Blue Line Station
Fansided

New York Rangers: Kicking off 2020 in Calgary

By Steve Paulus

CALGARY, AB - MARCH 15: Garnet Hathaway #21 of the Calgary Flames drives into Alexandar Georgiev #40 the New York Rangers during an NHL game on March 15, 2019 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 15: Garnet Hathaway #21 of the Calgary Flames drives into Alexandar Georgiev #40 the New York Rangers during an NHL game on March 15, 2019 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Calgary Flames looks for an opportunity in front of the net of Alexandar Georgiev #40 of the New York Rangers
Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Calgary Flames looks for an opportunity in front of the net of Alexandar Georgiev #40 of the New York Rangers /

About the Flames

The Flames are not getting production from some key players this season and that is hurting them.   Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk , Elias Lindhom and Mark Giordano are having worse seasons than last year.  There has even been some trade speculation involving Gaudreau who was coming off a 99 point season and is on pace to score only 60.

As a result, Calgary is averaging only 2.64 goals per game, seventh worst in the NHL.  They allow 3.02 goals per game, in the middle of the league at 15th overall.

Their power play is average with an 18.7% success rate, but their penalty kill is one of the best in the league, successful 83.8% of the time, good for fourth best overall.

Their goaltending tandem of David Rittich and Cam Talbot has been effective. Rittich has started 32 of 42 games with a 2.78 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.  Cam Talbot is expected to get the start tonight against his former team.  Talbot’s numbers are similar in a bounceback season for him.  His GAA is 2.73 and he has a .915 save percentage.  Talbot hasn’t had much success against the Rangers with a 1-4 career record.

Matthew Tkachuk leads the team in scoring with 15 goals and 36 points. Their leading goal scorer is Elias Lindholm with 16.

There’s something about the Tkachuk brothers when they play the Rangers.  Matthew has four goals and nine points in his five games against New York.   To avoid any confusion, Matthew is the one who didn’t play for David Quinn at Boston University.

Last season Matthew Tkachuk had the best game of his career against the Rangers, with two goals and three assists.  He was the youngest Flame ever to get five points in a game.

The Flames lost on New Year’s Eve to the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 in Calgary.   This is the final game of a three game homestand and they  have lost the first two.

Home/Analysis