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1) Sam Bennett has really picked it up the last couple of games. Getting reps alongside the great Mikael Backlund helps, of course, but he has certainly been pulling his own weight as well. Bennett has posted a goal, an assist, four high-danger scoring chances, a +21 shot attempt differential and a +12 chance differential in his last ~23 minutes of ice at 5v5. He has provided a much-needed spark in the top-9. Performances like that won't hurt his trade value, either, if the Flames ever decide to go down that path.

Elliotte Friedman recently noted several teams have expressed interest in the past.

The list of teams who’ve inquired about him through the years includes Anaheim, Montreal, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. I’m not convinced the Flames want to trade him, knowing he’s 22 and could blossom elsewhere. Just something to watch, as he searches for a fit with a new coach and changed roster.

2) With James Neal joining a team that already featured the likes of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, it was fair to assume the Flames' opponents would be penalized quite frequently this season. So far that has been the case.

Through five games the Flames have drawn 29 minors and posted a +6 differential. No team has spent more time on the power play in terms of raw ice (42:07) or on a per game basis (8:25).

Even if the power play is only marginally better under Geoff Ward, the Flames should still be able to win the special teams battle simply because of the extra opportunities.

3) T.J. Brodie did not kill many penalties in the preseason and Bill Peters gave him *one* second of ice down a man in the first two games. He has been a staple in three games since logging 14:15, which is almost two minutes more than the next closest player in Mark Giordano.

Brodie has easily been the penalty killing defender on the team over the last couple of years so it's nice to see him being used as an ace again. It'll be interesting to see if that continues when Travis Hamonic returns to the lineup.

Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com and Corsica.Hockey.

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