After Montreal’s decisive win over Vancouver last night, the 4-2-0 Maple Leafs now trail the 4-0-2 Habs and the 4-1-0 Jets for the lead in the North Division. The Flames are also off to a strong start at 2-0-1, although both of Calgary’s wins came against the struggling Canucks (3-0 & 5-2). That said, the two victories were decisive: Adjusted for score, the Flames owned 63% and 70% of the expected goals in those wins.
Calgary has only played three games — and also haven’t played since Monday — meaning they’re lower on game reps but have had multiple opportunities to hold high-intensity practices.