'HIGH-END SKILL THERE, BOY'

He kicked off the evening with a 30-yard lofted all-touch pass to hit a receiver at full gallop that would've left Bo Levi Mitchell applauding in appreciation.
"Unbelievable,'' praised linemate Michael Frolik of the skill, and audacity, in even contemplating, much less successfully completing, such a play. "Crazy. Great vision. Great stretch pass."
He finished it off by rapping home his 32nd goal of an evolving campaign from a more familiar spot, loitering with deadly intent around the opposition net.
"I felt," said Matthew Tkachuk, asked to take his own Friday-night temperature, "pretty good."
Lordamighty. Imagine if he'd felt top 'o the morning.

Yes, it's been quite the little run for the NHL's most mischievous Welcome Wagon doorbell-ringer:
Ten points. A tidy week's work.
But wait, there's still one tango left on the dance card.
"I'm fortunate enough to play with guys who were able to finish,'' Tkachuk argued of another monster night in a 5-1 beatdown of the Blueshirts. "The finish by Hath was pretty incredible. Same with Johnny. Same with Fro, to get it up that quick. High-skill plays.
"You never go into a game expecting certain numbers. You just go out and play."

The evening's opening goal, at 10 minutes of Period 1, spotlighted No. 19's scandalously under-rated creativity. Eying Gaudreau taking off lickety-split near the Calgary blueline, while virtually parallel to David Rittich's goal-line, he launched his Hail Johnny pass into orbit.
"High-end skill there, boy," marvelled Flames coach Bill Peters. "He makes plays, subtle, little smart plays. He knows when to bunt it back, knows when a guy's overplaying him so he can spin and take it to the net.
"Just a real smart, instinctive player.
"Pretty smart play, right? That kinda got him off to a good start, and a good finish by Johnny."
No, said Tkachuk. A great finish.
"I saw Johnny skiing pretty fast - well, flying - and I saw the D kind of wasn't looking at me, so if I threw it up in the air. It's not like he could turn around and catch it and come back,'' recalled Tkachuk of the pass.
"So I thought better that than rip it hard and see if it goes by him.
"It landed, like, so fortunately. Kinda stopped. Then Johnny went in and made an unbelievable move. The highlight was Johnny beating the guy. They were even, together, maybe even was behind, and just roasted him with speed."
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An unerring out-of-the-corner to Garnet Hathaway in the blue paint and then a cheeky behind-the-back dish to Frolik constituted Tkachuk's other two helpers.
"Chucky had a big night and it's fun to watch when he's clicking like that," said Frolik. "He's a special player and he proved it again tonight.
"He's a real good passer. He can protect the puck on the walls, spin from guys and find you in the slot. For me and Backs, it's important to give him pucks in those areas, cycle the puck to him. He strong in those little spaces and make plays from them."

The five-foot, against-the-flow set-up for Frolik's 14th of the season left the grateful recipient shaking his head in admiration.
"He had an almost open net and I thought he'd just put it in on his backhand. But he makes this sneaky little play to me, behind his back.
"And it worked out good. I've got to thank him."
In a bit of a rush, the Flames hustled out of their dressing room Friday to catch a charter flight for the business end of two in two nights, at Bell MTS Place, in a town, Winnipeg, where Tkachuk's dad Keith held sway for four-seasons plus.
The possibilities given his week so far are positively mouth-watering.
"Let's do it,'' he said. "Flying to Winnipeg tonight. Pretty sure we'll lose an hour. Get up tomorrow, quick meeting and we'll get ready to meet them.
"Obviously it's tough, back-to-back. But no games are easy in the NHL.
"A little bit of an extra challenge but we're ready for it."