CALGARY — A back-trick hat-trick, and a Backlund backbreaker, received the Calgary Flames again within the dialog as one of many NHL’s greatest outfits Thursday.
Okay, sorry, let’s again it up for a second.
Dealing with a Tampa Bay Lightning squad that gained back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Flames used a back-door strategy to unravel the world’s greatest backstop.
Because the Flames proceed to search out methods to win video games, Johnny Gaudreau’s first two of three targets have been bank-shots off the behind of Tampa Bay netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, begging the query: did he do effectively in his trigonometry assessments in highschool?
“No, I didn’t do good on any take a look at in highschool,” beamed Gaudreau after extending his seven-game level streak in his staff’s 4-1 win on the Saddledome.
“The primary aim he was form of out of his web, and wasn’t on the submit, so I attempted to financial institution it off his butt there. The second was pure luck. I simply threw it proper again in entrance of the web and it hit his hip or one thing and bounced in.”
So far as assessments go, this one was as massive because the Flames have handed since Sunday’s time beyond regulation win in Colorado.
Absolutely the remainder of the league is taking discover of a deep, gifted squad that’s pulling away from the Pacific Division because of a 15-2-1 run.
Their newest win noticed the power of the Flames penalty-killing unit, which helped the hosts cling to an early 1-0 lead regardless of six minutes of shorthanded play through which Jacob Markstrom was each bit as spectacular as Vasilevskiy.
With one minute left within the second interval Gaudreau scored an virtually similar aim from behind the aim line, adopted by a Mikael Backlund redirection 52 seconds later — a mix Darryl Sutter known as a “deep lower.”
The Flames held the Lightning to 5 pictures within the third earlier than Gaudreau accomplished his sixth profession hat trick.
“It’s superior, it’s a very cool feeling,” stated Gaudreau of a second that noticed a crowd of 15,689 litter the ice with hats earlier than breaking into chants of, “John-ny, John-ny.”
“It’s a good cooler feeling when the entire followers are chanting your identify. It’s fairly particular. I don’t take these as a right. It was a reasonably cool second there.”
The Flames are within the midst of a reasonably cool second too, as Sutter’s construction has helped construct this staff right into a reliable Cup contender.
However don’t inform Sutter, Markstrom or anybody else within the group that.
“It’s all the time enjoyable to play the groups which are within the high and so they’re a staff that has been on the high for a very long time,” stated Markstrom, who completed with 30 saves at hand the Bolts their second-straight regulation loss for the primary time this season.
“Nevertheless it’s nonetheless two factors, nothing extra or nothing much less.”
It’s that mentality that has achieved effectively to make sure the Flames don’t get complacent — a lure they’ve fallen into with this core earlier than.
Earlier within the day, when Sutter was requested in regards to the NHL’s mannequin franchise, he raved about their capacity to mix talent with dimension — one thing the Flames have achieved effectively to emulate this season.
“They’ve been getting credit score for many offence however they’re going to pound you into the ice, they’re going to push your goalie out of the sport if they will,” stated Sutter.
The Flames did effectively to answer Tampa’s brawn with loads of their very own.
Late within the night the Lightning took exception to a Sean Monahan crosscheck on Steven Stamkos that prompted Tampa’s captain to later drop the gloves and begin throwing punches whereas the Flames veteran refused to reply in form.
Former Lightning stalwart Blake Coleman exhibited some grit after taking a puck to the face late within the proceedings, solely to return to the bench with 4 minutes left with a stitched-up eye and cut up open lip.
“That’s regular for champions,” stated Sutter.
There was nothing regular about how Gaudreau scored, though it was clear the 26-goal scorer absolutely supposed each financial institution pictures.
“It’s a tricky play… Johnny was quick-thinking to throw it instantly, earlier than (Vasilevskiy) can get inside his posts there,” Markstrom stated. “That’s a aim scorer’s aim and it was an enormous aim for us tonight. Two of them.”
