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Calgary Flames honor Gaudreaus by outworking Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 takeaways
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- Calgary Flames honor Gaudreaus by outworking Columbus Blue Jackets: 3 takeaways
Going into this season, the Blue Jackets knew that two games on their schedule would be tough to play.
The first was their home-opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15 at Nationwide Arena and the second arrived Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary . The reason for the challenge associated with those two games had less to do about hockey and everything to do with their emotions after experiencing powerful pregame ceremonies to honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in both cities.
Dec 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Johnny GaudreauÕs family during ceremonial puck drop by Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan (23) and Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
They lost both games, including a 3-0 Flames shutout that was the first time in the Jackets' first 24 games they didn't score a goal and stopped a string of scoring a goal in 16 consecutive periods. After working to handle their emotions during a ceremony that included the Gaudreau family presiding over a ceremonial puck drop, the Blue Jackets were outworked most of the night.
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Here are three takeaways:
Dec 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson (91) and Calgary Flames center Blake Coleman (20) battles for the puck during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Calgary Flames find answer to slowing Columbus Blue Jackets ' Zach Werenski , Kent Johnson
It took key saves by goalie Dan Vladar , a relentless grind while defending plus a video review for a missed offsides, but the Flames managed to do something rare.
They handed the Blue Jackets their first shutout loss of the season by also keeping Zach Werenski and Kent Johnson off the scoresheet entirely. Neither recorded a point, which ended a franchise record point streak by a defenseman at eight for Werenski and stopped Johnson's streak at five since his return from a shoulder injury.
Dec 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) controls the puck against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Johnson had also scored a point in all nine games he'd played, which bookended his 14-game absence. The biggest factor in keeping them quiet was Calgary 's impressive work ethic, which Flames coach Ryan Huska challenged after the Blue Jackets defeated them 5-2 on Friday at Nationwide Arena.
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Unlike that game, the Flames outworked the Blue Jackets nearly start-to-finish in their own rink. They won puck battles along the walls, forechecked with ferocity and used poke checks through the full 200-foot length of the ice to frustrate Columbus. Werenski and Johnson still nearly kept their streaks alive, but Adam Fantilli was caught entering the Flames' zone too soon to negate the former's goal in the first and Vladar stopped the latter's redirection from the net-front in the third that could've tied it at 1-1.
Dec 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Columbus Blue Jackets' penalty-killing is in crisis mode
The Blue Jackets are officially hemorrhaging short-handed goals now, and it threatens to spoil a lot of the encouraging things they've done a quarter of the way into the season.
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The Flames went 2-for-4 on power plays to score the game's first two goals with a man-advantage before Yegor Sharangovich 's empty-net tally completed the scoring with 19.8 seconds to play. It was their 10thstraight game yielding a power-play goal, the fourth man-advantage goal they've allowed in the past two games — after going just 3-for-6 Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks — and their third short-handed goal given up in four days to the Flames.
Dec 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) makes a save against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Blue Jackets' PK is just 23-for-37 for a 62.7% success rate during their ugly 10-game streak and there's not a lot of encouraging signs for a turnaround anytime soon. Conversely, they're allowed only one 5-on-5 goal in the past three games and 17 goals at 5-on-5 during the ugly PK streak, which is just 1.7 per game.
Not having captain Boone Jenner and defenseman Erik Gudbranson following shoulder surgeries – two of their best penalty-killers – leaves a huge PK void the Blue Jackets are still trying to fill.
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Neither is expected to return anytime soon, so it's up to the current roster configuration to figure it out.
Calgary Flames honored Johnny Gaudreau before, during and after win over Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets used the start of their Gaudreau memorial night to honor his memory, symbolically leaving his starting spot at left wing vacant for the first 13 seconds against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15 at Nationwide Arena.
The Flames left their symbolic gesture for the end, when the left the top slot on the official box score's "3 Stars" area blank before it lists Rasmus Andersson and Mikael Backlund — two of Gaudreau's former teammates — as the game's second and third stars.
In the arena, Gaudreau was announced as the game's first star and his father, Guy, accepted the honor on his son's behalf by joining Andersson and Backlund on the Flames' bench. After exchanging hugs, Guy Gaudreau smiled and waved before heading down the tunnel wearing his son's former Flames jersey.
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He then headed into Calgary's victorious locker room, where he was awarded a game puck by Backlund and said a few words. Before leaving the bench, however, Gaudreau was serenaded with a chant of "Johnny Hockey!" to end another emotional night remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Flames honor Gaudreaus by outworking Blue Jackets: 3 takeaways
