VANCOUVER — Apparently, Darryl Sutter can sew collectively a brand new lineup as simply as he can certainly one of his cattle.
With the depth additions made during the last 5 weeks, the probabilities at the moment are limitless for a workforce that will spend parts of the ultimate 20 video games attempting totally different line combos.
The impetus for Saturday’s shakeup revolved round attempting to snap out of a string that had seen the Calgary Flames shut out in two of their final three outings.
With an eye fixed on avenging a 7-1 loss right here three weeks in the past, Sutter selected to interrupt up his high line, changing Matthew Tkachuk with Tyler Toffoli.
It was simply the second time this season Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm performed with anybody aside from Tkachuk.
Sutter began backup Dan Vladar, threw Mikael Backund between Dillon Dube and Tkachuk, whereas Calle Jarnkrok was with wingers Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman.
And he was snug with doing all of it towards a Canucks membership looking for to climb again right into a wild card spot.
It labored.
“We hadn’t had a lot 5-on-5 scoring recently out of our objective scorers – only a few possibilities aside from odd-man conditions or that form of factor,” reasoned Sutter, following a 5-2 win by which the Flames fired 44 pictures on internet.
“Simply tried to maneuver them round a little bit and see if we will get one thing.
“We’re a workforce that has to kill performs. If we’re going to attempt to make fancy performs and lengthy performs, that doesn’t work for our workforce. It’s one of many causes we modified traces up. There’s attending to be too many 70-footers and residential runs. You’ve acquired to the touch all of the bases. Tonight we had extra guys doing it.”
Rewarded for a begin that noticed the Flames hem in and punish a workforce that confirmed no indicators of the desperation required to get again into the playoff race, Noah Hanifin, Tkachuk and Rasmus Andersson put the Flames up 3-0 lower than quarter-hour into the night time.
A good chunk of locals booed the Canucks off the ice after the opening stanza.
After an early pushback from the hosts to start out the second interval, Lindholm put the sport away along with his thirty first effectively earlier than the halfway mark, finally chasing Thatcher Demko from the sport.
“Attempting to get Tyler going once more, and Lindy — see the way it seems,” stated Sutter, who could have spurred on a brand new T-shirt line one night time earlier when he boasted he may sew up a cow or horse quicker than his membership was in a position to sew up Erik Gudbranson.
“Mikael and Matthew and Dillon have performed collectively earlier than, so it wasn’t prefer it was recent for them.
“I feel traces are most likely extra settled than … ever.
“When you consider it, aside from one recreation in Carolina, Lindy, Johnny and Matthew have performed collectively each recreation this yr. I feel generally you simply should freshen it up a little bit. They get a little bit stale.”
He wouldn’t decide to holding the traces as is, promising to resolve after he watches video of the sport.
With the addition of Jarnkrok and Toffoli, Sutter has what each coach craves: depth, competitors and flexibility up entrance.
Their arrival offers Sutter the manpower to make strikes like these.
“It’s the one manner it’s potential,” he agreed, tipping his cap to Toffoli, who made an incredible play to arrange Lindholm’s end.
“Who else may you might have placed on with Lindy and Johnny? Once you take a look at it, there’s nobody else that may.”
Experimenting with all of it may very well be the norm down the stretch.
Or not.
“We weren’t ok final recreation as a workforce, particularly my line,” stated Tkachuk, who added two assists lower than 24 hours after being blanked at dwelling by Buffalo 1-0.
“I feel it was good to get a pair totally different seems right now. One thing needed to change after final night time’s recreation. It was most likely the worst recreation of the yr. It positively helped in our first interval.”
So did the reminiscence of their humiliation right here three weeks earlier.
“We just about acquired embarrassed that night time and it was our final recreation of the common season right here on this rink – we had another crack at getting again at them,” stated Tkachuk.
“I assumed particularly after the best way we performed the final time in right here it was good for our confidence to get a begin and get a lead.
“Hani had a pleasant objective to get that first one for us, then we had a number of shifts of sustained strain that acquired us two and three. We most likely may have had extra after the primary to be sincere. It arrange the remainder of our recreation.”
After Johnny Gaudreau’s power-play objective early within the third, the Canucks spoiled Vladar’s shutout, scoring twice on the 25 pictures they despatched his manner all through the night.
The Flames host San Jose on Tuesday, in the future after the NHL commerce deadline, which can nonetheless see Calgary add a seventh or eighth blue-liner as playoff insurance coverage.
