The Calgary Flames (1-6-1) will play against the Winnipeg Jets (5-2-0) for the second time in five days.
This time it’s in Manitoba’s capital.
As I did in my last preview, I want to start of with this updated stat: Calgary has logged in the third-most power play time on the ice (53:42) yet has scored the third-lowest PP goals (3) in the league thus far.
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They were 0-for-5 in each of their last two games that ended in one-goal defeats and if they had scored on one or two of those man-advantages, we would probably looking at a somewhat decent record rather than an embarrassing seven-game losing skid.
While the Flames fail to capitalize on PP opportunities, they tend to shoot more in even-strength situations in comparison to how much even-strength ice-time they have in the season: According to Natural Stat Trick, they have logged in the 16th-most minutes of even-strength hockey (384:15), while registering the fourth-most shots on goal (198).
Unfortunately, the Flames have the lowest shooting percentage in even-strength hockey as well at 4.55%.
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It probably won’t be any any easier against Winnipeg as well. While they do take on the eighth-most total shots from opposing teams, they have the second-highest save percentage in even-strength hockey. Thanks to, you guessed it, goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Jets also boast the Josh Morrisey-Dylan DeMelo pairing that have the lowest Expected Goals Against (xGA) for pairings that have played 95 minutes or more in the league.
Ranked below at number seven are the Flames’ Kevin Bahl-Rasmus Andersson duo.
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In their last game, the Flames played very well against the Jets. It was only in giving up five power play opportunities where Calgary gifted the W to Winnipeg: Out of the 28 total scoring opportunities for the Jets, more than half, 19 of them, came from their man-advantage situations, which accounted for just 9:34 minutes of game time.
The Flames need to prevent giving away unnecessary penalties. They have the eighth-most short-handed time on the ice (48:03) while giving the the second-most short-handed goals in the league (8).
Even-strength hockey is your strength, so work on that and keep pushing at it it and keep pushing at it. Whatever you are doing on the PP clearly isn’t working so need to go back to the drawing board.
And don’t give up foolish penalties.