The Calgary Flames season got off to an exciting start against their rival Vancouver Canucks. The Flames looked disorganized early, and after a scary injury to Kevin Rooney, the Flames got into penalty trouble and finished the first period trailing 4-1. However, the team rallied and mounted a comeback, eventually winning 6-5 in overtime. After just one game most teams should be preaching patience, but the Flames lineup is one designed for change. They have no clear number one goalie and tons of youth. With this lineup, the Flames should look to make adjustments to find the right mix and keep the group fresh.
Three Lineup Changes The Flames Should Make
Bring In Tyson Barrie
The Flames looked sloppy to start the game against Vancouver. Their young defence, which only has two proven NHLers looked outmatched. They let the Canucks get behind them on multiple occasions and seemed to lose track of their defensive assignments leading to scoring chances. Barrie is a 13-year veteran who could help steady the young Flames. He is fresh off signing a 1-year contract with the Flames following a solid preseason. Barrie should draw into the lineup to give one of the Flames young defencemen a night off. Expect the Flames to rotate through their seven defencemen regularly as they look to balance developing their youth while providing support and leadership.
Dress Matthew Coronato
Following the injury to Kevin Rooney the Flames will likely need to dress at least one new forward before their next game. They may need to call up a centre to fill his specific spot, but even with that, Coronato should draw into the lineup. The Flames are currently missing Yegor Sharangovich from their top nine, and with him, 31-goals from last season. Matthew Coronato is the Flames best offensive prospect in terms of goal-scoring potential. He put together a strong preseason for the Flames and earned his spot on the roster. The Flames should give Coronato time in the top-nine and second power play in their next game. This is a perfect opportunity for him to step into the lineup and get meaningful minutes.
Start Dustin Wolf
Dan Vladar played well in the season opener, and this decision is by no means a reflection on his play. Starting Dustin Wolf would instead be a commitment to finding out if Wolf can be a number one goaltender. Wolf is a two-time goaltender of the year in the AHL and AHL MVP. He has proven all he can in the AHL and now is the time to find out what he can be in the NHL. With no clear number one goaltender the Flames should be rotating goalies until one of either Wolf or Vladar prove they deserve the net full time. The Flames should hopefully come ready to play in front of their home crowd, which means Wolf should have a good effort from the group in front of him.
Building Off Game One
These three proposed tweaks aren’t dramatic changes. Although making three changes to the lineup after a single game seems drastic, each change has a specific purpose and could help the Flames heading into their home opener. Adding two of the Flames top prospects in Wolf and Coronato aligns with the Flames’ goal of getting younger and helps determine what prospects to build around. Adding Barrie on the other hand, helps provide stability to a defensive group that looked lost at times in game one. There is plenty of hockey left and much to look forward to! Making these changes could have immediate impacts on the team.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
