[GDT] Flames @ Wild, 6:00 PM MST. Sportsnet West, Fan 960 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Puppet Guy · 01-09-2018, 10:08 AM

Road trip! The annual southern tour begins, but first a stop in frigid Saint Paul and a date with the Wild. With three wins in a row, the Flames are officially on a streak, and with wins needed in the playoff hunt, they look for another.

setting the stage:

(www.calgarysun.com)

Quote:

The Wild are riding a four-game win spree on home ice and boast a stellar 14-4-2 record this season in the friendly confines of Xcel Energy Center. They’ve had tough travels, though, struggling to an 8-13-1 mark in enemy territory. “We gotta learn how to win on the road,” stressed Wild bench boss Bruce Boudreau after Saturday’s 7-2 thumping from the Avalanche in Colorado. “It’s ridiculous how we can be so good at home and completely opposite on the road.”

The Wild welcomed the return of veteran winger Zach Parise for their first contest of 2018. The 33-year-old had surgery on his lower back in late October and missed the first three months of the season. Parise has yet to hit the scoresheet in his three outings since getting the medical green-light. He’s been a smidge better than a point-per-game guy in his career against the Flames, with 13 goals and eight assists in 20 matchups.

Four of Calgary’s key contributors — captain Mark Giordano, the top-line tandem of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan and talented trouble-maker Matthew Tkachuk — are currently enjoying three-game point streaks … Mikko Koivu, who wears the ‘C’ for the Wild, missed Monday’s practice due to the flu and is ‘questionable’ for Tuesday’s clash … With his next goal or assist, Flames defenceman TJ Brodie will reach the 200-point plateau.

(www.calgaryflames.com)

Quote:

The Wild were beat 7-2 by the Avalanche in Denver on Saturday night. Devan Dubnyk (26 saves on 32 shots) and Alex Stalock (five saves on six shots) split time between the pipes … Prior to Saturday, the Wild beat the Florida Panthers (5-1 on Jan. 2) and the Buffalo Sabres (6-2 on Jan. 4) at home to start out the new year. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games.

This is the third matchup of the season between the Flames and Wild. The Flames dropped the last meeting 2-1 in a shootout in Minnesota on Dec. 12. They fell 4-2 at home back on Oct. 14 … The Flames are 4-4-1-1 in their last 10 tilts against the Wild.

Lineups, unconfirmed as always (www.dailyfaceoff.com)

FLAMES

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Brouwer
Bennett - Jankowski - Hathaway
Mangiapane - Stajan - Lazar

Giordano - Hamilton
Brodie - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone

GOALIES

Smith (unconfirmed)

WILD

Ennis - Staal - Parise
Niederreiter - Koivu - Granlund
Eriksson Ek - Coyle - Zucker
Foligno - Cullen - Winnik

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Olofsson - Prosser

Stalock (unconfirmed)

...and a visit to Minnesota always bring back memories of Little House on the Prairie, and all of its weekly tragedies. That Darn Puppet and his pyromaniac pal reenact a classic episode:

Spoiler!

Go Flames

Huntingwhale · 01-09-2018, 10:10 AM

The Wild are dynamite at home. This will be a very tough test for the Flames. They will have to bring their best game tonight and not assume this will be an easy win (like I feel they often do against the Wild).

Luckily Smith is stellar on the road, the 1st line is starting to heat up again, the Jakowski line is amazing, and the D is starting to be stingy.

Let's get a big win and sneak back into a playoff spot!

Fire in the disco · 01-09-2018, 10:14 AM

Huge game for the current standings. GFG

Finger Cookin · 01-09-2018, 10:16 AM

Feel like the Flames are on the verge of going on a run, hope they can keep up the momentum tonight.

fire_starter · 01-09-2018, 10:20 AM

Stalock is already confirmed as per the score app.

Big test tonight but if the flames win were back in a playoff spot. Would be nice seeing as our next game after this is against the top team in the league.

Monahan For Mayor · 01-09-2018, 10:29 AM

Keep the wins rolling.

GioforPM · 01-09-2018, 10:29 AM

Stalock has beaten Calgary twice already (and had his second and third best save % all year in doing so). Generally he's been really good this year.

