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Two wins in the identical evening.
No matter occurs over the winter, and exterior expectations stay low, Monday couldn’t have gone a lot better for the Calgary Flames as they accomplished a sweep of their split-squad exhibitions in opposition to the arch-rival Edmonton Oilers.
Connor Zary and Yegor Sharangovich every potted a pair to guide a 6-1 rout on the Saddledome, whereas Matt Coronato tallied twice and Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Honzek racked up three assists apiece because the travelling troupe earned a 6-3 victory at Rogers Place over a lineup that featured Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the remainder of the Oilers’ massive names.
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Nazem Kadri and Daniil Miromanov additionally tickled twine within the house half, offering loads of highlights on the spiffy new Sportsnet Scoreboard. Rasmus Andersson, Justin Kirkland, Yan Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha contributed to the lamp-lighting in Edmonton.
Listed below are three takeaways from Monday’s pre-season double …
HUNGRY FOR SECONDS
This didn’t appear like the beginning of a sophomore droop.
Zary was an offensive power within the southern half of the split-squad showdown, scoring twice and including an help. He did all that injury within the center body.
He polished off a stupendous feed from captain Mikael Backlund for his first snipe of the evening, then fooled an opposing defenceman with a slick toe-drag and rifled a low shot for a power-play strike. His hat-trick try was denied by a sprawling Olivier Rodrigue, however Miromanov buried the rebound.
“It’s usually laborious for a man who has had success, like he did final 12 months, to come back again and never really feel like issues are going to be simple,” stated Flames head coach Ryan Huska of Zary, who notched 14 targets and 34 factors in 60 appearances as a rookie. “I give Connor plenty of credit score, as a result of he went and labored this summer time, like nearly all of our gamers, and he needs to come back in and desires to nearly deal with it like, ‘I’ve to earn my manner again to those spots.’ ”
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There’s zero query that Zary, who turns 23 on Wednesday, shall be an necessary piece for the Flames in his second big-league marketing campaign. There has, nonetheless, been loads of debate concerning the splendid slot for No. 47 within the lineup, about whether or not he ought to stay on the wing or get a have a look at centre.
By way of the primary few days of coaching camp, Zary has been skating alongside the reliable tandem of Backlund and Blake Coleman. That’s oftentimes seen as a shutdown line, though Coleman did rating 30 targets final season.
“I talked about it earlier within the week, simply how established these guys are and the way lengthy they’ve been doing it for and the way lengthy they’ve been perfecting their video games for and enjoying collectively and constructing that chemistry,” Zary stated after Monday’s home-ice victory. “So to only slide in there for the previous 5 days or so, it’s been good. Simply looking for some familiarity, and clearly it went properly tonight.”
BACK BETWEEN THE PIPES
Dan Vladar regarded good within the house crease on the Saddledome.
Extra necessary, he felt good.
Seeing his first sport motion since he had surgical procedure in March to deal with the nagging ache and tightness in his proper hip, Vladar knocked off the rust with an 18-save displaying in two durations in opposition to the Oilers. That was all a part of the plan — to exit after 40 minutes.
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“I feel I acquired higher as the sport went on,” Vladar stated afterward. “Clearly I didn’t play for six-and-a-half months so I used to be most likely extra nervous than earlier than my first NHL sport. However my physique felt good. And because the sport went on, I felt higher and higher.
“I used to be tremendous constructive about my hip. I used to be simply nervous due to the very long time not seeing motion.”
Vladar, now 27, has been ready a very long time for a chance to stake a declare to a beginning job on the NHL, and this was first step in his quest to show he needs to be Calgary’s No. 1 netminder.
His lone blemish was a low rocket from Mike Hoffman because the guests capitalized on a power-play. Amongst his finest work, he denied Adam Henrique on a breakaway.
For those who’re protecting observe of the crease competitors, Dustin Wolf racked up 33 saves in Sunday’s 6-1 victory over the Kraken in Seattle, whereas Devin Cooley allowed three on 47 photographs in Edmonton.
ROOM FOR CORONATO?
Matt Coronato opened the pre-season with a three-point pop-off in Sunday’s victory in Seattle.
Twenty-four hours later, he tucked two targets in opposition to the Oilers in enemy territory.
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The 21-year-old right-winger is, via a pair of exhibition auditions up to now, making an emphatic assertion that he belongs in a top-nine ahead position.
Factor is, these spots are presently spoken for.
Huberdeau and Mantha have been teasing the thought of a French Connection, they usually mixed for a beautiful aim throughout Monday’s first interval in Edmonton. Mantha dished to Huberdeau on a two-on-one rush and simply when all people else within the rink was anticipating a shot, his buddy returned the puck for a freebie. It was the kind of excellent setup that Huberdeau was identified for throughout his days in Florida.
It’s laborious to think about both Coleman or Zary being dropped to fourth-line duties. Identical goes for Sharangovich and Andrei Kuzmenko, who need to click on with Kadri on what needs to be Calgary’s most harmful offensive trio.
So the place does that depart Coronato?
Good query. If he retains this up, he’s going to power a troublesome resolution, which is precisely what you need out of your up-and-comers.
ICE CHIPS: Subsequent on the Flames’ exhibition schedule is Wednesday’s conflict with the Vancouver Canucks in Abbotsford, B.C.
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