The Calgary Flames (5-13-3) finish their second of back-to-back road games with their only trip of the season to Buffalo against the Sabres (7-8-4).
Right of the bat, this needs to be told: the Sabres are the number 1 team in the league in the penalty-kill. The Flames, meanwhile, are dead-last in the power play. We would say a PP goal by Calgary is off the table, but the Flames did score a goal on the man-advantage against a Chicago PK unit in the last game that had gone 15-for-15 before giving up that said Flames goal. So Calgary is full of surprises.
Buffalo’s power play unit is an opposite story. Their time on ice is the 15th-lowest and PP percentage is 23rd. Calgary’s PK unit is coming in after going 4-for-4 against the Blackhawks so the confidence should be sky high.
The Sabres’ don’t boast a very strong offence, but it does put up a fight. In even-strength hockey, their time on the ice ranks 25th, but their total shots and shots on goal rank slightly better at 22nd, as do their scoring chances produced at 24th, high-danger scoring chances produced at 23rd and shooting percentage at 19th.
Buffalo’s defence has been one of the worst. They’ve given up the eighth-most total shots and fifth-most shots on net. The scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances given up are 15th-most and 18th-most respectively. That may not seem as bad, but you have to consider that their even-strength TOI is 25th. Lastly, this team has allowed the fifth-most goals.
On the other side, Calgary’s offence has been atrocious. The team is sixth in even-strength TOI, third in total shots, fourth in shots on net, but then it all plunges to 11th and 20th in scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances produced. Their 34 goals scored is the LOWEST in even-strength situations right now.
The Flames defence has been pretty good though. They’ve given up the 12th-fewest total shots and are tied for having allowed the 10th-fewest scoring chances AND high-danger scoring chances. It’s a shame despite that, they’re still in a five-way tie for allowing the 11th-most goals.
It seems Devin Cooley is expected to be in the goalie crease for the Flames. He hasn’t recorded a win yet, but his save percentage of 0.935 and GAA of 1.75 shows he has earned the trust of the Flames front staff.
Colton Ellis is expected to be the goalie for Buffalo. He holds a record of 3-1-0, save percentage of .913 and GAA of 2.75. Should the Sabres decide to go with a more experienced net-minder, they have the option of Alex Lyon whose save percentage of .907 is sixth amongst goalies who have played at least 12 games.
This is a weak Buffalo defence and the Flames need to push and take advantage of that. Especially if the Sabres choose to go with Ellis.
The penalty-kill and defence have been doing their thing and need to be on their game. The offence also needs to do their job.
Power play goals are a long shot, but would love to see them.
A good game from Cooley is a must.
