FERLAND EARNS HIS KEEP WITH THE BIG BOYS
Forward whose play has been hit and miss puts it all together in solid night’s work
FLAMES 2, CAPITALS 1
No one spoke to Micheal Ferland about what it meant when Jaromir Jagr was signed by the Calgary Flames. No one had to. Sure, the 25-year-old rightwinger was starting the season on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
However, few were fooled into believing it was necessarily his job to keep.
The official signing of 45-yearold Jagr on the eve of the season opener drove that point home.
Some looked at it as Jagr being a bit of an insurance policy for Ferland.
However, when Jagr returns from a lower body injury as early as Thursday, it seems a little more likely Ferland is now seen as Jagr’s insurance.
The premiums are reasonable too, with Ferland signing a twoyear deal worth $1.75 million annually.
Sunday night saw a significant payoff as Ferland was one of the best players on the ice in a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals.
Throwing his 6-foot-2, 208-pound frame around more than anyone in the game, driving the net and complementing the big boys well, Ferland was the type of player the Flames have long hoped to see with regularity.
While stat lines don’t necessarily tell the tale of a player’s evening, his was exactly where the Flames want it to be with more regularity.
He led both teams in shots (5), and hits (7) — two things being asked of him the most.
He also had three missed shots, including a beautiful redirect that hit the crossbar early in a tight game, and a post late.
He was rewarded midway through the second period when he dished the puck back to Brett Kulak and headed to the net where another net-front tip beat Caps’ backup goaltender Philip Grubauer.
It broke a scoreless draw in a game the Flames had to have after losing four of their previous five.
It wouldn’t hold up as the winner, but set the stage for a magical game-winning goal by his linemates midway through the third period in the 2-1 win.
“Outstanding tonight,” said coach Glen Gulutzan when asked about Ferland’s best outing of the year.
“I thought he was physical when he could be physical. Sometimes it’s hard to do that when you have the puck all night and you are in on the forecheck. He did a little bit of everything tonight. He did everything he did the last half of the season,” Gulutzan added.
It was late last year the native of Swan River, Man., earned first-line duties and has battled inconsistency early this season.
Last night he was as good as he was in the playoffs three years back when he manhandled the Canucks.
“I think Gully challenged him after last practice and told him he’s the full package: strong and great offensively and defensively,” said Gaudreau.
“Tonight he played exactly the way he knows how to.”
Ferland agreed, saying the game is starting to feel slower and slower to him.
“I felt we controlled the puck a lot of the shifts we had and as the game went on I was more and more comfortable,” said Ferland, who has three goals on a season that has seen him bounce between the first line and the fourth.
“The confidence just builds and builds and you feel more confident with the puck and can make more plays.”
Confidence has long been the one tool Ferland works hardest to acquire and maintain.
This was the type of outing that will make it awfully hard for Gulutzan to replace Ferland with Jagr on the top line, should the Czech veteran come off injured reserve in time for Thursday’s matchup against Pittsburgh.
“Ferly is a big body — he skates well and plays hard,” said Monahan, who buried his fourth game-winner of the season with his sixth goal.
“That was a big goal Ferly scored — he got our team going there.
“He played a full 60 and played great for us.”
A good soldier throughout his career here, Ferland has taken the ongoing promotions and demotions in stride.
“I’m happy to play anywhere,” said Ferland, whose attitude has been sublime the last few seasons.
“Obviously I’d like to stay with Johnny and Monny, or I can go on the fourth line and play with Stajan. I think I have chemistry with Stajan too.”
To his point, late in the second period, while temporarily on a line with Matt Stajan and Troy Brouwer, he was part of another series of dangerous scoring chances the Flames have created very few of on their bottom two lines.
“Don’t complicate the game,” said Ferland of his marching orders.
“And get to the front of the net and be a net-front presence. I’ve been doing that my whole career, since junior.”
How often he can do it at the highest level will dictate how long he gets to keep the biggest of assignments.