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G9 Calgary Flames vs Ottawa Senators: Preparing for a track meet

October 28, 2016, 12:10 PM ET [40 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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Following five losses in six games to start the season the Calgary Flames won consecutive contests against Chicago and St. Louis in their own buildings.

Tonight they're back at home looking to build off those wins against the Ottawa Senators.

The Sens are off to a solid 4-2-0 start and have been getting contributions from some unexpected players like Ryan Dzingel and Tom Pyatt.

If players like that can continue to produce with any regularity the Sens are going to be a tough team to beat as they have plenty of fire power up front and the NHL's best, and most dynamic, defenseman in Erik Karlsson.

The good news for the Flames is the Senators' defensive play has left a lot to be desired. As it stands they are bottom-5 in shot attempts against per 60 minutes, shots against per 60 and scoring chances against per 60 at 5 v 5. Their defense can certainly be exploited.

Andrew Hammond is expected to get the nod in goal so the Flames are catching a bit of a break there as well. Craig Anderson is underrated and definitely more capable of stealing points than Hammond.

This is certainly a winnable game and the kind of contest the Flames need to have if they're serious about making the playoffs this season.

Here are the Flames' expected line combinations for tonight:

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Alex Chiasson
Kris Versteeg - Sam Bennett - Troy Brouwer
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik
Micheal Ferland - Matt Stajan - Lance Bouma

Mark Giordano - Dennis Wideman
T.J. Brodie - Deryk Engelland
Jyrki Jokipakka - Dougie Hamilton

Brian Elliott

And the expected lines for the Senators:

Mike Hoffman - Kyle Turris - Mark Stone
Zach Smith - Derick Brassard - Bobby Ryan
Ryan Dzingel - J.G. Pageau - Tom Pyatt
Matt Puempel - Chris Kelly - Chris Neil

Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf - Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki - Chris Wideman

Andrew Hammond

A few notes:

1) The Sens are 2nd last in scoring chances allowed per 60 and the Flames are 5th from last. This game could turn into a track meet.

2) The Phaneuf - Ceci pairing has been dreadful together. At 5 v 5 the Sens have controlled ~40% of the shot attempts and ~35% of the scoring chances with that pairing on the ice. The Flames should be able to exploit them.

3) Bennett has five points in his last three games and has been making an impact at both ends of the rink. Can he keep the hot streak going tonight?

Tonight's game is scheduled for 9:00 eastern and can be seen on Sportsnet-Flames and TSN5.

Recent posts:

On Hamilton's lack of ice time, Bennett's strong start and more

Flames, Gaudreau agree to long-term extension

Predicting the Pacific Division standings

Pacific Division bold predictions

Pacific Division breakout players
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