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The end result gained’t trigger any sleepless nights in Calgary.
On Wednesday night time in Winnipeg, the Jets trotted out a veteran-heavy lineup whereas the Calgary Flames left most of their NHL regulars again residence.
And for 40 minutes, the fellows with Flaming Cs on their chest gave pretty much as good as they received.
However after going into second intermission tied, the Flames have been overwhelmed by the extra skilled Jets and wound up on the shedding finish of a 5-2 scoreline.
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The tip end result mattered lots lower than the chance to get a final lengthy take a look at a gaggle of Flames gamers who’re preventing for roster spots or beginning jobs.
The following couple of days will see the Flames ship a variety of gamers right down to the AHL for a while with the Calgary Wranglers, so Wednesday marked an vital alternative for guys on the bubble to attempt to stake their claims to some NHL ice-time.
Did anybody stand out? Right here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s sport:
BAHL-ING OUT
Kevin Bahl performed his first sport of the pre-season for the Flames on Wednesday, and by-and-large put in a superb shift.
Bahl, who was acquired within the commerce that despatched Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, missed the primary week-and-a-half of coaching camp with a lower-body harm and has been slowly working his manner up in direction of full health whereas additionally attending to know his new teammates.
There’s rightfully a variety of intrigue surrounding him although. At 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 230 lbs., he’s positively received the dimensions to make an impression on the Flames blueline and head coach Ryan Huska referred to him as a top-four defenceman earlier in camp. He performed all 82 video games for the Devils final yr, so he’s already confirmed that he can deal with common NHL minutes, too.
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It’s usually anticipated that he’ll be paired-up with Rasmus Andersson as soon as the season will get going, however Andersson didn’t make the journey to Winnipeg and Bahl as an alternative performed with Tyson Barrie.
“Ideally he would have performed a sport or two already, however sadly his well being wasn’t on the degree the place we wished to push him,” Huska stated earlier within the day. “The scale is a very huge factor, we aren’t the largest back-end so having him out there’s vital for us. To not say he’s a bruiser or something like that, however he’s a robust man, so serving to avoid the entrance of our web, ensuring he’s dependable defensively and on the finish of the day a very good companion for whoever he’s taking part in with.”
Bahl completed Wednesday’s sport having performed 21:08 and his plus-minus was even. He was strong, and it’s what you’d wish to see from a man taking part in his first sport of pre-season.
A SOLID 60
The season-long battle for the Flames’ beginning goalie job has principally resulted in a sequence of strong performances from Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf – and Devin Cooley, too.
After Vladar performed the total 60 minutes on Monday towards the Seattle Kraken, it was Wolf’s flip to get a full sport in on Wednesday towards the Jets.
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Whereas the 23-year-old did enable 5 objectives, there can’t be any complaints about his efficiency. He stopped 22-of-27 pictures and did properly to show away some golden Jets alternatives.
There was nothing he might do on both of the Jets’ first two objectives, with Nikolaj Ehlers firing the puck in from shut vary on the opener and Nino Niederreiter being left with manner an excessive amount of time alone in entrance of the online on the second.
And on the Jets’ third, Wolf discovered himself twisted up with teammate Connor Zary and actually couldn’t transfer throughout the crease. It didn’t get any simpler for Wolf later within the sport, and the Flames might be extra frightened in regards to the defensive play that led to Jets gamers discovering themselves broad open than Wolf not stopping their pictures.
He was in any other case strong, particularly within the second interval when he turned away a pair harmful Jets alternatives.
At this level in camp, each Wolf and Vladar have performed effectively sufficient to offer Flames brass confidence if both of them is within the crease.
A betting man would in all probability put his cash on Vladar being the Recreation 1 starter, however Wolf goes to get a lot of taking part in time this season and the controversy about who must be the de facto No. 1 choice may proceed all yr.
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STANDING OUT?
The Flames will wish to be focusing-in on their each night time NHL roster fairly quickly, which implies there could possibly be cuts coming comparatively imminently.
That meant that Wednesday night time’s sport was a final huge probability for some on-the-bubble gamers to make an impression and actually give coaches one thing to consider.
No person was dangerous, actually, however there weren’t essentially any standout performances that made you suppose ‘That participant should have modified the coaches’ opinions’, both.
Justin Kirkland and Martin Frk each scored for the Flames, however each of them cleared waivers earlier this week and might be beginning the yr for the Calgary Wranglers within the AHL.
Hunter Brzustewicz has had an excellent first coaching camp with the Flames and did a pleasant job placing the puck in a harmful place on Kirkland’s aim. His future is shiny, clearly, though it’s more and more apparent that he, too, will spend the start of the yr with the Wranglers. He’s 19-years-old, so there’s nothing fallacious with that.
Neither Matthew Coronato or Jakob Pelletier had particularly head-turning video games. Pelletier should clear waivers if the Flames decide to ship him to the AHL, in order that’s going to be one thing to maintain a detailed eye on over the subsequent couple of days. Sam Morton was strong, if not spectacular, and the identical can in all probability be stated about Walker Duehr.
The Jets had a minimum of 14 NHL regulars of their lineup on Wednesday, whereas the Flames solely had solely six guys you’d really feel snug saying are positive issues to be taking part in common minutes to begin the yr within the NHL.
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