CALGARY — So much for the belief the Calgary Flames will go as Mike Smith goes.
One quarter of the way through the season the Flames have flourished despite a horrific start for the 36-year-old netminder. A bloated goals-against average of 3.48 has led to a losing record (5-7-1) that the Flames have somehow managed to overcome to sit second in the Pacific division and 13th overall with an 11-8-1 record.
One of the team’s saviours has been backup goalie David Rittich, who has lost just one of his seven starts to keep the Flames in a playoff race they’d otherwise be languishing behind.
The depth signings made last summer by GM Brad Treliving have yet to contribute offensively, namely James Neal. But the top two lines have been carrying the load magnificently as the team presses hard to return to the playoffs under new coach Bill Peters.
Johnny Gaudreau has had one of the best starts to his NHL career, yet amazingly finds himself fourth in team scoring, one point behind Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm, who are all tied at 21 points.
There’s a different hero every night for a team no longer questioning whether it’s good enough. They’re now trying to prove they’re better than simply making the playoffs.
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MOST ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS
They’ve found their top-line RW
The Flames had been searching for someone to consistently complement Gaudreau and Monahan on the top line for several years. They finally appear to have found the right fit.
No, it isn’t Neal, as many expected. It’s Lindholm, who was selected fifth overall — one spot ahead of Monahan — in the 2103 NHL Draft.
The knock on him in Carolina was inconsistency, but in a city where hockey matters every night, the 23-year-old Swede has risen to the occasion almost every night.
Lindholm’s two goals in the third period of Saturday’s 4-2 comeback win over Edmonton was his best outing of the season, giving him 11 goals and a first-place tie in team scoring. It couldn’t have come at a better time or in a more physical game — something he doesn’t shy away from.
So far he has been the best player in the trade that brought him and Noah Hanifin to Calgary for Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and Harvard stud Adam Fox.
The Kids
There was always a chance former first-rounder Juuso Valimaki could crack the Flames lineup this season. But no one predicted he’d be joined by Rasmus Andersson and Dillon Dube.
All three had stellar preseasons and have since played plenty of meaningful minutes for a team that needed to bolster its youth movement in today’s speedy game.
Valimaki and Andersson combine with Hanifin to give the club three blue-liners age 22 and under to help hold down the fort on a team that went through a stretch of loose defensive play.
That seems to have been shored up of late.
Andersson’s progression through the lineup saw him ascend to the top pairing with Mark Giordano for a few games, but has since seen him settle into the third pairing with Valimaki. Few playoff contenders can get away with two raw rookies manning a blue line together, but they’ve acquitted themselves just fine.
Dube has yet to score a goal and has had some injury problems, but Canada’s former World Junior captain has done well to inject speed into the lineup. Peters spoke for the first time Monday about the possibility Dube might be better served playing more minutes in the minors than his 10 minutes a night here.
Either way, he’s proven he’s an NHLer long term.
MOST CONCERNING DEVELOPMENTS
Mike Smith
If the 36-year-old goaltender can’t find a way to rebuild his confidence this team will miss the playoffs.
Even if he’s relegated to backup status, the Flames will still need him to win more than half his starts if the club is to crack the top eight in the west. His 3.48 goals-against average and .876 save percentage clearly aren’t NHL material.
They mark a 180-degree turn from the blazing start he had last season when he stole games with regularity, masked a shaky Flames opening quarter and was named an all-star.
The long list of weak goals he has surrendered this season was topped Thursday against Montreal when he turned a harmless wrister from Artturi Lehkonen into the game-winner, costing the Flames two points in a game they dominated.
Afterwards he shouldered the blame and spoke openly about the struggle to regain his confidence. Tough to watch for a guy whose contract expires at season’s end and is hoping to prolong his career.
Although no one on staff would dare admit it, his latest whiff may have finally changed the way Peters looks at his netminding situation.
It may now be Rittich’s starting gig to lose.
James Neal
The man who was signed to a five-year, $28.75-million deal to add secondary scoring has failed to do so thus far.
Neal has lined up for just three games as a top-six forward. The third in that series ended in San Jose last week when he was stapled to the bench for the third period, playing just 8:03 all night.
Critics will suggest he can’t be expected to score more than the three goals he’s got (to go with one assist) while playing third- and fourth-line minutes. However, he’s done little to show he’s worthy of another promotion anytime soon.
Fan favourite Sam Bennett seems to be fitting in well with his recent promotion to the second line with Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund, meaning Neal’s fate as a bottom-six forward seems sealed for now.
Hard to believe the 31-year-old will be able to keep his 10-year streak alive of scoring at least 20 goals every season, but that’s the hope.
MOST SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT
David Rittich
The undrafted 26-year-old Czech goalie may have already saved the Flames’ season by stepping up in a fashion few saw coming.
Rittich seemed to fold under the pressure of being named the emergency starter last February when Smith went down with an injury. His shaky play continued in this pre-season, which had many worried the rebuilt Flames’ offence would be irrelevant if no one could stop the puck.
He’s proven them all wrong with a 6-1 start, a .933 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average.
A light-hearted, affable young man who is always smiling and forever being made fun of in the room for his poor English, ‘Big Save Dave’ is everything you could hope for in a backup.
The question may now shift to whether he can be everything you need in a starter.
Smith’s shaky start, combined with Rittich’s brilliance, may have flipped the switch on how the club delegates starts moving forward. Peters said before Monday night’s game against Vegas he’s unsure who his starter will be Wednesday, as the situation has already been boiled down to an open competition.
The Flames turned to Rittich for the biggest game of the year so far on Saturday and he responded by stopping three shorthanded breakaways to keep his team in a game they eventually stormed back to win 4-2.
MVP OF THE FIRST QUARTER
Dead Heat: Matthew Tkachuk/Elias Lindholm
It’s symbolic the two were the central figures in Saturday’s monumental win over Edmonton, as they’ve both been the Flames biggest impact players to date.
Tkachuk, the future captain of the team, is the emotional leader. He can impact games in so many ways — as an agitator, grinder, sniper and ultimate team player. He could be a leader with half the points he’s posted, but the fact he’s a point-a-game player so far this year takes his value to another level — a level that will undoubtedly make him the highest-paid Flame this summer.
As a pending RFA, he’s clearly destined to eclipse the $6.75 million Gaudreau and Giordano make annually.
Lindholm, who signed this summer for six years at 4.85 average annual value, has been full value on the top line — a trio that ranks amongst the very best in NHL potency.
From Day 1 of this season he has taken advantage of the opportunity with the big guns and is unlikely to move as he also gives them flexibility in the faceoff circle, where he and Monahan take draws on their respective strong sides.
He’s also counted on to be on the team’s top penalty-killing duo with Backlund.
What to watch for in the second quarter:
The goalie situation will continue to dominate the headlines and local chatter.
How Smith responds to the pressure and his own struggles will continue to affect this team’s future this season.
Surely Gaudreau will eventually distance himself as the team’s leading scorer, as he’s been playing consistent hockey all season.
Giordano’s stellar season at age 35 should start to put him in the Norris Trophy conversation as it did several years back, when he posted similar numbers early on — his 18 points have him three off the team lead.
The Flames missed the playoffs last year largely because their home record was atrocious and the team lacked depth. Both have turned around this season as the team is focused on establishing the Dome as a tough place to play once again. So far they are 5-3-1 there.
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