The Calgary Flames are just one point shy of a playoff spot after defeating the Nashville Predators by a 6-3 final on Thursday night. This game continued what has been a solid stretch of hockey as of late for the Flames, as it marked their third-straight victory.
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There was plenty to like in this one, as nine Flames chipped in with at least a point, while Dan Vladar stood tall in what was his first start since Dec. 16. Here are the three main takeaways from what was one of the better 60-minute efforts the Flames have put together this season.
Gilbert Injured Late
While there were plenty of positives from this one, the big negative was the fact that Dennis Gilbert suffered an injury with just over five minutes remaining in the final frame. The Flames defenceman went down after being on the receiving end of a slew-foot from Predators forward Phil Tomasino. The 27-year-old was helped up by his teammates and looked to be in a world of pain. That said, it appears as though he avoided anything serious.
“I see him moving around now so I think he’s going to be fine,” said head coach Ryan Huska. “He’s just going to have to go through [concussion] protocol is what I would assume right now.”
Whether intentional or not, the hit from Tomasino was a very dirty one, and he rightfully received a match penalty. It will be interesting to see whether or not player safety chooses to take a look at it, as slew-footing is the exact type of play the league wants to be removed entirely.
Zary Gets Back on Track
As good as Connor Zary has been in his rookie season, he came into Thursday’s game in a bit of a rut. He entered the contest having gone pointless in his last four outings, and had just one assist through his last six. That all changed in this one, however, as he got right back on track with a goal and an assist.
With the two-point outing, Zary now has 19 points through 28 games in what has been a great start to his NHL career. If this game can get him back on track, he stands to have a great chance at finishing the season as a Calder Trophy finalist, though there is still plenty of season to go.
Sharangovich Remains Red Hot
After a slow start to his Flames tenure, Yegor Sharangovich really elevated his play in December, and is showing no signs of slowing down in January. The 25-year-old had a goal and an assist in Thursday’s win, giving him 12 goals and 25 points through 38 games this season.
Sharangovich has now recorded at least a point in 12 of his last 15 games, and has put up 15 points over that span. After struggling to find his game through three seasons with the New Jersey Devils, he appears to be settling in with the Flames, and is making general manager Craig Conroy look smarter by the day for trading for him this offseason.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The red-hot Flames will be back in action and looking to pick up their fourth-straight victory on Saturday afternoon in a road battle against the Philadelphia Flyers. Much like the Flames, the Flyers didn’t enter the season with much expectations, but have proven to be a resilient bunch under head coach John Tortorella and own a respectable 19-13-6 record on the season.
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The Flames’ next game will come the very next afternoon, as they will take on the Chicago Blackhawks to wrap up a four-game road trip. While back-to-back situations are never easy, the 11-25-2 Blackhawks are a team the Flames are capable of beating if they bring their best effort.
