GDT: FLAMES (18-14-7) VS. ISLANDERS (22-16-2) | 7 p.m. MT | TV: Sportsnet West | RADIO: Sportsnet 960

[23Monahan]

Holy fack that was a boring game lol. But a much needed 2 points, and nice to see Marky play super solid!

 

[BRobMint]

Well deserved W

 

[JurassicTunga]

Just win baby!

 

[Bounces R Way]

I'll take a comfortable boring win why not. All business.

Liked Zohorna, Coleman, and Kadri. Also thought Weegar-Tanev had themselves a nice night. Good to see the MBC line getting rewarded offensively, another dominant possession game from them.

Bad : powerplay, the Islanders.


I know he didn't steal us the game or anything but that was a nice starting goalie game from Markstrom. Looked confident back there and was moving well. Not a lot of rebounds, cutting down angles, yknow #1G stuff. If this team is going to make the playoffs he's going to be a big part of it because honestly there's not a ton of offensive talent up front.

 

[super6646]

Couldn’t watch tonight. Nice to get the win

 

[crazyfisherman]

I've been shitting on markstrom a lot, but the dudes been good lately. He's stats isn't that impressive but he's making those clutch saves when the team needs it, which is what really separates an avg starter to a really good one.

 

[Deen]

I know everyone is saying Backlund, But Naz has a claim to the Captaincy throne I think too.

 

[Fig]

Didn’t realize there was a game tonight. Glad for the win!

 

[Yepthatsme]

I've been shitting on markstrom a lot, but the dudes been good lately. He's stats isn't that impressive but he's making those clutch saves when the team needs it, which is what really separates an avg starter to a really good one.

The guy has a 2.35 GAA in his last 11 games over the last month. That stat is very impressive, he just hasn’t been getting the run support Vladar has which is why he isn’t piling up the points despite putting up better numbers. If Markstrom can maintain his play, we are going to win a lot of hockey games for the rest of the season.

 

[crazyfisherman]

The guy has a 2.35 GAA in his last 11 games over the last month. That stat is very impressive, he just hasn’t been getting the run support Vladar has which is why he isn’t piling up the points despite putting up better numbers. If Markstrom can maintain his play, we are going to win a lot of hockey games for the rest of the season.

I care more about save percentage, which was around .910 when they showed he's stats last. Which is good, but not amazing. But regardless, it's him making the key saves when needed that's impressing me rn.

 

[Boomstick]

Couldn’t watch tonight. Nice to get the win

Same. Was working tonight, but glad we won. Way to go boys.

 

[DFF]

Markstrom has played well recently

I am still not convinced he can be clutch on close important game.

Dude is mental

 

[Tofveve]

Way to get the W boys! In the short while I watched it was pretty boring and I kept falling asleep (been working a lot). Anyway glad for the 2 pts. Somehow we keep crawling up the standings. Keep it going!

 

[Body Checker]

Game at a time; going to be a dogfight for the playoffs right to the end.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Markstrom has played well recently

I am still not convinced he can be clutch on close important game.

Dude is mental

Now is the time to trade him. Wolf is still the guy that could push this team to that elite level imo and Vladar is more than capable as a platoon

 

[Mobiandi]

I'd feel a lot better if we could just pass the damn Kings already

 

[Yepthatsme]

I care more about save percentage, which was around .910 when they showed he's stats last. Which is good, but not amazing. But regardless, it's him making the key saves when needed that's impressing me rn.

I mean guy has allowed 2 goals or less in 9 of his last 14 starts, and only allowed more than 3 twice. His save percentage doesn’t overly matter with results like that, he’s giving us a chance to win almost every game he’s played going back to mid November. Stats aside though the eye test has been extremely solid, finally looks like last season Markstrom again.

 

[Body Checker]

Now is the time to trade him. Wolf is still the guy that could push this team to that elite level imo and Vladar is more than capable as a platoon

I think Vladar will have significant value at the draft; no NTC or NMC and signed for two years at 2.2. We should be able to get an equivalent young forward or dman in return. You deal from depth and with Markstrom, Vladar and Wolf you can make a n advantageous trade.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I think Vladar will have significant value at the draft; no NTC or NMC and signed for two years at 2.2. We should be able to get an equivalent young forward or dman in return. You deal from depth and with Markstrom, Vladar and Wolf you can make a n advantageous trade.

Agreed but it shouldn’t be Wolf. Markstrom would be ideal. We might not get much in return but that cap space would be huge

 

[Anglesmith]

Markstrom's biggest obstacle from a stats perspective is the fact that this team allows quality, but not quantity. The last time he faced more than 30 shots was in Montreal.

