Calgary Flames (33-29-5, 71 pts) vs Washington Capitals (32-25-9, 73 pts)
Last Ten: Calgary (6-4-0) Washington (6-4-0)
Time: 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, MSE, ESPN+
Phillips Scratched Things looked pretty good for Matthew Phillips when these two teams last played. Playing his second game of the season, the 5-foot-7 right winger had his production up to a point per game by the end of the night after scoring a goal and assisting on another.
Since then? Three assists in 28 games, including a couple of weeks on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite his last quality game coming against the Calgary Flames, despite having the opportunity to play in front of his hometown tonight, despite the Capitals having only scored four goals in the last two games – Phillips is projected to sit.
Maybe he draws in, maybe he’s semi-injured, but at face value, this looks like a blunder from Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery.
Wolf Stays In Dustin Wolf gets his third consecutive start tonight after playing brilliantly against Vegas and Montreal last week. Saving 64 of 67 shots over those two appearances has him at a tidy .955 save percentage on the week and .900 on the season.
Beck is Back Former Calgary Hitmen forward Beck Malenstyn will play his first game at the Scotiabank Saddledome in NHL garb tonight. The 26-year-old has been grinding for five seasons with the Capitals and has finally locked down a permanent roster spot. Malenstyn played three full seasons with the Hitmen before being traded to Swift Current for the majority of the 2017-2018 season.
NCAA Talent The Flames signed enticing sniper Sam Morton out of Mankato State to a one-year, two-way deal today worth $950,000. Not sure about his footspeed, but he has a great shot.
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Huberdeau-Kadri-Pospisil Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman Hunt-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko Greer-Rooney-Coronato
Kylington-Andersson Weegar-Miromanov Hanley-Pachal
Wolf Vladar
Washington Capitals Projected Lineup
Ovechkin-McMichael-Oshie Miroshnichenko-Strome-Wilson Pacioretty-Lapierre-Milano Malenstyn-Dowd-Protas
Fehervary-Carlson Sandin-Jensen Alexeyev-TvR
Lindgren Kuemper
From the viewings I’ve gotten in, Carter Yakemchuk is probably going earlier than projected.
— TrevorNeufeld (@Trevor_Neufeld) March 18, 2024
A right shot that skates and moves the puck like he does at his size is about as rare as it gets. My prediction is that he surprises by going between #4-7.