Flames Andersson living up to expectations

“We obviously get more and more comfortable with every day and practice and game that goes by,” Andersson said. “You play with four really skilled players and you try to make plays out there to create time and space for them, and I think we’ve done a good job so far. Our power-play’s been really good to start off, so we’ve just go to keep going here.”Now, it’s pretty unlikely that Andersson is going to keep up his point-a-game pace. That’s not a reasonable expectation, but it seems like a safe bet that he’s going to significantly outpace his previous best. In 70 games last year, Andersson had 22 points, a pace of 0.31 points-per-game. In 79 contests in 2018-’19, he put up 19 for a pace of 0.24 points-per-game.

This year, Andersson’s role has expanded. He’s third in the team in icetime per-game, averaging 21:28, and is spending more of that time with the Flames’ most dangerous weapons. He shouldn’t have any problem surpassing the offensive numbers he put up over the past two years, even in a shortened season.

Whether or not that’s due, in part, to the players he’s sharing the ice with is largely besides the point. The Flames are going to be a better team if Andersson is contributing on both ends of the ice, and he’s made offensive production a bigger part of his focus this season.

“It comes with opportunity,” Andersson said. “I have a really good opportunity ahead of me playing on the top unit of the powerplay, at the point. Obviously, you get more and more comfortable with each year that goes by. Maybe in the past I’ve been thinking a little bit more about the all-round game and now is time to play at my full register.

“Obviously, it’s felt good at the beginning, but we’re only four games in.”

 daustin@postmedia.com

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