The Calgary Flames (8-13-3) go on the the road for four straight games starting with a dance with the Tampa Bay Lighting (13-7-2) on Wednesday evening.
The Flames are looking for a fourth straight win, while the Lighting are gunning for their fifth consecutive W. So something has to give.
Tampa Bay’s offence may be ranked 28th in even-strength time on the ice, but their shots on goal are a bit better at 25th. Their scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances produced are even better at 14th and 19th respectively. That has worked out well in their favour seeing as they have scored the 10th-most goals (55).
The Lightning are also fourth in shooting percentage (11.78) in even-strength hockey thanks to the following players:
- RW Nikita Kucherov (7 goals, 18 points)
- C Jake Guentzel (8 goals, 15 points)
- LW Brandon Hagel (9 goals, 18 points)
- D Ryan McDonagh (3 goals, 6 points)
- C Anthony Cirelli (7 goals, 13 points)
- C Zemgus Girgensons (4 goals, 5 points)
On defence, while Tampa Bay allows the 11th-lowest shots on goal, they have allowed the lowest scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances. However, the Lightnings’ goalie squad have put up the 16th-lowest save percentage (89.71) in even-strength hockey, and as result have given up the 16th-most goals (50) in the league in that situation. Andrei Vasilevskiy, with a save percentage of 0.914, has been the goalie of the two (other being Jonas Johansson, sv%: 0.893) who has kept Tampa Bay afloat and is expected to be in net for this game.
The three-game win streak has had a profound impact on Calgary’s high-danger scoring chances produced. They jumped from 2`0th on Oct. 19th (when the win-streak began) to 17th (as of now). That is three spots in a span of less than a week.
They will probably slow down a bit against Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening.
The Flames’ own scoring chances and high danger scoring chances given up are 10th and ninth-lowest. However, their even-strength save percentage is the fourth-lowest in the league, with Devin Cooley doing much of the hard work. But Dustin Wolf had his redemption game in the last bout against Vancouver. Wolf is expected to start on Wednesday evening.
Both the Lightning and Flames’ power play are in the bottom third, ranking at 22nd and 31st respectively, but Tampa Bay’s penalty kill is the second-best in the league, way better than Calgary who rank 17th, although the Flames have killed 14 of their last 15 penalties and have also scored a shorthanded goal.
If Vasilevskiy is in net, the Flames net to tread with caution. This is a former Vezina Trophy we are talking about so lucky bounces will not cut it here.
The defence and penalty kill so far have looked steady. This is a big test so let’s see what comes out of it.
Need a good game from Wolf and don’t concede any penalties.
