In this edition of Calgary Flames News, I’ll look at what’s happening with the team as it heads into Game 5 with the Dallas Stars tied at two games each with Game 5 going on Tuesday.
News Item One: Matthew Tkachuk Is a Game-Time Decision
Matthew Tkachuk has already missed two games and might miss Game 5 against the Stars on Tuesday. There must be some thought that he will be ready to go because, just prior to each game, he’s listed as “iffy.” But then he hasn’t played in two games.
In these days of learning almost next to nothing about a player’s status, Flames head coach Geoff Ward said today that there was “nothing new” to report on Tkachuk’s injury status. Because he didn’t skate in warm-ups during Game 3 and Game 4, it seems as if Flames fans will have to wait until just prior to the game on Tuesday to see what’s happening. If he takes warm-ups, he’ll likely play.
Related: Flames Dillon Dube: Where’d He Come From?
News Item Two: Flames Coach Warns Against Taking Stupid Penalties
Calgary coach Ward is clear about one thing: his team is simply taking too many penalties. During Sunday’s game, the Flames took seven penalties and the Stars converted twice on those seven. That, basically, was the difference in the game.
Ward critiqued his team’s discipline and didn’t blame the officiating at all, noting “That’s probably the one thing we need to take a serious look at. Our discipline needs to be better. I looked at all the calls, and they were calls, and I’ve got no issue with what the referees were calling. The fact is we can’t put ourselves short-handed that many times.” (from Ward to Flames charges after tough OT loss: Too many penalties, Kristen Anderson, Calgary Sun, 08/17/20)
News Item Three: Tobias Rieder Has Become a Shorthanded Scoring Machine
Tobias Rieder has had an amazing postseason on the penalty kill, and in Sunday’s game he scored his third shorthanded goal of the postseason in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Stars. For a short time, Rieder’s short-hander in the third period gave the Flames a 4-3 lead, but the team couldn’t hold it.
With the goal, Rieder became the seventh player in NHL history to score three shorthanded goals during a single postseason. His total how is four points in eight postseason games.
News Item Four: Johnny Gaudreau Scores a Goal and an Assist in Sunday’s 5-4 Overtime Loss
At the same time as Tobias Rieder is scoring shorthanded, Johnny Gaudreau is helping to carry the Flames power play unit. Both Gaudreau’s points came on power plays and both came during the second period. So far during the postseason, Johnny Hockey has scored three goals and three assists in eight games.
Related: The New/Old Cam Talbot Stands Tall for Flames in Series Victory
News Item Five: Sam Bennett Has Two Straight Postseason’s of Success
Last season, when the Flames were ousted from the first round of the playoffs, it seemed as if Sam Bennett was one of the few players who showed up scoring five points in five playoff games. This postseason, Bennett’s even kicked it up a notch and has scored five goals and seven points in eight postseason games.
Curiously, Bennett’s scoring is not nearly as impactful during regular-season after being the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft. However, come the playoffs, Bennett shows up.