PENALTY KILL ON A ROLL

The Flames are 6-0-1 in January and the penalty kill is a major factor in that success.
Calgary has killed off 22 of 24 opposition powerplays since the calendar flipped to 2018, clicking at a 91.7% rate. Over that span, only the Vegas Golden Knights (94.1%) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (92.3%) have been more efficient when shorthanded.
That run also includes killing off four of five man-advantages in a 4-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 14. The Hurricanes have been the league's deadliest powerplay team (34.6%) to start the new year.

Troy Brouwer, who ranks second in shorthanded time on ice for the team in January, attributes the team's recent penalty killing success to working as a unit.
"We're doing a really good job of pressuring together," said Brouwer. "When the other team is getting access to our zone we're doing a good job killing their plays and killing their options right away, and so we're reading off each other and when one guy pressures we all pressure.
"We've gotten a lot better at recognizing when it's time to pressure as well, and trusting other guys and using community clears, is what we call them. So you'll see one, two, three guys touch the puck before it gets thrown down the ice."

Though the Flames are still looking for their first shorthanded goal this month, they have had several dangerous chances, most recently on Jan. 20 against Winnipeg when Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was forced to make two big saves with his team on the powerplay.
"If there's a loose puck and there's a chance, we'll go for it," said penalty-killing regular Mikael Backlund. "But our first mentality is to kill it off and get some momentum off the kill."
Calgary's goaltenders, meanwhile, have been lights-out. Through seven January contests, Mike Smith and David Rittich have a combined .946 save percentage when the Flames are shorthanded.
"They both give us unbelievable confidence, not just on the penalty kill but five-on-five as well," said Brouwer. "You're a lot more comfortable playing in front of [them] and then knowing that if there is a mistake that's made [they'll] be there to bail you out. We try and give the least dangerous shot on the ice as much as we can but sometimes there's going to be breakdowns and they've been there making huge saves for us."
The penalty kill could soon be getting reinforcements with the return of Michael Frolik, who has missed the last eight games due to injury. Though head coach Glen Gulutzan doesn't expect Frolik to be back until after the All-Star break, he was on the ice for the team's practice on Sunday.
"He's a very smart player, he sacrifices his body and makes good plays," said Backlund. "Me and Brouwer have been playing well together this stretch without him, but it will definitely boost our penalty kill when he comes back; he's been a big part of it for the last few years."
The Flames are back in action when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. MT.