The ice cold Calgary Flames, winners in just four of their last 13 games, return to action tonight when they play host to the Chicago Blackhawks.
They'll be looking to stop the bleeding and bring in the new year with a much-needed win against direct competition for a playoff spot.
The Blackhawks enter this game just two points back of a wild card position, and a point ahead of the Flames, so this game is very important for each side.
Despite Chicago's underwhelming record – at least by their standards – they have been playing fairly well. They are the lone NHL team with a positive goal differential that sits outside of a playoff spot, they're 5th in Corsi For%, and they have the best 5v5 penalty differential (+35) in the league.
Even without Corey Crawford and Artem Anisimov, the Blackhawks will be a tough test for Calgary. This should be a good one.
Here are the projected lineups:
Calgary
*recalled, lineup spot hasn't been confirmed
Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Michael Ferland Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Andrew Mangiapane* Sam Bennett - Mark Jankowski - Garnet Hathaway Troy Brouwer - Matt Stajan - Jaromir Jagr
Mark Giordano - Dougie Hamilton T.J. Brodie - Travis Hamonic Brett Kulak - Michael Stone
Mike Smith
Anaheim (via DailyFaceoff.com)
Brandon Saad - Jonathan Toews - Ryan Hartman Alex DeBrincat - Nick Schmaltz - Patrick Kane Patrick Sharp - David Kampf - Richard Panik Lance Bouma - Tommy Wingels - John Hayden
Duncan Keith - Jordan Oesterle Connor Murphy - Brent Seabrook Cody Franson - Jan Rutta
Jeff Glass
What to watch:
1) Gaudreau has five points in his last 12 games, Monahan has two in his last nine, and Ferland has six in his last 14. The Flames *really* need them to get going offensively and I think tonight is a good opportunity for them against Jeff Glass.
2) Smith is a veteran making almost $6 million per season. Glass is a 32-year-old making $612K and he has just one NHL game on his resume. With the Flames struggling to put the puck in the net, they need Smith to out-perform Glass and show why he's the one with a lucrative contract.
3) Mangiapane has finally been recalled and seems like a good bet to not only play, but see some ice alongside quality linemates. I think he could provide a needed spark offensively. If you're into DFS and he slots in anywhere in the top-9, I think he's a fantastic play at $2,500.
4) Kane, DeBrincat, and Schmaltz rank 1st, 2nd, and 4th on the Blackhawks in 5v5 scoring. If I'm Glen Gulutzan, I'm using the new 3M line + Giordano - Hamilton against them.
5) The Flames rank 24th in expected goals against/60 while down a man. If the Blackhawks, who draw more penalties than any other team, are spoonfed power plays, the Flames could get themselves into a lot of trouble.
Puck drop is just after 9:00 eastern and can be seen on SN360 and WGN.