Flames taking ‘direct’ approach to goal scoring
Unleashing more shots and getting bodies to the net paying dividends
Whatever other problems are currently plaguing the Calgary Flames, they’re not having much trouble scoring goals right now.
No, over their past six games the Flames have been scoring at a torrid pace, putting up 31 goals in that stretch. Four of those goals did come in an 8-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks that provided more questions than answers, but goals are goals and the Flames are scoring a lot of them.
And while the numbers they’ve put up over the past six games have certainly been eye-popping, head coach Geoff Ward said there’s been an increase in scoring that actually goes back a couple months if you look closely.
“Since the end of November, our team is 11th in the league in scoring and I don’t think a lot of people know that,” Ward said. “We haven’t gone from where we were to 11th, but since that time, if you take a look at all the teams and what we’ve done, we’re 11th (in that period).
“I think we’ve had some real good secondary scoring throughout our lineup and I think right now the reason we’re starting to score more is we’re shooting more pucks on net and getting more bodies there.”
Using Dec. 1 as an — admittedly arbitrary — cut-off point, we can neatly break the season into two parts and see that the Flames have fairly dramatically increased their scoring in the time since.
In the first 29 games of the season prior to Dec. 1, the Flames had lit the lamp 73 times, an average of 2.52 goals per game.
In the 32 games since, they’ve scored 107 times, which means they’re averaging 3.34 goals per game.
That’s still down from the 3.52 goals per game the Flames averaged over 82 games in 2018-19 when they finished first in the Western Conference, but it’s still a notable increase.
So what’s been the difference? Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be some magic formula the Flames have tapped into. Just like hockey coaches have been telling eight-year-olds to do for decades, the Flames say the increase comes down to putting pucks on net and getting bodies in front.
“Hockey is hockey,” said Flames centre Sean Monahan. “You get pucks that go in, sometimes they don’t. Right now, we’re shooting more pucks and keeping it simple. Sometimes, that’s what works.”
To a man, the Flames stuck with the same story. There hasn’t been any reinventing of the wheel, just a commitment to getting back to basics and playing a more direct brand of hockey.
That word, “direct” was used again and again.
“I think we’re being more direct, I’ll say that,” said Flames centre Mikael Backlund. “I think as a group we’re being more direct and a little more gritty, maybe a little more hungry around the net, but I think ‘direct’ is a good word.
“The forecheck’s helped us, as well. The games we’ve played well and have been winning, I think we’ve had a really solid forecheck and I think that’s helped us.”
The Flames have definitely needed the goals, because during that impressive six-game offensive stretch, they also allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game, although that number was obviously inflated by the Blackhawks’ eightgoal explosion last Saturday.
There’s work to be done on the defensive end, for sure, but for now Ward believes his team is reaping the benefits of a renewed commitment to the basics — and being more direct.
“What we’re seeing right now is a real good commitment level from our guys to make sure we’re scoring goals at this time of year the way history shows they’re manufactured,” Ward said. “For us to be on that page and have everyone buying into it, I think it’s creating more opportunities and not only are we seeing more goals, we’re seeing way more scoring opportunities, which I think is great.”
HAPPY ABOUT IT
As you might imagine, the news that Mark Giordano would be joining the Flames for their upcoming five-game road trip was greeted with a lot of smiles in the team’s locker-room.
“That’s great, right? Gio’s a great guy and even his presence around the room is good and it’s good to see, just even him working out in the gym and doing all that stuff,” said Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane. “He’s our leader, he’s our captain, so it’s always good just having him around.”
Giordano has been skating on his own for the past couple days after missing seven straight games with a hamstring injury. The Flames aren’t putting a firm date on his return, but he’s getting closer.