Flames power play surges to 32% during three-game win streak
Calgary's man advantage went 2-for-2 in a 4-1 win over Detroit on Saturday, part of a run that has it operating among the NHL's best units after ranking near the bottom last season.
The Calgary Flames' power play has jumped from second-worst in the NHL last season to third-best this season, a turnaround coach Ryan Huska and players credit to new personnel and a more fluid, positionless approach. The unit went 2-for-2 in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary's third straight victory, and is now 6-for-12 over its last four games. The Flames are converting at 32 per cent this season, up from 16.2 per cent a year ago.
Forward Joel Farabee, who assisted on both power-play goals Saturday, said the group plays like a "five-man rover" rather than sticking to fixed spots, with players such as 20-year-old Matvei Gridin finding open ice outside their usual positions. Huska said defencemen Zayne Parekh and offseason addition Simon Nemec, acquired from the New Jersey Devils, have given Calgary two legitimate power-play quarterbacks running the top and second units.
Parekh scored Saturday's game-winner on the power play, breaking a 1-1 tie, and said the unit's success comes from puck movement rather than reliance on a single star. Assistant coach Dave Lowry, who took over running the power play this season from Cail MacLean, has emphasized scoring off faceoffs and entries. Centre Morgan Frost's faceoff wins to start both power plays Saturday allowed Calgary to set up quickly, with the first goal coming just 21 seconds into the man advantage and the second 19 seconds in.
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