Great win by the Flames after a bit of a slow start that really worried me. Good to see everyone contributing on every shift. Not a single passenger on the team from the 2nd period and on (probably the midway point of the first, but whatever).
Flames controlled the game, and the Jets showed us last night (IMO) as to why they are not one of those exceptions that drive the analytics community bonkers. They are what they are - a poorly built team with a few highly talented players and an all-world goalie. Poor depth and poor defence really showed. Their transition game is atrocious and fairly easy for the Flames to defend.
As for the whole Tkachuk thing - Tkachuk is a 'rat' and people will always want the rats to get their comeuppance. I have complained about Tkachuk's dirty plays at times in the past, at least when he first entered the league. He has been doing a hell of a job riding that fine line between clean and dirty without crossing it. Last night was no exception - I didn't see anything dirty surrounding the hit, and you have to really make huge leaps to do so. It just isn't there.
Poor Laine, however. Giordano being so damn dirty with his attempt to injure! If that wasn't the most blatantly sneaky example of an attempt to injure in the history of the NHL, I don't know what is. I don't think the rest of the NHL really caught it. If you do a frame-by-frame slow play of Laine's injury, you will see Jawordano come swooping in pretending not to see Laine's elbow, and then maliciously attack his elbow with his face knowing full-well that this action would drive Laine's wrist into the boards, knocking him out of the game. Get this guy out of hockey already before he ends careers!
Next game should be fun. I feel much more confident about the Flames this year. I haven't caught many Winnipeg games this season, but boy do they seem really soft. They are a team that seems pretty easy to intimidate, which I felt was much like the Flames the past couple of seasons until now.
Flames are capable of surprising physicality, with enough toughness to back it up. It really opens up the ice for players like Gaudreau and Monahan. Tkachuk and Bennett are going to have a hell of a playoffs, and I think people on this board will probably like Lucic and Rinaldo a little bit more as well. I bet Lucic and Ronaldo are going to impact this series - and the playoffs in general - more than people assume they will.
Flames have been a physically... unimposing presence in the last few playoffs. Ferland led the way and was a huge reason why the Flames found themselves in the second round that year (definitely not the only reason, but a huge contributor that series that created a tonne of room - both time and space - for the Flames to do their thing).
Flames played physical, they played skilled, they played emotional but were responsible, and were completely engaged and sticking to the game plan. I didn't see a scared team out there - at least once the nervousness wore off at some point in the first period. They had that 'swagger' about them for most of the game. I didn't see that swagger in the first game of the Colorado series last year. It was a nervous 1st game for them. This first game was swagger and everyone doing their part.
Jets are done. They have no fight. I like Lowry (even though he crushed Kylington with that dirty hit, unfortunately) and always saw him as a guy that the Flames should look at acquiring, but aside from him there are no 'meat and potatoes' on that team built for the playoffs. What are the Jets? They are a broken team trying to be like the Oilers with top-end talent capitalizing on their few chances, with (unlike the Oilers now, but much like the Oilers a few seasons ago) with a world-class goaltender.
As long as the Flames stick to their gameplan, the Jets are done. Flames need to continue hitting them and playing well defensively, and the Jets are done. They have no answers. Flames are the more talented team with the more physical players, and they are playing composed sound hockey.
Paul Maurice is a tool. Thankfully he has been the Jets' head coach throughout even when the Jets were an actual great team. Without him, the Jets might have experienced more than basically next to zero success. Now that the Jets kind of...suck.. or at least just have some rather large holes to fix, he doesn't have any answers. Ward - who I am not a fan of (but I will be if the Flames win the cup!) - seems like a better coach. Blaming Tkachuk seems like the only way he can try to inject life into the emotionless, intimidated and outright flat team that the Jets showed themselves to be last night. It probably won't work. They will go after Tkachuk next game, but they will just end up being intimidated again quickly. I have seen that show before from Calgary, and it is refreshing that they are not the same team any longer.
Barring a Hellebucyk miracle, I think the Flames won't have much of a fight on their hands left.
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