Four goals in the first period for their third-straight win, giving them two big points to land in one heck of a logjam fighting for a post-season spot.
The countdown continues for the Calgary Flames in their race against time.
Can they make up for the slow start in convincing enough fashion to stay in a playoff hunt sure to be disrupted by upcoming trades?
On Thursday the answer was a resounding yes, as six different goal scorers paced them to a 6-3 win over Nashville in which the outcome was rarely in doubt following two quick strikes by the visitors.
“That’s Flames hockey,” said Blake Coleman, whose goal five minutes into the game came 27 seconds after Connor Zary opened the proceedings.
“I think that’s our recipe.
“When we’ve got everybody going we’re a really tough team to beat.
“You could see it tonight, every line and every defensive pair is contributing.
“We had goalie depth… we showed kind of what we are tonight.”
Against a Predators club that had left the Flames in the dust of late, the Flames set an early tone using their speed and tenacity for the type of 60-minute performance that makes it so hard for naysayers to count this team out of the playoff picture just yet.
After all, with points in eight of their last ten games, the Flames moved into a three-way tie, two points back of the final wild card spot.
And they’ve done it by finally eclipsing the .500 mark for the first time since opening week – a mark they had failed to reach in several previous attempts.
“We want to try to gain a little bit of traction by stringing points together – that next game now becomes the most important game of the year,” said coach Ryan Huska, who chose to start Dan Vladar with afternoon back-to-backs in mind against Philadelphia and Chicago to wrap up this four game jaunt.
“I thought he did a good job.
“He fought the puck a little bit at times tonight, but I’d imagine a lot of that comes from rust from not starting (since before Christmas).”
Vladar found a way to knock a high dump-in that was going wide into his own net with his blocker, getting the Preds to within 5-3 early in the third.
His response, and that of the team, was sublime, as Yegor Sharangovich converted an Elias Lindholm steal into a late insurance marker.
Coleman, Sharangovich, Zary and Rasmus Andersson all finished with a goal and a helper, while Nazem Kadri and Noah Hanifin also added important goals.
Hanifin’s was a dagger with 1.6 seconds left in the second period, making it 5-2.
The game included a scary moment of eerie stadium silence as Dennis Gilbert lay motionless on the ice for more than a minute after being hit by Philip Tomasino and landing on his head.
Gilbert eventually started moving his extremities under the care of Flames trainers before the woozy defenceman was helped off the ice by a pair of teammates.
The Predators forward was given a match penalty for what some referred to as a debatable slew foot.
“I haven’t talked to (head sports physio) Kent (Kobelka) yet,” said Huska afterwards, when asked for an update.
“I see (Gilbert) moving around now so I think he’s going to be fine. He’ll just probably have to go through protocol is what I would assume right now.”
Expect a callup from the Wranglers Friday.
SURPRISING ALL-STAR NOD
Just before puck drop, Flames fans were surprised to learn Lindholm had been selected for the very first time by the league to be the Flames representative at the all-star game.
Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar have all had better seasons, but Lindholm’s ability to quietly lead all forwards on the team by averaging a career-high 21 minutes did not go unnoticed while he sits third on the team scoring ranks with eight goals and 24 points in 38 games.
While his selection spurred immediate debate, the reality is that as one of the best two-way centres in the game he was probably long overdue for an all-star nod.
Asked how he thought he’d fare in the players’ draft, he chuckled.
“I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be at the top of that draft, probably more in the bottom,” he told Flames TV, good naturedly.
“If you are last you get a car, so I might have a chance at that.”
Fans can still vote online to send a few more players to the shinny showcase in Toronto on Feb 3.
AN OLIVER TWIST
The day started out with great news for Oliver Kylington, as the team announced he’s now got a return to play plan, which started with his assignment with the Wranglers.
The 26-year-old, who has missed the last year-and-a-half while dealing with his mental health, skated Thursday with the Wranglers after issuing a statement through the team.
“I feel I’m in a good place with my mental health and ready to take another step forward,” said the left shot defenceman.
“Returning to Calgary has been the right decision. I’ve felt tremendous commitment from Flames ownership, management, and my teammates, and I am appreciative of the support and resources made available to me.
“I also thank my family, friends, and the fans for their encouragement. I’m looking forward to getting on the ice in a team environment and back to my everyday life. I have missed it very much.”
No timeline has been given on his return to the NHL, but having the speedy defender back in the NHL within the next month will help cushion the blow of seeing Noah Hanifin and/or Chris Tanev traded before the deadline.
