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Post-Game: Johnson blanks the Wild
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Ryan Pike
Nov 15, 2016, 23:26 ESTUpdated: Invalid DateTime
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(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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