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Post-Game Wrap-Up: Flames beat Minnesota for their dads
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Photo credit: Harrison Barden/USA Today Sports
Ryan Pike
Jan 5, 2020, 22:08 ESTUpdated: Jan 5, 2020, 22:30 EST
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For the fourth time in four games, the Calgary Flames gave up multiple first period goals. For the third time in four games, they got behind early and chased. But the Flames managed to keep clawing back, eventually grinding out a 5-4 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild despite never leading during the game.

The Rundown

Most of the game’s offense came in the opening period.
With TJ Brodie in the penalty box for tripping, Kevin Fiala’s shot went through David Rittich – handcuffing him a bit on the glove side – and trickled in to make it 1-0 Wild.
The Flames answered back on a power play with a weird one. Several Flames whacked at a loose puck. Jordan Greenway tried to sweep it away from the side of the net, only to inadvertently glance it of Milan Lucic’s skate and between Alex Stalock’s pads to make it 1-1. Whoops!
But the Wild answered right back. Johnny Gaudreau lost the puck in the neutral zone and Joel Eriksson Ek drove into the Flames zone. Everyone paid attention to him, allowing a nice pass to Marcus Foligno. He cut across the zone – getting Rittich moving left to right – and chucked the puck past Rittich’s far shoulder to make it 2-1 Wild.
But the Flames answered back, again! They worked the offensive zone cycle and Mikael Backlund teed one up for Travis Hamonic near the slot for a slapper that went post-and-in to make it 2-2.
But the Wild answered back…, again! The Flames couldn’t clear the front of the net and Foligno barreled his way to the loose puck and chipped it past Rittich to make it 3-2 Wild.
Shots were 14-9 Flames and scoring chances 10-8 Flames in the first period.
Neither team scored in the second period. The Flames were back on their heels for much of the frame, but had some decent push-back late in the period.
Shots were 12-10 Wild and scoring chances 13-9 Wild in the second period.
The Flames tied things back up early in the third period, as Michael Stone’s wrist shot from the point found its way through traffic to make it 3-3.
But once again the Wild responded back quickly. The Flames failed to grab a dump-in. Minnesota cycled the puck and Greenway tipped a Jared Spurgeon shot past Rittich to make it 4-3 Wild.
But the Flames forced extra time on a late power play, as Mark Giordano wandered in from the point. His shot deflected in off Ryan Suter’s stick to make it a 4-4 hockey game.
Shots were 13-10 Flames and scoring chances 11-7 Wild in the final period.
Giordano took a tripping penalty in overtime, leading to a pretty clutch kill. This game went to a shootout that lasted seven rounds. Ryan Donato scored for the Wild in the fourth round, while Derek Ryan scored for the Flames in the fourth round to keep things alive. Dillon Dube scored to win this for the Flames.

Why the Flames Won (in a Shootout)

They were not great in this game. But give them credit: they bent but they didn’t break. There were several instances in this game where they could’ve folded up shop – hands up if you thought Giordano’s OT penalty would’ve ended things – but they just found ways to hang around and grind out points.
That said: they needed a few saves at key moments from Rittich right after their game-tying goals, and they needed to be better in the neutral zone. None of these are new criticisms.

Red Warrior

Giordano led the team in shots and scored the game-tying goal, so we’ll go with the captain.

The Turning Point

There are two! First, the Giordano PP goal. Next, the kill of Giordano’s penalty. The first made it possible for them to get one point, the other gave them a shot at a second.

The Numbers

Data via Natural Stat Trick. Percentage stats are 5v5.
Corsi
For%
O-Zone
Face-Off%
Game
Score
Ryan
66.7
55.6
1.600
Hanifin
61.0
37.5
0.775
Giordano
58.8
60.0
1.800
Hamonic
57.8
44.4
1.700
Mangiapane
55.6
0.0
0.350
Gaudreau
55.2
53.3
1.475
Monahan
55.2
53.3
0.095
Rieder
55.0
100
0.165
Lindholm
54.8
50.0
0.915
Bennett
54.6
42.9
0.350
Dube
53.5
50.0
0.375
Lucic
53.3
55.6
1.085
Brodie
53.2
58.3
0.800
Tkachuk
50.0
33.3
0.150
Backlund
50.0
42.9
1.165
Andersson
46.2
46.2
0.525
Jankowski
43.5
50.0
-0.175
Stone
39.3
42.9
0.425
Rittich
—
—
0.000
Talbot
—
—
—

This and That

Geoff Ward shuffled lines up after the opening period:
Rasmus Andersson and TJ Brodie also switched places.

Up Next

The Flames (22-17-5) are off to Chicago. They face the Blackhawks on Tuesday evening.
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