Wasn't last night exciting? Topping the top team in the NHL in their own rink and looking dominant doing it? The Flames looks to continue their winning ways tonight in Sunrise against the Panthers.
some news from the other side (courtesy of
www.litterboxcats.com):
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The Panthers just finished a 1-2-1 road trip with an emphatic 7-4 win at the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, overcoming a 2-0 deficit.
”The last game on a trip, sometimes it’s a little hard to get into the game because you are thinking about going home,” Panthers center Vincent Trocheck told the Sun-Sentinel. “But I think giving up those two quick goals woke us up pretty quick.”
Panthers right winger Radim Vrbata returned against the Blues, scoring a goal after missing five straight games due to an illness.
The only Panthers player presently on the injured list is starting goalie Roberto Luongo, who has an injured right leg and is expected back in early February.
But the Panthers have done well without him, thanks to goalie James Reimer, who has saved the season by making 15 consecutive starts and playing brilliantly for most of that stretch.
The Panthers also lead the NHL with eight shorthanded goals, and they are 11-3-1 when Trochek scores any type of goal.
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news from the good guys (
www.matchsticksandgasoline.com)
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The Flames have 2 more games until their league mandated 5 day break and they are super hot right now. While the 5 game winning streak is impressive, it’s how they are getting it done that is head turning. Mike Smith has won 5 straight and hasn’t given up more than 3 goals in those 5 games. The Flames top line of Micheal Ferland, Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan is untouchable lately after having a bit of a cold streak in December. That trio has 26 points in their last 5, with Johnny Gaudreau leading the way with 10 of those 26. And not to be left out, the Flames special teams units are playing well. The Flames have scored 2 PPGs and killed off the last 15 penalties they’ve taken.
Calgary jumped right back into the Western Conference WC race and now hold the 7th spot, but there’s a log jam of teams within a point or 2 of each other. The Panthers meanwhile sit 6 points out the final WC spot in the East and have some serious ground to make up to get back in contention. The Panthers are 10-6-3 at BB&T Center this season, but Calgary has won 3 of their last 5 games in the swamp.
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lineups (
www.dailyfaceoff.com)
Flames
Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Brouwer
Bennett - Jankowski - Hathaway
Lazar - Stajan - Mangiapane
Giordano - Hamilton
Brodie - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone
Rittich
Panthers
Huberdeau - Barkov - Dadonov
McGinn - Trochek - Bjugstad
Brickley - Malgin - Vrbata
Haley - MacKenzie - Sceviour
Matheson - Ekblad
Yandle - Pysyk
McCoshen - Petrovic
Reimer
...and two games in two nights is a quick turnaround time for anyone, but That Darn Puppet makes the best of it and fits in a quick visit to the Everglades to see the local wildlife:
Go Flames