EDMONTON – Rick Bowness called it cheesy.
In the emotional minutes following the Calgary Flames’ 2-0 win over Dallas, that’s how the Stars coach described the peculiar, game-winning goal by Mikael Backlund that saw the puck somehow trickle over Anton Khudobin’s pad and past the goal line as the vaunted penalty killer cut in front.
It was certainly a dagger — a cheesy stake through the heart of a Stars team that had been peppering the Flames’ net throughout the second period.
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“Big momentum change,” said Johnny Gaudreau, when asked what a short-handed goal like that can do for a team.
“Sometimes if power plays aren’t getting success your penalty killers can frustrate the other team’s top players,” added coach Geoff Ward.
“It does a lot for you.”
Witness Stars forward Blake Comeau smashing his stick through the bench-side glass in frustration to end the second period. He wasn’t the only one shaking his head while skating back to the bench after being snuffed out by a stingy Flames defence and an all-world goaltending display.
But what the Flames’ third shorty of the post-season also did Friday was give them a lead they’ve been so good at preserving this post-season.
Unlike last year when the Flames squandered the lead in three of their four losses to Colorado, they are now using their new focus on defensive details to go into a much more effective shut down mode.
All five of the Flames’ post-season wins this summer have seen them enter the third period with a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
That’s a perfect 5–0 when leading after two periods.
“In past years it always felt the momentum swing went the other way,” said captain Mark Giordano, whose defensive partner, T.J. Brodie, provided some breathing room with a goal midway through a third-period onslaught by the Stars.
“Last night we get a shorthanded goal, and a few big penalty kills, and a big six-on-five kill at the end. This year, so far, those momentum swings have gone our way. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to [goalie Cam Talbot] and the way he’s playing the entire time we’ve been here. You’ve got to find ways to win those.”
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Ward said there are “more layers” to his team’s defence now, based on a recognition from last year’s playoffs that things had to change.
They sure have.
Talbot is the biggest reason why, posting a .937 save percentage and 1.87 GAA.
Without net-minding like that, the Flames would be down 3-0 in a series they actually lead 2-1.
His 35-save effort Friday included a few clangs off the iron and a couple whiffs by Stars facing open nets.
Talbot is benefitting from seeing the puck better than ever, thanks to a concerted effort by Flames defenders to box out a bevy of big boy threats hovering around the their zone, including Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Corey Perry and Alexander Radulov.
They did well to clear away rebounds too.
Even when they didn’t, Talbot was up to the task, proving his coach was right by never second-guessing the decision to start him in back-to-back, late evening tilts.
After being on their heels in their own zone most of the night, the Flames openly admitted they have yet to play as well as they did against Winnipeg.
But the confidence of knowing they can shut teams down in the final period is new for Ward’s warriors.
“Just a commitment to playing away from the puck,” said Ward when asked about the difference from a year ago.
“The guys are a lot more committed to it this year.”
The defensive structure and physicality this team has suddenly made their focus certainly is impressive, if not exciting.
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In a lot of ways they’ve torn a page out of the age-old Dallas Stars playbook.
On Friday, the Flames beat Bowness’ boys at their own game, which is another confidence builder.
“We had four goal posts, missed open nets and they go down and score a cheesy goal,” lamented Bowness.
“If we go in and play like that Sunday I like our chances.”
Maybe.
But you can expect the Flames to make a few adjustments before then to try swinging the balance of play a little more towards the offensive zone.
Even the first line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm is being asked to take defensive zone faceoffs late in games and focus on puck management, which has certainly contributed to their ineffectiveness offensively in the series.
That’s a column for another day.
At the very least, they haven’t been a defensive liability.
No one has, and that’s a marked difference from a year ago.
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