. The hit on Cotter prior certainly was not okay, but he commits to the hit the same time as his teammate and Lomberg gets Cotter after he’s already stumbling. The most snake-bitten Flame – in my opinion – was Yegor Sharangovich (44.55 percent). He got free and let some wicked shots off but could not put one past Markstrom. He’s still working his way back from injury, but it was looking quite good in this game. With 40 minutes of “bleh” to start I can confidently say I never felt Sharangovich was contributing to the “bleh.”

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1852529130732159090?s=61&amp;t=mtieXreEGJLNaTL3V5Joyg[/embed]

Game Flow – 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133370" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-GF.png" alt="" width="751" height="350" />

Game Score –

[embed]https://twitter.com/hockeystatcards/status/1852560074775855275?s=61&amp;t=mtieXreEGJLNaTL3V5Joyg[/embed]

Shot Heatmap – 

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-133371" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/G11-vs-NJD-SH.png" alt="" width="803" height="422" />

In The Crease – We have a shutout, Houston – we have a shutout. Dan Vladar did not have to be busy, but he did have to make more high danger saves than the other guy. The best save of his came off the stick of Rasmus Andersson too – so he had to stay sharp and vigilant all night long. To start the second period the Devils were really trying some stretch passes to beat the defence, and it worked. Markstrom did some great work on the breakaway AND during all the shorthanded 2-on-1’s the Devils got. Full credits to Vladar with 1.18 expected goals against at 5v5 with nothing getting past him.

Player Spotlight – Tyson Barrie/Joel Hanley/Jake Bean – The rotation continues and if I’m being honest I had no issues with Tyson Barrie’s game tonight. The opposite actually, I felt he was able to get some pucks to the net – hard – when the Flames weren’t generating much of anything. That’s not why I’m randomly highlighting three players though. No, the Flames best options for defence number one through five have emerged and solidified themselves. Andersson and Weegar are clear top pair options, Bahl is a surefire top 4 while Miromanov and Pachal are more than capable third pairing guys. Based on how he’s played so far one could advocate Pachal has shown enough to get a better shot. That leaves one functional spot on the blueline and three veteran spares. I think Jake Bean currently has the edge, but not one of these guys has really risen to the top and staked the claim for a long-term position in the lineup.

The Goals - 

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1852556586843255071?s=61&amp;t=mtieXreEGJLNaTL3V5Joyg[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/ringoffirecgy/status/1852557260847006000?s=61&amp;t=mtieXreEGJLNaTL3V5Joyg[/embed]

Flashalytic’s 3 Stars – 

1) Dan Vladar

2) Jonathan Huberdeau

3) Blake Coleman

(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)
<h1>This article is brought to you by Alberta Blue Cross</h1>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-130957" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/ABC_Logo_Stacked_RGB_Cyan.png" alt="" width="380" height="117" />
Don’t let the hassles and risks of travel keep you from making connections that matter. From lost baggage and trip cancellation to medical emergencies, Alberta Blue Cross has you covered on every adventure. Best of all, Flight Delay Service is included. Travel worry-free with travel insurance from Alberta Blue Cross and get access to 24/7 assistance if you need it. If you’re traveling to the U.S. – you’ll get access to one of their largest healthcare networks which provides direct payment to hospitals. This means you won’t have to pay medical expenses out of pocket. Protect your next trip today at <a href="http://ab.bluecross.ca/travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ab.bluecross.ca/travel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725732020556000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0r078NBA08t8ZEv1_BFG2N">ab.bluecross.ca/travel</a>.

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