How the Flames turned a weakness into one of the NHL’s best power-plays

The Calgary Flames have the third-best power-play in the NHL.

As of Saturday night, at least, that’s what the numbers say.

After scoring twice on two opportunities in their 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, the Flames on eight of their 25 power-plays this season, good for a 32% conversion rate. Only the Utah Mammoth and Edmonton Oilers have been better.

When you consider that the Flames were the second-worst team on the man-advantage in the entire league last season, that’s remarkable.

“We feel good. I’ve never felt this in my career, having a power-play like this,” said Flames winger Joel Farabee, who scored and added two assists against the Wings.

The Flames have scored on six of their last 12 power-plays, with Zayne Parekh scoring his first of the year and Matvei Gridin adding another on Saturday. Farabee and Ryan Strome also scored at even strength.

They’ve now won three games in a row and four of their last six. The play of Devin Cooley in net has been a big factor and there’s been strong play up and down the lineup, but the power-play has been a driver.

So what’s going right?

1. PUCK MOVEMENT

This comes up again and again when head coach Ryan Huska is asked about the power-play. The Flames are relying on quick, short passes to beat opposing defences.

That’s easier said than done, but it’s effective when pulled off properly.

“The phase they’re in right now, I think it really comes down to the puck movement to start with,” Huska said. “They’re starting to feed off each other a little bit, as well, and how they’re moving themselves around the zone and trying to free up different people in different situations.”

The Flames haven’t relied on one star to drive the scoring on the power-play. Parekh’s emergence and the play of Simon Nemec have been a part of it, but it’s worth noting that seven players have scored power-play goals this season and only Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato have scored twice.

“ I think if you look at the guys we have on the power-play (our point totals weren’t high last year),” Parekh said. “There’s not a guy that’s going to take over and we don’t have those MacKinnons or McDavids, but, you know, we’re all kind of moving pucks in unison.”

2. POSITIONLESS

The guys on the Flames power-play aren’t stuck to one spot on the ice. That’s by design.

“We don’t really have set spots, we just kind of play like a five-man rover almost and we’re just finding little areas and plays,” Farabee explained. “I think that’s awesome when you have a bunch of young guys that are really committed to scoring and trying to find little plays. I think for us, even if we don’t score, we’re just trying to find momentum.”

Parekh’s presence is a part of what’s led to the Flames’ positionless approach. He likes to move around the offensive zone, finding pockets and passing lanes. That, in turn, leads to other players needing to adjust.

“Zayne, he’s a rover,” Huska said. “At times, he’s going to move around and end up down along the goal line. That means that a Joel Farabee, who’s usually a net-front guy, is going to be on the top of the blue line.

It creates some uneasy moments for coaches when they’re moving around like that, but they’re starting to figure out how to work off each other.”

3. CONFIDENCE

This one’s a little more abstract, but the Flames are feeling themselves … and that absolutely matters.
Morgan Frost is winning faceoffs. That led directly to both of the Flames’ goals against the Red Wings.

They also just genuinely believe they can score every time they hop over the boards for a power-play.

‘When the power-play is scoring and things are going their way, they start feeling really good about when they’re on the ice,” Huska said. “They know they can be difference makers.”