Hard to generate a good save percentage that way without sprinkling in shutouts, but he hasn't been getting the protection needed to do that.

Regardless, he's the most reliable goalie we've had since Kipper. Throwing that away to gamble with a rookie could work, but it could also be a disaster. Besides, when was the last time a goalie with term got traded? Luongo?

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Markstrom's biggest obstacle from a stats perspective is the fact that this team allows quality, but not quantity. The last time he faced more than 30 shots was in Montreal.

Hard to generate a good save percentage that way without sprinkling in shutouts, but he hasn't been getting the protection needed to do that.

Regardless, he's the most reliable goalie we've had since Kipper. Throwing that away to gamble with a rookie could work, but it could also be a disaster. Besides, when was the last time a goalie with term got traded? Luongo?

He’s a solid goalie for sure and has been great lately. I thought last night might have been his best.

Doesn’t change the fact we have two really good NHL caliber goalies behind him. Wolf is a special talent. IMO playing him is the easiest way to get this team to the next level.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Wolf has been the most hyped Flames goalie prospect since Trevor Kidd.

Let that sink in before we start going all in on a "maybe".

 

[super6646]

Markstrom's biggest obstacle from a stats perspective is the fact that this team allows quality, but not quantity. The last time he faced more than 30 shots was in Montreal.

Hard to generate a good save percentage that way without sprinkling in shutouts, but he hasn't been getting the protection needed to do that.

Regardless, he's the most reliable goalie we've had since Kipper. Throwing that away to gamble with a rookie could work, but it could also be a disaster. Besides, when was the last time a goalie with term got traded? Luongo?

This is not empirically backed whatsoever. It's fine if you want to say this is a "gut feeling" of yours, but to say this is backed statistically is blatantly false. xGA, HDCA, SCA, and CA are all are better than the league average for the Calgary Flames, while Markstrom's GSAA is below league average. Some of those are "quantity" stats, but others do reflect quality too. You want to say those are "flawed", fine so be it. But there is nothing in the stats available to the public to suggest this team gives up unreasonable quality chances.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Hoping he gets an extended look. With Backlund & Coleman ideally, but he does have some chemistry with Zohorna. Maybe they go with Pett/Ruz/Zoho line at times?

oops, tyhis was suppossed to be in the Pelletier thread, can a mod move it please?

 

[Anglesmith]

This is not empirically backed whatsoever. It's fine if you want to say this is a "gut feeling" of yours, but to say this is backed statistically is blatantly false. xGA, HDCA, SCA, and CA are all are better than the league average for the Calgary Flames, while Markstrom's GSAA is below league average. Some of those are "quantity" stats, but others do reflect quality too. You want to say those are "flawed", fine so be it. But there is nothing in the stats available to the public to suggest this team gives up unreasonable quality chances.

It's not a gut feeling. I don't know why you want to keep trying to make this about those shot location stats. It's never been about that and we've already had the discussion. Those stats represent the industry's current best approximation of actually watching every chance to determine how difficult it was for the goalie. They are not currently a replacement, and those who use those stats professionally know that.

Giving up shots in different locations should lead to league-average results if the defending team treats them in a league-average way. If you allow guys to find a lane and screen the goalie on point shots, the SV% is going to go down. If the slot shots you allow are uncontested and guys get to pick their spot, SV% is going to go down. If the chances from point blank are frequently breakaways and odd-man rushes instead of off-balance swipes at a loose puck, SV% is going to go down. If your shots from the circle are from seam-passes to one-timers instead of hopeful wristers because other options are shot down, SV% is going to go down.

There have been a handful of games where the other team have allowed the Flames the same quality of chances that they routinely have given up to the opposition, and in those games the Flames have scored a whole bunch of goals. That isn't a coincidence.

What I'm talking about boils down to saying "what the f*** why are we allowing that chance" or "damn, Markstrom didn't have much of a chance on that one" waaay too often every game, even while keeping shot totals low. Last game was a perfect example of it, except Markstrom saved more of those chances than he reasonably should have based on probability. If just one of those breakaways or breakdowns had gone in, then you're looking at a sub-900 SV% yet again through 40 minutes, and not really because of how Markstrom was playing.

Earlier in the season the games were very similar in terms of chances. We'd have given up 5 ten-bellers which were either impossible or near-impossible to save and two would have gone in on like 12 shots. And everyone would be shitting on Markstrom. Just makes me shake my head.