CALGARY — A back-trick hat-trick, and a Backlund backbreaker, bought the Calgary Flames again within the dialog as one of many NHL’s finest outfits Thursday.
Okay, sorry, let’s again it up for a second.
Going through a Tampa Bay Lightning squad that received back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Flames used a back-door strategy to unravel the world’s finest backstop.
Because the Flames proceed to search out methods to win video games, Johnny Gaudreau’s first two of three targets had been bank-shots off the behind of Tampa Bay netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, begging the query: did he do nicely in his trigonometry assessments in highschool?
“No, I didn’t do good on any check in highschool,” beamed Gaudreau after extending his seven-game level streak in his group’s 4-1 win on the Saddledome.
“The primary purpose he was sort of out of his internet, and wasn’t on the put up, 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 online and it hit his hip or one thing and bounced in.”
So far as assessments go, this one was as huge because the Flames have handed since Sunday’s extra time win in Colorado.
Certainly the remainder of the league is taking discover of a deep, proficient squad that’s pulling away from the Pacific Division due to a 15-2-1 run.
Their newest win noticed the energy of the Flames penalty-killing unit, which helped the hosts cling to an early 1-0 lead regardless of six minutes of shorthanded play by which Jacob Markstrom was each bit as spectacular as Vasilevskiy.
With one minute left within the second interval Gaudreau scored an nearly similar purpose from behind the purpose line, adopted by a Mikael Backlund redirection 52 seconds later — a mixture Darryl Sutter known as a “deep minimize.”
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,” mentioned 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 fair cooler feeling when the entire followers are chanting your identify. It’s fairly particular. I don’t take these with no consideration. 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 group right into a respectable Cup contender.
However don’t inform Sutter, Markstrom or anybody else within the group that.
“It’s at all times enjoyable to play the groups which can be within the prime they usually’re a group that has been on the prime for a very long time,” mentioned Markstrom, who completed with 30 saves handy 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 carried out nicely 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 skill to mix ability with dimension — one thing the Flames have carried out nicely to emulate this season.
“They’ve been getting credit score for plenty of 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,” mentioned Sutter.
The Flames did nicely to reply to 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,” mentioned Sutter.
There was nothing regular about how Gaudreau scored, though it was clear the 26-goal scorer totally meant each financial institution pictures.
“It’s a troublesome play… Johnny was quick-thinking to throw it instantly, earlier than (Vasilevskiy) can get inside his posts there,” Markstrom mentioned. “That’s a purpose scorer’s purpose and it was an enormous purpose for us tonight. Two of them.”
