[GDT] Flames vs Flyers, 7:00 MST - Return of the Moose

[tvp2003]

After laying an egg against the hapless Oilers on Saturday night, the local hockey heroes are back in action tonight against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. The home side will be looking to get back into the win column after an ugly 7-5 loss; meanwhile, the Flyers have not won in 10 (!) straight games, including a 5-4 OT loss against the Flames on November 18.

Tonight also marks the return of former Flame Brian Elliott to the Saddledome. After seeing two sharp angle goals leak through Laurent Brossoit on Saturday, look for the Flames to try to match that total tonight against the struggling Flyers netminder.

Who's hot? Sam Bennett -- #93 is coming off of a two-goal performance, and will be looking to continue that momentum tonight.

Who's not? Glen Gulutzan -- another poor showing against a weak opponent and Treliving will seriously need to consider putting him on waivers and calling up someone from Stockton.

Lineups: Will be posted as they are announced. Mark Giordano's skate is listed as questionable after a poor outing on Saturday.

EDIT: Calgary lines from the morning skate per Derek Wills twitter:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Jagr
Hathaway-Lazar-Brouwer

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Hamonic
Kulak-Stone

Smith (Starter)
Rittich

Lazar in for Stajan; no change to the D-pairings.

[J79]

I owe you guys an apology for my drunken post in the GDT of last saturday.
That was quite embarrasing.
Little did I know there were 20 guys on skates who also embarrest themselves later that night.
At least I can blame the alcohol. (yes, I do think alcohol is an excuse )

Here are your game times for today.

Go Flames! #Mystvwin

[CubicleGeek]

I hope he understands we're booing him and not mooing him.

[8sPOT]

Just need to win. Had a couple poor showings last week and the best way to move on from that is to win.

This team is so much better than they've been playing. Need to start seeing some of that potential turn into on ice performance.

Having said that, 4-1 Flames.

Monahan, Gio, Bennet, Tkachuk.

[Erick Estrada]

This is bad timing for the Flames. They got embarrassed Saturday night and now face a team that's lost 10 games in a row and is due for a win. Losing to the Oilers and breaking the Flyers streak would not look very good on this franchise.

[Joborule]

Which Flyer will score the games first goal tonight?

How badly will the Flames be outplayed and outscored in the first period?

Will Flames give up a shorthanded goal?

Will Flames actually win, and preserve Flyers lengthy losing streak? And if so, will it be in regulation?

Stay tuned!

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by CubicleGeek

I hope he understands we're booing him and not mooing him.

I'll be screaming "ELLIOTT YOU SUCK" whenever I deem it's getting too quiet.

[ClubFlames]

Need to come out much more organized and ready for this game. Philly will come out hard trying to break their 10 game losing streak.

Hopefully, Bennett has the confidence now to start living up to his potential.

4-2 Flames.

[Racki]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Which Flyer will be the first to score the games first goal tonight? Claude Giroux

How badly will the Flames be outplayed and outscored in the first period? Outshot 13-6

Will Flames give up a shorthanded goal? One goal plus one breakaway

Will Flames actually win, and preserve Flyers lengthy losing streak? And if so, will it be in regulation? Flyers by 3

Stay tuned!

I think we're all set.

[fire_starter]

Originally Posted by CubicleGeek

I hope he understands we're booing him and not mooing him.

Wooing

[Toonage]

I was saying Booourns

[EVERLAST]

https://youtube/P8r0XmNOMrg

[bubbsy]

A flyer team, winless in 10 (0-5-5), with all of philly negativity on their shoulders, coach firing on their minds, could be a team that no-shows, or comes out hungry as F for a win.

Still this is perhaps the only winnable game of the week.
vs toronto - better coached team, now with the last change... playing in a hockey hot bed.... might make them nervous.
vs mtl (b2b) - mtl is on a roll. that building is a special one, seems like it will make our nervous nellies... nervous
vs nucks - rivalry game. we've showed up nervous to both games vs the nucks this year, expect much of the same.

This nervous team makes me nervous.

After watching them getting worked by the hated leafs, then get worked by the hated oilers, i frankly don't even care what they do tonight considering the games on deck for the week.

I don't even care what this team does at this stage. Go Gaudreau/Bennett Go, go get some points and pad your stats.

[belsarius]

Hopefully the team actually decides that they need to play hockey tonight. All three break-aways by the Oilers in the second were just horrible decision making on the ice. Won't win games with that compete level from the first 50 minutes, combined with that hockey IQ.

Hoping for a big win because everybody on this team not named Giordano, Bennett or Smith should be ashamed of that game and out looking for blood.

[CroFlames]

I am still very angry from the EDM game, and the way this team has played all season, (not nearly as good as they should be).

If they lose, it should be instant firing for Glen and his staff. You've invested too much into this season to ride it out or wait and see. This team needs a shot in the arm, and needs a new approach to games.

[300 MPH Blues]

The team needs to all step up with a collective "**** you, Elliot!" in the absence of Versteeg.

[Stanley]

I just don't know what the hell to expect from these guys anymore.

#porousdefence

[Puppet Guy]

After that stinky effort on Saturday, That Darn Puppet took things to the Basement of Evil and fumigated the place before tonight's game. His prey finds out that he went a little heavy on the disinfectant...

Spoiler!

Go Flames

[Calgary4LIfe]

After Saturday's debacle on home ice, against their arch rivals and on a HNIC national broadcast, I would expect the Flames to start this game flying.

If I am right, this should be an easy win. Flyers are an even more rattled team than the Flames, and they have Moose in net which I bet adds to them being rattled at times. With the factors above and home ice for the Flames, I expect them to at the very least chase Elliott at some point in the first period.

However, I can never quite tell when it comes to the Flames these days. With the poor line-matching even at home, with Brouwer still being utilized on the PP, and the propensity this team has to take a 'wait and see' approach for the first 20 - and sometimes first 40 - minutes of the game, let's call this a coin-flip.

For those that are openly hoping for Gulutzan to get canned, you might want to openly hope for a Flyers win. Hakstol is on the hotseat, and GM Hextall (no relation unless one of them never learned to properly spell their last name) is now traveling with the team. Why do you care? Well, if Hakstol gets canned, I am sure NOBODY wants Hakstol, and the Flyers would find the best available coach unless they just go with an interim coach. That could be Darryl Sutter.

I still hope the ship rights itself, that Gulutzan manages to turn this team around to one that plays hard for at least close to 60 minutes, fixes the PP personnel and starts looking at the finer points of coaching including bench management and in-game adjustments to counter the opposing teams on the fly. I don't care what the coach's name is, as long as this team is working their way up the standings, and bonus points for making them fun to watch and easy to love.

Don't miss the chance like you guys missed on Saturday (weak rattled team, goalie that is shaky) and come out with a tonne of energy and attacking the net, and skating back hard to limit the chances at the other end. Do that, and you will blow the rattled Flyers out of the Dome. Don't do it, and you risk further embarrassing yourselves and having this fanbase demanding blood.

[IgiTang]

Even if the Flames win, it’s against a team that can’t win for the life of them...

It’s kind of like how the flames had their “most complete game of the season” according to GG against the worst team in the league..

Time for change.