The Calgary Flames might be surprisingly hot competition for the Vegas Golden Knights
Nobody expected the Calgary Flames to compete for a playoff spot this season. Yet here we are and the Golden Knights will have their hands full on Sunday.
The 2024 offseason brought some massive changes for the Calgary Flames. They traded Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, signaling a rebuild was on the way. Combine that with Noah Hanifin traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and the team looked like it was tanking for the upcoming years.
Only, it hasn’t happened yet. The Flames are tied with the Dallas Stars for the last wild card spot in the Western Conference (with Dallas getting the tiebreaker) entering Sunday. They’re also one point behind the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Division, putting them in the thick of the playoff race.
Part of that has been incredible home-cooking. The Flames are 12-4-3 at the Saddledome, making them a tough out for road teams. They’ve beaten teams such as the New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild.
Dustin Wolf has also been decent for the Flames. He’s produced a GAA of 2.70, a save percentage of .912, and two shutouts. The native of Tustin, California, has been a stable netminder for Calgary with a record of 11-5-2 as a result.
The Golden Knights will meet that team on Sunday, giving them their toughest test of a 10-game stretch. However, there are some good caveats to their current run, such as the Golden Knights winning nine of their last 10 games. Will Vegas run into such a team on Sunday or will they… put out the Flames?
What the Vegas Golden Knights will face on Sunday against the Calgary Flames
While Wolf has been stable for the Calgary Flames, their goaltending has been average all-around. They’re tied for 15th in team GAA (3.03) and tied for 15th in team save percentage (.900). Daniel Vladar (3.07 GAA, .886 save percentage) has been the prototypical back-up goaltender, giving the Flames a typical No. 2 netminder.
That leaves a “golden” opportunity for Noah Hanifin and company to keep up the offensive work. The fourth-best attack in the NHL (3.57 goals per game) will put immense pressure on the Flames goaltending, giving them issues in the offensive zone and transition.
But Sunday’s game could also allow the Golden Knights power play to feast. Vegas has only one power play goal in the past five games (eight opportunities). However, the Flames have an overall penalty kill percentage of 72.1%, 29th in the NHL.
That means getting back to basics and slowing down the play. No turnovers or not having a body in front of the net. Control the pace and get pucks to the net. Could Tomas Hertl or Mark Stone get a goal on the man advantage? Will Jack Eichel add another tally on the unit? Stay tuned.
Sunday’s game against the Flames won’t be an easy contest. Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your records says you are,” pointing at the excellence of the top NHL teams. While this logic indicates the Golden Knights are tough competition, Calgary shouldn’t be discounted. After all, you don’t want to be burned by a team who’s supposed to be rebuilding.
