[GDT] Flames vs Jets 1:00 PM, MST. CBC, Sportsnet, Fan 960

[Puppet Guy]

It's been too long between games, hasn't it? Sunday to Saturday's an eternity in the hockey world, but it's back to work this afternoon - Flames vs Jets in the Battle of Atlanta!

setting the stage (www.calgarysun.com)

Even after a five-day break for the Flames, Johnny Gaudreau is still among the NHL’s top marksmen. With 15 goals and 39 assists, he has 54 points which puts him in a three-way tie for fourth in the league (prior to Friday’s action). Gaudreau, the Flames’ lone representative at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, is on a seven-game point-streak with 11 assists and two goals during the Flames seven-game win streak.

It was a scary scene in San Jose when Michael Frolik went down after absorbing a Brent Burns shot to the face in the second period of the Flames 3-2 loss on Dec. 28. But good news after breaking his jaw and losing around eight teeth, the 29-year-old Czech forward is back on the ice and was skating this week while the rest of the team was on its CBA-mandated break. “Feels definitely better,” Frolik told FlamesTV. “I can move on the ice which is a good sign. Hopefully those couple days are going to speed it up and I’ll be back with the team soon.”

The Flames recalled Marek Hrivik and Andrew Mangiapane from the AHL’s Stockton Heat on Friday. The move was made after sending them back to the American Hockey League during the NHL-mandated five-day break. The pair of forwards joined the Flames farm team for its 2-0 win over the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday. Mangiapane scored both goals, while Hrivik had three shots on net. With the Flames, Mangiapane appeared in seven games, was a minus-2, recorded five shots on net and averaged 8:45 in icetime. Hrivik made his Flames debut in a 4-1 win on Sunday over the host Carolina Hurricanes and recorded 9:04 with one shot on net.

The Flames are riding a seven-game win streak and are undefeated in 2018 (so far) … The Flames have been out-shot in the last four games … Heading into Friday’s NHL action, the Flames were tied with the Blackhawks for seventh in goals allowed with 122 … They have four clashes before the NHL all-star break, including Saturday’s game. The Calgary club hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 22 and the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 24 before hitting the road to face the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 25 … The Flames are 12-11-0 at home.

Heading into Friday’s action, the Jets had scored the third-most goals in the NHL (152), averaging 3.30 goals per game … They were also sitting tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for second in team face-offs (52.8%) … The Jets are 10-10-6 on the road … The Jets are 18-8-2 against the Western Conference and 11-3-0 versus the Pacific Division … The Winnipeg club is amid a stretch of playing six of seven games on the road which is spread over 21 days.

FLAMES (www.calgaryflames.com)

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

Giordano - Hamilton
Brodie - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone

Smith


JETS (www.winnipegjets.com)

Connor - Wheeler - Laine
Perreault - Little - Ehlers
Tanev - Copp - Armia
Dano - Hendricks - Roslovic

Morrissey - Trouba
Kulikov - Myers
Enstrom - Byfuglien

Hellebuyck

...and it's Hockey Day in Canada, where the CBC and the NHL drag out all the Canadian stereotypes. Unfortunately for the boys from Winnipeg, Our Hero sees stereotypes as weapons:

Spoiler!

Go Flames

[Yoho]

This is going to be a tough one. Hope the boys are ready.
4-3 Flames in OT

[TheScorpion]

my wisdom teeth were just taken out so I can barely type. this penicillin is hurting my brain, so you'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.

the flames are likely gonna go with these lines, but boys I'm just guessing here

forwards!!!

johnny "chris breen assisted on my first nhl gaul" gaudreau on left wing, sean "astin" monahan at centre, micheal "a before e except after c" ferland at right wing

matthew "lance colborne" tkachuk on the left, mikael "not tavares" backlund in the middle, and troy "boy toy" brouwer on right

sam "anthony" bennett on the left, mark "djanko" jankowski at centre, and garnet "exelby" hathaway on the right

andrew "sourdough" mangiapane on the left, matt "sjostrom" stajan or marek "steve" hrivik (who knows!) at centre, and curtis "the shark" lazar on the right

defense!!!

mark "robin williams" giordano with doug "tiger-cat" hamilton

tj "bro" brodie with travis "pork" hamonic

brett "cool" kulak with michael "mark" stone

goalies!!!

mike "mike smith" smith

david "vin" rittich

[Gaskal]

Robin Williams Giordano?

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Robin Williams Giordano?

oh captain my captain, baby

[Toonage]

Heads up. CBC/SN says the announcers are Romanuk & Millen.

After today no one should complain about any other announcers. This is the worst of the worst.

[Love]

win

[CofR]

This may be my favourite Puppet Guy gameday picture!

[Enoch Root]

HUGE game. A win, and they keep things rolling despite the break. They also begin to establish some home ice presence.

Lose, and the mood switches back to home ice struggles and inconsistency.

Also, the schedule is pretty favourable for the rest of January, but is absolutely murderer's row in February.

We probably need to finish January something like 4-1 or 3-0-1

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by CofR

This may be my favourite Puppet Guy gameday picture!

I don't think I could fit another Canadian cliche in there.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Scorp you’re one weird guy but that was funny. Go flames go

[SportsJunky]

Ahh, Ticketmaster is horrible. The sites down. I have a few hours before I have to leave town and thought I’d pick up a single ticket for the game. I may go down to the dome and see what’s available.

[Ryan Coke]

Any parking problems expected at the dome today? Any other events going on down there?

Last year I brought my youngest to the one afternoon game against the Islanders (middle of the win streak actually) and we sat in traffic for over an hour right outside the dome, missed the entire first period. The Flames scored 4 goals. Longest wait to get into the dome I have ever experienced. And me and my daughter were so jacked for the game. I was kinda, like, extremely frustrated.

So it’s Daddy daughter game again this year....any extra delays I should plan for this year?

Hopefully, just like last year, the streak continues. And we get to see the Flames score some goals this time.

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Heads up. CBC/SN says the announcers are Romanuk & Millen.

After today no one should complain about any other announcers. This is the worst of the worst.

ugh....guess watching with no volume is always an option! Where is Rick Ball today?

[Brick]

Just win!

[Enoch Root]

I am selling my seats at cost - $235 for the pair

section 225 row 7 right on the offensive blue-line

PM me if interested

[direwolf]

First game back at home in ages, and coming off a 5-day break? I have a bad feeling about this one.

Hopefully the Flames aren't too sluggish out of the gate and can find their legs quickly, otherwise this could get ugly.

[tvp2003]

It turns out "Mangiapane" is actually Italian for "eat two points".

GFG!

[SportsJunky]

Ticketmaster back up and running. See you at the game!

[gallione11]

Originally Posted by direwolf

First game back at home in ages, and coming off a 5-day break? I have a bad feeling about this one.

Hopefully the Flames aren't too sluggish out of the gate and can find their legs quickly, otherwise this could get ugly.

Meh, WPG's been off for six days, so both teams will be sluggish. Look for an ugly first period I think.