THE SKINNY ON THE FLAMES VS. CANUCKS

THE HERALD’S THREE STARS

1. Flames RW Micheal Ferland — A goal and a helper for the jackhammer winger, platooned on two lines against the team he helped send to the playoff scrap heap five months ago.

2. Flames RW Michael Frolik — Continues to impress in his first pre-season as a Flame. Assisted on Ferland’s go-ahead strike and then cashed an extra-sensory no-look backhand pass from Czech countryman Jiri Hudler

3. Flames C Sam Bennett — Opened Calgary’s account after the homesteaders had fallen behind early,

helped out on Frolik’s snipe.

WHY THE FLAMES WON

Because their top two lines, with Micheal Ferland and Jiri Hudler operating on both, had their way with the Canucks. When boss Bob Hartley shuffled Ferland over to the de facto No. 1 unit fronted by Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau and plunked Hudler on the right side of the Sam Bennett-Michael Frolik partnership, nobody missed a beat.

Because Mark Giordano was customarily commanding.

BIG HIT

Canucks’ feisty Derek Dorsett had been a royal pain all night. As the game wound down, Pat Sieloff had had enough, obviously, and stepped up to throw Dorsett unceremoniously to the ice.

BIG SAVE

With the Flames on a late third-period powerplay Canucks’ mop-up goalie, Jacob Markstrom, cooly stabbed his blocker at a shot from Calgary skipper Giordano that kept the deficit from getting more out of hand.

CALGARY LINES

J. Gaudreau- S. Monahan-J. Hudler L. Bouma-S. Bennett-M. Frolik P. Byron-D. Shore-G. Hathaway M. Ferland-D. Grant-K. Agostino

CALGARY PAIRINGS

M. Giordano-D. Wideman D. Hamilton-K. Russell D. Engelland-P. Sieloff.

CALGARY GOALIES

J. Hiller M. McDonald