Igor Shesterkin made one more save than Jacob Markstrom in a pair of scintillating performances that saw Calgary's four-game winning streak snapped
The Calgary Flames ended up on the wrong side of a good old-fashioned goaltending battle in their 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday.
While Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom displayed the form that made him the NHL’s first star of the week in stopping 29 of 30 shots he faced, New York’s Igor Shesterkin delivered his best by posting a 30-save outing. With an empty netter salting away the game, Shesterkin literally made one more save than Markstrom and that was the razor-thin difference between winning and losing.
The Flames ended up just shy of completing a perfect four-game road trip, but still return home to face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday after winning three of four outings in a difficult trek.
How good has Markstrom during the now-completed trip? He surrendered seven goals in four games and stopped 122 of 129 shots, a .946 save percentage. He also posted a 32-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks in the last game prior to the sojourn.
"Helluva game by Marky," forward Blake Coleman told the media at Madison Square Garden. "He was our best player all night, and it sucks we couldn’t pull one out for him."
Now, the Flames (25-23-5, 55 points) come home for a four-game homestand against the Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins.
A playoff berth is something of a long shot, especially if the Flames deal away some of their pending unrestricted free agents. However, on a night the Flames were up against one of the league’s best teams whose goaltender notched his first shutout of the season, there can not be too many complaints about the effort.
Now, three more thoughts after the clash:
Hopefully not again:
It would be a crying shame if Jakob Pelletier suffered another shoulder injury after the hit he took from Jacob Trouba. Pelletier needed shoulder surgery after a hit from behind in the pre-season and the 2019 first-round draft choice worked back for only four NHL games to this point.
Pelletier and his infectiously positive attitude are a plus for a dressing room. Here’s to it not being another long recovery.
“It’s brutal. We all love the kid. He’s a great guy and he brings so much energy to our room. It sucks. Hopefully he’ll be alright," defenceman Rasmus Andersson said.
Kadri and the Kids keep shining:
It should not be lost how well Nazem Kadri has stepped up on this trip. With Elias Lindholm being traded away, Kadri was obviously needed to elevate his game. He and his linemates Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil put in some strong performances on this trip.
What happens at home?:
Just before the all-star break, the Flames had a horrible homestand, with only two wins in six games. It was not just the losses that were concerning, but how a couple came with blown leads, on top of a defeat at the hands of the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. With the NHL trade deadline just over three weeks away, these games are a big mettle test.