[GDT] Flames vs. Blue Jackets, 2 pm!!!, SNW

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Flames: 39-27-5, 83 points, 3rd in the Pacific, 8th in the West, 15th in NHL.

Blue Jackets: 32-35-4, 68 points, 7th in the Metropolitan, 13th in the East, 25th in NHL.


This is another matchup of two teams that met early in the year before either had cemented their playing habits, and the BJs walked away with 2 points in a close road game. Fast forward nearly 5 months and the Jackets are well out of a playoff spot, but still playing their trademark plucky style as we witnessed when they came back to score 6 straight goals against Vancouver and win easily 6-2 on the road. They will be trying to sweep the western Canadian teams today as they face the Flames, something they have never been able to do. Unfortunately, this is a dreaded afternoon game, something the Flames have never seemed ready for in past years. It's a 2 pm start, but it's 4 pm in the Eastern time zone, so it's a little easier for Columbus to adapt. Thanks NHL schedule makers...

Either way, it is what it is and the Flames will have to be ready to work. Despite the Jackets' poor record, they are still one of the harder working teams in the league. Injuries have really derailed their season, losing key players like Dubinsky, Bobrovsky, Murray, Jenner, Anisimov, Calvert...the list really goes on...for extended periods of time. Don't forget losing Nathan Horton for likely his entire career. Remember Curtis McElhinney (Mchard-to-spell to most)? The backup that wasn't good enough for the Flames? Yeah, he's played in 31 games this year, and has numbers equivalent to Bobrovsky's (2.84 GAA and .913 Sv%). This was a team at the beginning of the season that should have been in one of the wild card playoff spots at least, but losing 450 man games to injury will do that to any team. That's ranked 1st in the NHL, obviously, and is 59 more games than the next closest team. The fact that they aren't in the bottom of the league when there is a big draft coming up speaks volumes about their organizational depth and will to win. Any other team would have folded by January, but they keep on truckin'. They come into this game going 6-4-0 in their last 10, and the Flames are 6-3-1, so there's really not much difference in their levels of play of late.

Johanssen, Foligno, and yes Scott Hartnell have done much of the heavy lifting for the BJs on offense, but without their secondary scorers being healthy they rank 20th in GF/G. There's a drop of nearly 20 points between their 3rd leading scorer in Hartnell (50 points) and their 4th leading scorer in Johnson (32 points). Bobrovsky hasn't been his elite self this year, but injuries have derailed his numbers and the defense has been a mishmash of players all year. However, David Savard has really stepped up his game after a breakout year last year and become a legitimate top pairing defenseman, and he's still just 24. He and Johnson have been very solid all year long despite trying circumstances. They had Ryan Murray for all of 10 games this year and they still have players like Tyutin, Connauton, Goloubef, and Prout to build the back end around. Even though they are 25th in GA/G, they are a better team than their record, so it's important that the Flames don't take them lightly.


Roster Notes: The Flames returned Emile Poirier to Adirondack the other day. Byron will NOT play today as per Hartley, but he also said he is likely for Monday's game. Ramo is the confirmed starter. No word on Douglas Murray being signed, but Treliving said a decision will likely be made soon. The Blue Jackets activated Boone Jenner and Jeremy Morin, and subsequently returned Ryan Craig to the AHL. Wennberg is out with an infection and Dubinsky was flown back to Columbus prior to their last game against Vancouver. Unlikely you see either in the lineup. BJs are already without Ryan Murray, David Clarkson, and Matt Calvert.


Flames
Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Bouma-Backlund-Jones
Raymond-Granlund-Colborne
Bollig-Stajan-Ferland

Russell-Wideman
Brodie-Engelland
Schlemko-Diaz

Ramo


Blue Jackets
Bourque-Johanssen-Atkinson
Tropp-Anisimov-Foligno
Hartnell-Jenner-Dano
Morin-Letestu-Boll

Johnson-Savard
Tyutin-Prout
Connauton-Goloubef

Bobrovsky





Go Flames Go!!!

[OutOfTheCube]

The Flames advantage in the schedule is against non-playoff teams. This is a must win!

[Locke]

They used up all their goals against Vancouver, lets light 'em up.

[Caged Great]

Their first line of Foligno, Johansen, and Hartnell is actually outscoring Monahan, Gaudreau and Hudler by 3 points thus far this season. Calgary just has a lot better depth (8 more guys that have 25+ points where CBJ has only 4). If the Flames can shut those 3 down, they should be good to go.

[heep223]

I wouldn't mind seeing something out of Colborne this afternoon. I feel he's due for a breakout game. GFG

[EldrickOnIce]

Like the last game (and the next one), one in which the Flames must take care of business. Don't need to win them all - but need to win the ones they should.

[Street Pharmacist]

Columbus has won 6 straight road games outscoring their opponents 27-13 in the process

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Their first line of Foligno, Johansen, and Hartnell is actually outscoring Monahan, Gaudreau and Hudler by 3 points thus far this season. Calgary just has a lot better depth (8 more guys that have 25+ points where CBJ has only 4). If the Flames can shut those 3 down, they should be good to go.

Gotta watch out for rookie Marko Dano (2013 27th overall pick, one ahead of Klimchuk). 3 goals and 4 assists +6 in his last five games. If they skip the scouting report on him we could lose this game.

[devo22]

Rooting hard for the Dano kid ... his father played in Austria for years and he was a hero for my local team. That his kid has come that far is really astonishing.

That being said, I hope he takes a break today and stays off the scoresheet

[Yoho]

Amazing job Cali FlameS fan!

Going to the game so pumped!

[HOWITZER]

I have a good feeling about it being a 2pm game today. Poor Columbus won't know what hit 'em. Go get 'em boys

[Textcritic]

^
I get to watch this one! 9PM start, which is a really good thing when recovering from a bender last night.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

^
I get to watch this one! 9PM start, which is a really good thing when recovering from a bender last night.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

[foshizzle11]

I am going to go with a 5-2 win for the flames. They are going to get it going early and take the lead in the 1st, not looking back. Ramo plays great and Hartley is hard pressed to make any changes as the rest of the games play out. I want him back here next year and for Hiller to get traded in the summer to make room for Ortio and Ramo as our two goalies next year.

Come on RAMO!!! JG, Colby, Hudler, Raymond and Wideman all score.

[Erick Estrada]

Cannot take these guys lightly like the Canucks did. Have to have these two points.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Hes in Norway so it likely wasnt wine, more likely Aquavit!

[carom]

8 pm start for me, yahoo! Looking forward to the first 'prime time' game for me this year.

Go Flames Go!

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Locke

Hes in Norway so it likely wasnt wine, more likely Aquavit!

Aquavit...that's a 'spirit', right? So...he's good on the Bible-front then...?


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[Locke]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

Aquavit...that's a 'spirit', right? So...he's good on the Bible-front then...?


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I think so. Plus I recall Jesus being a big fan of wine. Or something along those lines at any rate.

[Robo]

I have been very impressed with england since gio went down he is playing much better he really stepped up. That said everyone of our d men have really stepped up and have been eating gios minutes