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It received much more heated than you’d count on from a meaningless pre-season sport.
However with guys attempting to earn their spots within the lineup earlier than the tip of coaching camp, Saturday night time’s tilt between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks prompt that these two groups received’t be liking one another a lot this season.
On the last buzzer, the Flames had received the sport 4-2 and improved their pre-season document to 4-0-1. It received’t depend for a lot, however there are indicators that this Flames group might be extra thrilling in 2024-25 than most have been anticipating.
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And on Saturday night time, there was a little bit of an edge to the group, too.
They definitely didn’t hesitate to mix-it-up with the Canucks, not less than, and there gave the impression to be actual bad-blood brewing between the 2 groups by sport’s finish. There have been a number of after-whistle scrums the place each participant on the ice gave the impression to be getting concerned.
The Flames didn’t thoughts that one bit.
“That’s one thing we need to do, for certain,” stated Flames winger Ryan Lomberg. “There’s 5 guys on the ice and we count on each man to be in there, doesn’t matter. We’re not asking guys to struggle and struggle guys which are robust they usually shouldn’t struggle, however so long as you’re in there, grabbing a man, cross-checking and slashing, that’s the group, household mentality we need to carry this 12 months.”
Right here’s three takeaways from the sport:
STICKING AROUND
Sam Honzek has been arguably the largest story all through Flames coaching camp.
And one other sturdy exhibiting on Saturday night time strengthened his case for sticking within the NHL when the common season will get underway.
Huska confirmed as a lot post-game.
“I actually favored him once more,” Huska stated. “He was one other one in all our gamers who was impactful. The velocity he performed with, he’s not shying away from something. I really feel like he continues getting higher and higher. He’s going to make it actually laborious on us.”
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The 19-year-old struggled to search out his footing in his first coaching camp final 12 months after the Flames chosen him with the sixteenth general choose within the first spherical of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Accidents derailed his final season within the WHL with the Vancouver Giants in 2023-24, too. If that led to any issues about his upside, this 12 months’s exhibiting in camp is making these look foolish.
He’s received six factors in pre-season and whereas he didn’t register one on Saturday night time, he arrange Martin Frk with a heads-up cross halfway via the second that the veteran in all probability ought to have completed. He was impactful in different areas of the ice, too, attacking the corners and enjoying with velocity and physicality.
If Honzek does make the group popping out of camp, it’s going to be a giant story.
However proper now, you may not wager in opposition to it with the best way he’s enjoying.
MAKING HIS CASE
Brayden Pachal performed 33 video games for the Flames in direction of the tip of final season, nevertheless it’s not completely clear whether or not he’ll be beginning the season enjoying commonly this 12 months.
The Flames would appear to have a reasonably clear top-five defencemen, with Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Daniil Miromanov, Kevin Bahl and Jake Bean all anticipated to play each night time once they’re wholesome.
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The opposite job on the third-pairing, although, remains to be very a lot up for grabs, although.
Pachal is definitely within the combine, as are Joel Hanley, doubtlessly Tyson Barrie and even possibly Jarred Tinordi all able to enjoying in that function.
On Saturday night time, Pachal stood up and made certain everybody took discover with a bodily exhibiting and some factors, too.
“We don’t have actually that huge, bodily presence on the back-end. It’s simply not what we have now, however he tries each night time to complete hits with function, to be a tough man to play in opposition to,” stated Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “That’s sometimes what you see from him game-in and game-out. One other man that’s are available in and with the video games he’s performed with us, he’s not simply right here as a result of he was right here on the finish of the 12 months final 12 months, he’s coming to make an impression once more and say ‘I’m for certain going to remain on this group’. “
He scored the Flames’ opener, added an help on Blake Coleman’s aim within the second interval, took a penalty, performed on the penalty-kill and appeared desperate to get within the combine at any time when there was a scrum after the whistle. He additionally received a 10-minute misconduct for having a go at Mark Friedman late within the sport, too.
The offence isn’t essentially what the Flames are going to be relying on when Pachal’s within the lineup. He’s received two objectives and 7 assists in 62 common season video games.
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However you need to see gamers making the most of enjoying time and proving they deserve extra in pre-season. The 25-year-old did that and extra in opposition to the Canucks.
“Once I can contribute offensively it’s clearly good, however my sport is to close guys down and play bodily and laborious each night time,” Pachal stated.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The Flames’ fourth-line trio succeeded at lots of issues on Saturday night time.
We’ve seen a pair completely different combos all through pre-season, with Walker Duehr getting time alongside Kevin Rooney and Ryan Lomberg early. It was Adam Klapka’s activate Saturday night time, and he made his mark on the sport in a giant approach.
“He’s impressed me, for certain,” Lomberg stated about Klapka. “I don’t even know the way tall he’s. Nevertheless tall the ceiling is, nearly. He can transfer, he could make performs, he can shoot, he’s bodily.
“He’s going to make my job actual straightforward this 12 months if he retains hitting guys like that. It’s lots of enjoyable.”
Early within the sport, he threw a large hit on Nils Aman. Later, he landed a giant one alongside the boards on Akito Hirose. He additionally scored a aim with a very nice shot from simply contained in the blue-line and simply typically appeared to get below the Canucks’ pores and skin.
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That appeared to convey out one of the best in Lomberg, who had a aim and an help, whereas Rooney received a helper of his personal.
They have been energetic, efficient and a thorn within the Canucks’ facet. The trio has a meanness to them that the Flames would possibly lack elsewhere within the lineup.
It’s precisely what the Flames need out of their fourth-line.
“I assumed they have been our greatest line tonight,” Huska stated. “They performed a easy sport, they put pucks in and the primary two objectives we scored have been primarily based off of their work off the forecheck. I assumed all three of these guys had influence tonight.”
If it’s audition time for the Flames who’re on the bubble and attempting to earn a spot, Klapka nailed his on Saturday night time.
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