[calgARI]

Impressive performance by a Calgary Flames team that was not all that sharp early. All the same, I thought the first period was still even overall after Vegas was good the first few minutes. Obviously goaltending was the difference to that point.

The Flames were very very dominant the second and third periods. Very very dominant. In all phases of the game. And Markstrom was fine after that point with just a couple actually good scoring chances against, whereas Thompson had to stand on his head for pretty much the whole game.

The maturity and focus of this Calgary Flames group has shown and shone in each of the first three games. Each game has been unique in the needs insofar as perseverance. The second period saw a new level of intensity and urgency from Huburdeau-Lindholm-Toffoli. Most teams, including most Flames teams over the years would not have been able to positively respond after the disallowed goal, yet this group took it to a whole new level that became the difference in the hockey game.

Speaking of difference in the hockey game, the fourth line was actually Calgary's best tonight. This is the best both Ritchie and Lucic have looked with the Calgary Flames.

This is the best Nikita Zadorov has looked in the National Hockey League. The blueline is ultra solid top-to-bottom.

And yet the Backlund trio wound up getting this game sealed away. I sensed Coleman-Backlund would do something when they both produced legit shorthanded opportunities earlier in the third period. The grittiness and hockey sense and simplicity of those two is something.

Also thought this was Mangiapane's best game. Was quite impressed by the Lombardias analysis of where his game needed to go in terms of improving the play of others, then he proceeded to do just that on multiple occasions over the course of the evening.

There are 79 more games, yet there is a compelling belief that several of the best players on the Calgary Flames are going to get considerably better and produce more meaningfully, especially against more average goaltending. And yet it is the maturity of the team that been so incredibly pervasive against three of the best teams in the conference.