Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Calgary Flames are coached by Darryl Sutter, a man that insists the game be played the way it was 20 years ago, with tough defense that everybody buys into. Sutter demands it, and it’s either his way or you're gone.
His team has had a total buy-in, as their 5-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night was their sixth in 17 games.
Jacob Markstrom has been phenomenal, posting five shutouts in 13 games played. The Flames are second in the NHL with a 2.00 goals-against average.
Calgary is tied with the New York Rangers, Buffalo’s next opponent, for ninth in the league in points percentage at .676.
This was a total mauling by the Flames. The Sabres were hanging in, trailing 2-0, but Buffalo stopped playing early in the second and gave very little effort. The team hung Dustin Tokarski out to dry, giving up three ridiculously easy goals in a 1:37 span.
The first goal saw Matthew Tkachuk join a rush a little late with no Sabres in sight to net his eighth of the season.
Just 59 seconds later, Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane made Will Butcher look like he had never defensed a 2-on-1 in his life, with Mangiapane getting the wide-open layup. The goal was his second goal of the game and 12th of the season.
That goal was followed 36 second later with Buffalo’s four penalty killers all acting like paying spectators. Sean Monahan went cross-ice, finding Johnny Gaudreau by himself for another wide-open tap in.
This is the first time all season I would say the Sabres gave almost no effort, at times, as a team just took them to the woodshed. Yes, things like this happen in an 82-game season. The trick is to minimize it.
The players owned up to the performance after the game. Vinnie Hinostroza didn’t mince his words following the loss.
“That was an embarrassing effort at home, and it’s not up to our standards," Hinostroza said. "We’re kind of rattled tonight, and we’re going to come tomorrow and watch some video and see what we need to do to get better. We’re not hitting the panic button. We’ve got five games in seven days, and that’s time for our group to make a statement.
“It’s something, as a team, we need to get by, and we definitely have the group to do that.”
Buffalo was awful in the third period on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but still held on to beat the Penguins.
“I do think that maybe the third period in [Pittsburgh] maybe carried over into today," said forward Zemgus Girgensons following the loss. "It’s just not the way we play.”
It was a disaster right from the start for the Sabres.
Gaudreau used his speed to get behind Colin Miller, and it looked like Miller had no idea Gaudreau had gotten loose. He ripped a perfect shot under the crossbar to open the scoring.
For years, the awareness on this team has been worse than horrible. However, it has been much better this season with a few exceptions.
Magniapane has been Calgary’s most dangerous goal scorer this season. His 12 goals are second in the NHL, yet the Sabres just let him saunter down the slot with nobody near him and his slick move made the score 2-0.
Tokarski wasn’t at fault for any of the five goals, and Don Granato did him a solid by pulling him for the third. In 40 minutes, Tokarski stopped 18-of-23 pucks, while Aaron Dell was perfect on 10 shots in the third.
The bottom line in this game is the Sabres got outworked, outthought, and they were never really in it.
Buffalo will next head to New York for a matchup with the Rangers on Sunday, and then return home Monday night to face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Let’s see how they respond.
