5 THINGS - FLAMES @ JETS
The Flames finish up their regular-season schedule tonight in Winnipeg
Video: Brendan Parker sets up tonight's game
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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame - Cail MacLean
GAME DAY FEATURES
'Ready To Go'
Projected Lineup
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Johnny Gaudreau (115)
Goals - Elias Lindholm (42)
Jets:
Points - Kyle Connor (92)
Goals - Kyle Connor (46)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 23.1% (10th) / PK - 82.9% (6th)
Jets:
PP - 21.5% (15th) / PK - 75.1% (28th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 55.78% (3rd)
High-Danger Chances: 55.62% (2nd)
Jets:
Shot Attempts: 49.31% (18th)
High-Danger Chances: 47.40% (23rd)
These guys …
They never, ever quit.
The Flames battled back from a one-goal deficit late in the third period last night, but dropped a 3-2 OT decision to the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.
In the defeat, Johnny Gaudreau scored his 40th goal of the season, while Elias Lindholm's goal forced overtime with 2:56 left in the stanza.
Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves.
It was another playoff-style game for the Flames, who were coming off a dramatic 3-on-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. They're now 1-0-1 on this current, three-game road swing, and wrap up the 2021-22 regular-season schedule tonight against the Winnipeg Jets.
"Obviously, last game against Nashville was intense and was a good game - it was fun to be a part of," Lindholm said following last night's tilt. "I thought tonight was a good game, too. Obviously, our special teams were not very good, but 5-on-5, we were doing some good things. Just have to be better on the special teams and do better on that tomorrow."
The Wild went 2-for-2 on the powerplay - including the winning goal by Kirill Kaprizov after the Flames were tagged for a penalty early in OT.
The visitors, meanwhile, had a tough time getting organized, and were blanked on four opportunities on the advantage.
At 50-20-11, the Flames have done about everything you can possibly do in a single regular season: Team records, personal milestones and enough sizzle to stock dozens of individual highlight reels, long into the future.
Now, with the postseason less than a week away, the goal tonight is to escape the Manitoba capital unscathed, while keeping their game in order and at the high standard they've set for themselves from Games 1 through 81.
Video: Coach Cail MacLean on tonight's battle in Winnipeg
There's no other way to put it: It hasn't gone well.
What began with such promise has ended with a whimper, as the Jets - who were picked by many to compete for the Stanley Cup this year - will miss the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Winnipeg is one of the country's great hockey hotbeds, and while the results mean little right now, star winger Nikolaj Ehlers wants to put on a good show for the team's loyal fanbase.
"We're not in the playoffs, but we've still got three games to show the fans that - I wouldn't say 'we're sorry' - but that we're better than this," he told reporters Wednesday.
Ehlers went out and backed up the talk that day, scoring a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler and leading goal-getter Kyle Connor rounded out the offence, while 26-year-old Eric Comrie made 35 saves to record his first NHL shutout.
"It's a happy moment for myself," Comrie said as he addressed the media postgame. "A lot of hard work went into that. But a lot of hard work from the guys tonight, too. They played a fantastic game and made it real easy for myself to see the puck and make a lot of easy saves because they were playing as (well) as they could."
Comrie is one of the feel-good stories in the Manitoba capital this year, despite workhorse and former Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck playing 65 of Winnipeg's 80 games to this point.
Comrie was drafted by the Jets in the second round - 59th overall - in 2013, but is only now getting his first real shot in the bigs.
In 2019, the Arizona Coyotes claimed him off waivers and he played four games with the club's AHL affiliate in Tucson. He was then traded to the Detroit Red Wings, played three games for the Winged Wheel (including one against the Jets), and then was placed on waivers again where the Jets re-claimed him.
Last year, he was placed on waivers again and this time, New Jersey put in a claim. He played two games for the Devils, was placed on waivers yet again, before getting scooped up by the Jets and finishing the season with their farm team, the Manitoba Moose.
(Follow that?)
This year, Comrie has been a full-time NHLer and hasn't had to move once.
"He's the type of teammate you cheer for every single day," Connor said. "You see it in practices. I'm sure you guys watch it all of the time, he's always one of the last ones off, putting in all of the work. So, it's pretty cool to see it pay off."
Comrie is 9-5-1, along with a .921 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average this year.
The Jets will close out their season on Sunday when they host the Devils at Canada Life Centre.
COURTESY OF FLAMES PR
THIS IS 40: With Johnny Gaudreau recording his 40th of the season last night, the Flames now have three 40-plus goal-scorers (Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm) for the third time in franchise history and first since 1993-94, when Gary Roberts (41), Theo Fleury (40) and Robert Reichel (40) did it. Before that, Joe Nieuwendyk, Hakan Loob, Mike Bullard, and Joe Mullen each had 40-plus in the 1987-88 campaign. ... The Flames are the first team to accomplish this feat since the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning - and before that was the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flames are only the 13th team since 1985-86 to feature three 40-plus goal-scorers in one season.
NUMBER 200:Dillon Dube could play in his 200th career game tonight. He is currently having a career year with 18 goals and 32 points. Dube sits at 75 career points (36G, 39A) in his first 199 games.
DID YOU KNOW? The Flames have opened the scoring a total of 53 times this season to lead the NHL. They have a 39-9-4 record when they score the first goal. Calgary is tied for second-most first-period goals (92) and the fewest goals against in the opening frame (51) in the NHL this season.
Stick tap to Flames PR guru Dalton Ulrich for compiling these nuggets
Flames - Johnny Gaudreau
Why not?
When HASN'T he been the player to watch this year?
At 115 points, Gaudreau has had one of the most incredible offensive seasons in the history of the franchise.
"Those two (Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm) have been playing great all year," Gaudreau said. "Getting the chance to play with them all year has been a lot of fun for me. I've been very fortunate to play with some really good players in my career and these two are right up there at the top of the list. Special playing with those guys."
Gaudreau enters the night on the verge of another milestone. He's only one assist away from 400 in his career.
Video: "A cool thing to do"
Jets - Kyle Connor
While everything at Portage and Main seems to have gone awry this year, Kyle Connor has been a real bright spot.
Certainly, there have been some concerns about the sniper's defensive ability, you can't argue with the offensive firepower he possesses. The 25-year-old smashed his previous career high (38) with 46 goals to this point in the campaign, and in the process, established a new team record for goals in a season since the franchise re-located to Winnipeg in 2011.
"You guys know me by now - it's not like I'm popping champagne because I hit a certain (number) of goals or something," Connor said. "You put in all the hard work and so when the results come, you're ready for it, you're ready for this stage."
On Thursday, TSN announced that legendary play-by-play announcer Dennis Beyak will be retiring from Jets broadcasts at the end of the season.
Dennis is a true gentleman, a pro's pro, and is one of the absolute best at his craft, anywhere in the world.
Most importantly, he's a great friend. I personally worked in Winnipeg for four seasons, including the Jets' run to the Western Conference Final in 2018. Dennis was the ultimate sounding board and was a great mentor to myself, longtime veterans, and anyone entering the business. He provided incredible leadership and would take as much time out of his day that was needed to help anyone in need.
Everyone needs a friend like Dennis.
The thing I'll remember most is Dennis lugging bags from the conveyor belt to the bus after each and every flight - even when the plane landed in the dead of the night, with an ice-cold wind whipping up snow in his face.
Not his own bag, mind you.
Everyone's.
In as many trips as it took to offload the plane and get to the hotel, fast.
That's the kind of guy Dennis is.
A team player, and absolutely wonderful human being.
