Nobody in Calgary was asking for an apology.
Maybe the Flames didn’t have the most entertaining week but since the last time we published an edition of Hot Topics, they managed to win two tight-checking, hard-fought games.
Dustin Wolf earned the first shutout of his career against the Nashville Predators on Friday and was outstanding again as the Flames outlasted the New York Islanders for a 2-1 shootout victory on Tuesday.
Who cares if it wasn’t end-to-end, highlight-reel hockey? Four points is four points.
No apology necessary, even if forward Blake Coleman offered one up when speaking to the media on Wednesday.
“I guess I should apologize to the fans at home, it’s not the most exciting hockey but we’re piecing together wins,” Coleman said, half-joking. “It’s the way we’re going to win is to play tight-checking, and maybe that limits a little bit of the offensive upside but we’ve been playing strong defensively and have gotten some really good goaltending. It might change as the season goes, but right now that’s our recipe for success.”
With that in mind, let’s dive into our three Hot Topics for the week …
Let’s start with a question from Ryan, who asks via social media: “With Wolf playing how he is, and Devin Cooley burning up the AHL, is it time to explore a Dan Vladar trade?”
AUSTIN: No. Not to put too fine a point on it or sound like a complete cliché, but it’s still very early in Wolf’s career and while he’s been excellent in the 10 games he’s played this fall, it’s entirely possible that the heavy workload that comes with an NHL season will take its toll down the road. If the Flames are going to stay in the playoff hunt, they’re going to need Vladar. Rotating between the two has been a big part of what’s brought the season success and seems to be bringing out the best in both guys. If that competition is fuelling both guys, why change what’s working? We can revisit this question in a couple months, but for now I think Vladar is a critical part of the Flames’ success.
GILBERTSON: First things first, a reminder that Vladar is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season and a general manager should always be willing to at least listen to offers on those guys. Does that mean that Craig Conroy should have ‘Trade Vladar’ at the top of his to-do list? I wouldn’t. Wolf is, as he described it after Tuesday’s shootout win, ‘in the zone’ right now. I like that wording because the 23-year-old isn’t saying he has it all figured out, isn’t suggesting he completed the climb from finally-a-full-timer to NHL star in six weeks or so. This platoon seems to be working for both of Calgary’s puck-stoppers, so why mess with it at this point? Vladar is in a nice groove too and if he can keep this up, it will only increase his trade value if Conroy ultimately decides not to try to re-sign him.
Several fans and readers expressed similar frustration about the lack of offensive production from some of the highest-paid forwards on the roster. Of those who are currently slumping, who is the biggest concern?
AUSTIN: I don’t know that there’s one name that jumps out to me as being a concern, per se. Connor Zary is creating chances and they’re sure to start going in, while Nazem Kadri has two points in the Flames’ last two games and appears to have turned the corner a bit. I do think you’d like to see more out of Yegor Sharangovich, though. He led the team in scoring last year with 31 goals, but after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury he’s potted only two through 12 games. He got off to a slow start last year, though, and has had a couple good chances in recent games, so I suspect he’ll be adding to his stats sooner rather than later.
GILBERTSON: The most worrisome, at least from my vantage point, is Andrei Kuzmenko. The 28-year-old right-winger has mustered only one goal in 19 games so far, although he didn’t look to be lacking confidence on Tuesday’s shootout snipe against the Isles. Seriously, how do you elevate a backhander that fast? While the Flames could fill a mini-van with slumping forwards, Kuzmenko’s current dry-spell is the biggest concern because he’s the most all-offence type on the roster. Jonathan Huberdeau is being trusted in crucial defensive situations, while Kadri is tapped for key faceoffs. Kuzmenko prides himself on his finishing abilities and now with five weeks passed since his last lamp-lighting, I think it’s fair to say he really needs to bury one so he feels like he’s contributing to the cause.
The Flames haven’t scored more than three goals in a game all month. How much of a worry is that?
AUSTIN: Short-term, it’s really not that big a deal. The Flames are 5-2-2 in November, are winning close games and proving they can deal with adversity. All of that is encouraging. Looking at the big picture, though, I’m sure the Flames would love to score a few more goals and play a couple more games where they don’t have to grind for a full 60 minutes. The Flames promised to be hard to play against this season, and they’ve delivered on that in nearly every game they’ve played. But getting guys like Kadri, Zary, Kuzmenko and Sharangovich scoring more would definitely make life easier and potentially take less of a toll as the season goes on.
GILBERTSON: You can look at this two ways, right? There’s Option 1 — ‘They’re not going to be able to keep this up if they can’t put the puck in the net!’ And yeah, that’s true. But there’s also Option 2 — ‘How much worse can their scoring woes possibly get? So good for them for gutting out victories as they work their way through it.’ While Ryan Huska will be busy brainstorming ideas that can spark his should-be standouts, while he must have his fingers crossed that the power-play units are finally starting to click, the bench boss was likely losing more sleep last fall when the Flames were serving up way too many scoring opportunities to the other guys. This current foundation seems much more solid.
Is there a Hot Topic that you’d like Danny Austin and Wes Gilbertson to discuss next week? Send your question or suggestion to [email protected] or [email protected]