CALGARY – As good as the Calgary Flames have been to open their season, all the talk in town over the last couple of days has revolved around the play of Jacob Markstrom.
Shaky, they say, despite the fact he has yet to lose a single game.
Such are the expectations that will provide the backdrop to everything his Flames do – or don’t do – this season.
And while the standard has clearly been set sky high for the Vezina runner-up, the towering netminder punctuated his best outing of the season Saturday with an admission he too believes there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“I don’t know,” he smiled when asked if he felt he really settled into a groove after allowing two first period goals in a 3-2 overtime win over Carolina.
“It was nice to play in the third.”
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It was a self-effacing poke at the fact he never made it that far in his previous outing against Buffalo after allowing three in the first and getting pulled.
“Until today I don’t think I really have been where I have to be.
“I’m still not there yet, but right now it’s getting closer and I can feel it, and everyone else can see it as well.
“Just on the right path. Gotta keep grinding and putting in the work.”
For all those wondering if perhaps the backbone of the club has been a problem for the Flames, his record is now 3-0-0.
His “struggles” have been relative, as he’s posted a 2.93 GAA and .882 save percentage, admittedly well below his career standards.
The low point being a routine glove save he bounced into the net to open an eventual win against Vegas.
Fact is, other than the mercy hook he received against Buffalo following three brilliant Sabres finishes, the 32-year-old has managed to stand in and battle back in all his other uncharacteristically slow starts.
Saturday’s confidence-building triumph was no different.
With his club outplayed so dramatically in the first and third periods that the Canes finished the evening with 12 high-danger scoring chances to Calgary’s one while 5-on-5, there was Markstrom with 12 saves in the third period of a 2-2 game.
A pair of those came during a late Blake Coleman double minor that saw Markstrom fight through traffic to make two tough stops while his team was under siege by a talented ’Canes crew.
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The evening culminated with Tyler Toffoli converting a Rasmus Andersson pass in the slot late in overtime to bump the Flames’ record to 4-1.
“He saved my ass, so pretty good,” said Toffoli when asked to rate his goalie’s play.
It was a reference to Toffoli’s blown coverage with 13 minutes left, when Sebastian Aho made a backdoor pass to Jaccob Slavin, forcing Markstrom to make his best of 25 saves.
“He was really good all night,” said Andersson, who has two assists in 27 minutes of work.
“He’s a world-class goalie, and he’s a top two or three goalie in the league. He proves that night in and night out.”
Sure did on Saturday, when the game was on the line.
“Once again, not a good start for me,” said Markstrom, always his own harshest critic, who saw Nazem Kadri extend his point streak to five with a power play goal 13 minutes into the first period that helped turn the game around.
“The team did a great job with Naz scoring in the first and (Brett) Ritchie in the second to get us back in the game.
“It was big. You don’t want to lose two in a row and turn into a .500 club.”
Markstrom’s frustration showed with eight seconds left in the second period when Derek Stepan appeared to put the Canes up 3-2, prompting the typically mild-mannered netminder to angrily swat the puck down the ice afterwards.
However, the goal was challenged by the Flames and overturned when it was clear Aho entered the zone offside.
“It’s just nice,” he said of the favourable video review. “Either way, it’s the next puck (that matters most).
“You’ve got to have a short memory when you’re a goalie in any sport.”
Especially when a fan base is breathing down your neck.
“Part of the penalty kill is your goaltender, not only on the saves, but it’s the direction of play and getting faceoffs is really important,” said Sutter. “I think the games are important for him.
“He needs to get on a roll. He’s got to play games.”
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