On the other hand he just got pumped by the Avs in his last start.

sureLoss · 01-09-2018, 10:32 AM

Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
28s
#Flames projected lines and pairings vs. #Wild:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Backlund-Brouwer
Bennett-Jankowski-Hathaway
Mangiapane-Stajan-Lazar

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Hamonic
Kulak-Stone

Smith (Starter)
Rittich

IgiTang · 01-09-2018, 10:42 AM

Hrivik?

Autocorrect on Hrivik “Bro i’m In”... wtf?

Toonage · 01-09-2018, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Stalock has beaten Calgary twice already (and had his second and third best save % all year in doing so). Generally he's been really good this year.

On the other hand he just got pumped by the Avs in his last start.

That was Dubnyk that took the majority of that beating, no?

Either way the Flames are due to beat Stalock and played this team well in their last meeting in Minnesota.

The stick throw still lingers, and the Flames take this predictably low scoring game 2-1

Also, it seems Hrivik is in the Rasmus Andersson 2017 spot of only watching the games and practicing. Unfortunate as he isn't a prospect which probably speaks to how the organization sees him.

sureLoss · 01-09-2018, 10:45 AM

Kristen Odland @Kristen_Odland
#Flames PP units:

Tkachuk-Gaudreau-Backlund
Monahan-Giordano

Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Brodie-Hamilton

mrdonkey · 01-09-2018, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Kristen Odland @Kristen_Odland
#Flames PP units:

Tkachuk-Gaudreau-Backlund
Monahan-Giordano

Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Brodie-Hamilton

What in the actual...

Is there some reason Dave Cameron refuses to even try Stone on the point?

DJones · 01-09-2018, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

What in the actual...

Is there some reason Dave Cameron refuses to even try Stone on the point?

Could work, put him in Versteegs old spot and have him fire a few shots.

He never usually gets that much time to shoot. Defenders will rush him hard and it could open the middle up.

At this point I'm open to something new.

Toonage · 01-09-2018, 10:51 AM

How's Stone's accuracy? If all he has is the bomb and it rings around the boards then they spend 1/3 of the PP retrieving the puck.

I know, worth a shot and I agree. The PP needs something. Just trying to see it through the coaches eyes.

IgiTang · 01-09-2018, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

What in the actual...

In this in hopes that the PP sets up as a shooting PP but switch s to an umbrella style where Monny can slide into the high spot where he likes to shoot from? Matty infront of the net? Johnny and Backs funnelling pucks to the net?

Hopefully Cameron has more luck than I do in NHL ‘18 with this setup...

But honestly, precise passes and set plays. Not random passes and one play from the half boards is what needs to change Dave.. in fact I may have played Dave Cameron in NHL ‘18.. It’s all making sense now.

Toonage · 01-09-2018, 10:55 AM

Quick passes too. What sort of PP lets the opposition set up before they advance the puck? I mean, besides this one.

Heavy Jack · 01-09-2018, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Kristen Odland @Kristen_Odland
#Flames PP units:

Tkachuk-Gaudreau-Backlund
Monahan-Giordano

Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
Brodie-Hamilton

Biggest issue for us has been losing that first faceoff eats 20 seconds off and then we are constantly doing the bump back till we get control again in the O zone. Not sure Johnny G in the faceoff circle is the best way to go about it but we will see .

CroFlames · 01-09-2018, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Biggest issue for us has been losing that first faceoff eats 20 seconds off and then we are constantly doing the bump back till we get control again in the O zone. Not sure Johnny G in the faceoff circle is the best way to go about it but we will see .

Not to nitpick, but that's not the biggest issue. Monahan is a decent faceoff man, but everyone loses faceoffs.

Flames have far bigger issues with setting up in the zone, creativity and finishing chances. Zone entry is OK, but could be better. Faceoffs are not a major issue, nevermind the biggest issue.

theinfinitejar · 01-09-2018, 11:05 AM

Switch Brouwer and Eat Bread. And try Hrivik for Lazar who was hopeless on Saturday.

theinfinitejar · 01-09-2018, 11:11 AM

Switch Brouwer and Eat Bread. And try Hrivik for Lazar who was hopeless on Saturday.

EDIT: Uh, this was a post about how much I hate Dave Cameron. Not sure why it reposted my other post.