I'm really glad the Flames won convincingly because otherwise the reffing would've been a black cloud on the last 3 battle of Alberta's against the Flames. Until the Flames got their first call tonight it was outright embarassing. Flames took legit penalties (high-stick and delay of game for sure, and Backlund 100% interfered with McDavid but I'm not sure to the point of him doing a full 360 before hitting the ice) but the fact blatant calls were ignored definitely went beyond pure incompetence. Then last game it was a clear accident, but the 1 goals scored off the Oilers was Shore from Ryan and the Linesmen, and the game before that was Kylington getting taken out on the back check right before the game winner. They've gotta sort that out.
Gonna be interesting to see the lines shake up the rest of the way out. I think if, today, I am making my ideal playoff top 9 Ruzicka is in there over Jarnkrok. He's had his looks and hasn't buried some good ones, but I've also only seriously noticed him offensively when he is getting those looks outright. But it's nice to have that flexibility. If this is the kind of big game performances the Flames get out of Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and specifically Backlund, then it's gonna be gravy in the playoffs. Backlund was a monster out there. Most of the game is a write-off because the Oilers porous defence made practically every shot in the 1st and 2nd period grade A chances before the Flames were able to settle in and take over in the 3rd. Zadorov and Gudbranson could definitely use some work but every pairing for the Oilers were making Badorov plays without the ZadOrrov upside. Insane to me that Keith got traded for actual assets.
Finally; getting performances like the past few games from Dube with just a little bit better passing would be insane for the depth. His sh% is bound to regress given how he can wire the puck, and if he is on a line with Toffoli/Mangiapane offensively I just feel it is a matter of being able to make smart, somewhat above average passes to starting picking up assists. Maybe having him with Coleman right now is a way to mitigate the lack of high-danger passing, because right now he's Josh Anderson-lite, which is good in some ways, but even a full Josh Anderson is a bit too one-dimensional for my liking.
