Calgary Flames goaltender Jakob Markstrom of Gavle, Sweden was named the National Hockey League First Star of the Week. He received the honour for the week from February 5-11.
Three Straight Wins
In the first three games for the Calgary Flames after the NHL All-Star break, Markstrom was outstanding. He guided the Flames to three wins on the road against Eastern Conference opponents. Markstrom made 21 saves in 22 shots in a 4-1 Calgary win over the Boston Bruins on February 6, 37 saves in 40 shots in a 5-3 Calgary win over the New Jersey Devils on February 8, and 34 saves in 36 shots in a 5-2 Calgary win over the New York Islanders on February 10. In three games, Markstrom had a goals against average of 2.00 and a save percentage of .939. He made 92 saves in 98 save attempts. You could make the argument that the Flames’s win over the Bruins was Calgary’s most complete game offensively and defensively all season long. It was a dominant performance by the Flames, as the Bruins fans regularly booed the Bruins players.
Markstrom in 2023-24
Markstrom has a record of 17 wins, 14 regular losses and two losses in extra time with two shutouts. He also has a goals against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .916. Markstrom’s shutouts came in a 3-0 Flames win over the Anaheim Ducks on December 21 and in a 1-0 Flames win over the Chicago Blackhawks on January 27.
Devils Interested
There are a lot of rumours at the moment that the New Jersey Devils are interested in Markstrom. The Flames appear to be trading defenseman Chris Tanev of Toronto, Ontario this month, and it will be interesting to see if Flames General Manager Craig Conroy makes any more transactions.
In Playoff Contention
The Flames are are at 25 wins, 23 losses and five losses in extra time for 55 points. They are three points back of the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues for a playoff spot.
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