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Looking to take on Jarome Iginla and the Boston Bruins for the second time in just over a week, the Calgary Flames will be challenged tonight as they play their third of a five game road trip.
The last game between the two teams was a pretty close as it ended in a 2-1 loss for the Flames at home. This time they will be on the road and their most recent road record currently sits at 4-1-1 which is better than their recent home record of 3-7-1.
As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the Flames have managed to keep eight of their last ten games played within one goal and have provided themselves with the chance to win them all.
With their ability to enforce a strong cycle game and keep things simple, the Flames have stuck around in games which on paper most would feel that they had no chance competing in. That said, while their hard work and skating has played to their advantage, the Flames still continue to struggle when it comes to closing games and they will need their veteran players to step up in that regard.
Expected to start tonight, Karri Ramo would play his third straight game and currently holds a 1.63 GAA over his last six games, experiencing a slight increase recently due to their 4-3 loss against the Rangers. With respect to injuries, neither team have anything new to report aside from Thornton’s 15 game suspension, though Boston continues to be plagued with several injuries and illnesses. Additionally, Flames fans should get the chance to see Iginla once again as he has allegedly been cleared to play despite breaking a finger during a fight while playing against the Vancouver Canucks.
*Edit: Reto Berra to get the start tonight, Cammalleri may be out with the flu, Stempniak also a game time decision.
The Flames record has not been great on the road in Boston, so tonight will require the team to stick to their game plan and not try and do too much. By keeping things simple, trying to outskate their opponents, and keeping the puck down low, they should be able to afford themselves the chance to put up a few goals and redeem themselves after their last contest.
As mentioned, the Flames have been very successful in terms of blocked shots and their PK has been respectful. While they can stand to improve upon their faceoff and powerplay percentages, stats like these are expected to suffer throughout a rebuild. Provided that they can find the back of the net, their defensive strengths should help keep the game close, allowing guys like Hudler, Monahan, Cammalleri, and Russell to extend their current points streaks and help seal a victory.
Here are the expected lines for tonight. With Backlund’s strong play against the Rangers it appears he’s moved up in the lineup and as a result Joe Colborne has shifted down to the fourth line. We will see how that plays out.
Galiardi – Stajan - D Jones Glencross – Monahan - Hudler Byron – Backlund - B ones Bouma – Colborne - McGrattan
Russell - Brodie Giordano - Smid Butler - O’Brien
Berra
Moving away from tonight’s game, there has been more and more discussion when it comes to the Flames of late since news broke out that Brian Burke had full reign of the team. With that in mind, Burke has been speaking with many media outlets and something that stands out to me seems to be his discontent with the “speed… of the Flames rebuild, but also their lack of “size and hostility….
Known to be a man who likes his teams to be big and brawny, Burke is certainly not too content with the overall size and strength of his current roster. Despite being the 14th youngest team in the league, Calgary is ranked 30th in weight and 23rd in height…two stats which I’m sure do not sit too well with Burke and upper management.
That said, one veteran player who the Flames are likely keen on moving is Mike Cammalleri. And while Mike is their top goal scorer at the moment, he is also one of their smaller players as well. That said, Burke has stated that he doesn’t mind having players similar to Cammalleri on the roster, provided that they are in fact scoring. Which brings up guys like Backlund, Stajan, and Stempniak who do not play very big and are not putting the puck in the net enough to make up for it.
I am not sure how long it will take for Burke to make his first move, though I anticipate that it will be very soon after his holiday trade freeze is no longer active, if you will. When Burke publicly expresses his discontent with his roster, it doesn’t usually take too long for something to happen.
How do you feel at the moment with that thought that Burke may be showing signs of impatience and that as a result moves are expected to ensue?
Speaking on the topic of Brian Burke running the team, there is no news to report in terms of their search for a new GM, although the below link is certainly worth the read as I got a good chuckle or two out of it!
Thanks for reading!