The Calgary Flames simply will not quit.
Facing the defending Stanley Cup champions and Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights the task was tall for the team. Add in the fact that starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom was a late scratch due to an illness, requiring the Flames to sign an EBUG to an ATO, it didn’t look like it was going to be the team’s night.
That of course was until Dan Vladar decided to show up.
Vladar’s world, we are just living in it
It’s hard to put into words just how incredible Vladar’s performance was tonight. After a season of putting in an incredible effort and not getting a goaltending performance, it was miraculous for the team to finally win a game their goaltender gave them.
Vladar faced a total of seven high-danger chances on 26 shots on the net. His lone goal against came on a Vegas powerplay, but outside of that, he was unbeatable.
Whether it was a breakaway, odd-man rush, or golden opportunity in front of the net Vladar had an answer to it all.
Comeback kings
Vladar will be the biggest talking point out of the game last night, but it’s critical to note the team registered yet another third-period comeback in as many days. This puts them at four on the year which is double the amount from last season.
The find-a-way Flames just won’t go away, which is incredible to see. The resilience and work ethic of the group is exponentially better than what we saw from most of the same players last year.
MacKenzie Weegar’s overtime winner put an exclamation point on the team’s winning-by-committee approach. The team may not look the flashiest, but they are getting the job done after a rough start to the season.
Tanev’s Injury
The dark cloud that will hover over this team for the next few days is the status of Chris Tanev. In the third period, Tanev took a blocked shot off of the face that immediately led to him rushing off the ice. The team dodged a bullet a few games ago when Tanev returned a few times after looking to suffer an injury, but they weren’t as lucky this time around.
A serious Tanev injury is bad for those who want the team to sell or those who want the Flames to go for it. The team is worse with him injured, and his trade value could crater if he is injured for a long time.
I hope nothing but the best for Tanev.
