FGD: Duck Hunting
Vintage Flame
January 21 2013 05:48PM
After the Flames didn't fare so well Shark fishing, today they'll try their luck at Duck hunting.
In four games last year, both teams were 2-1-1 and both winning their games in their own barn.
With the shortened schedule, the Flames will play the Ducks three times, two of which will be here at the Dome. Last time these two team faced off against each other, it was the last game of the regular season. Both teams were out of the playoffs and basically disinterested;. Akim Aliu led the Flames with two goals and the Ducks couldn't wait to get on the plane to go back to sunny California.
Tonight is a different story all together. The Ducks had the day off yesterday after taking the Canucks to the woodshed, and the Flames skate in their first of many... many, back-to-back games.
THE LINE-UP
It looks like we are going to see a bit of a change tonight, as Blair Jones and T.J. Brodie will make their season debuts.
- Glencross - Tanguay - Iginla
- Baertschi - Backlund - Cammalleri
- Horak - Stajan - Stempniak
- Comeau - Jones - Jackman
- Bouwmesster - Giordano
- Wideman - Butler
- Sarich - Brodie
- Kipper
Tonight will be another opportunity for Tanguay to find his rythym at centre. Though they were kept off the scoresheet last night, Iginla did lead the team with six shots. Tanguay is a great puck distributor and much like the coaching staff, I have faith that he will begin to turn it up, creating more chances for Iggy and Glencross. Speaking of the captain, don't be surprise to see Iginla taking some of the draws for Tangs until he gets a little more seasoned in the face-off circle.
Blair Jones replaces Steve Begin on the 4th line tonight. This shouldn't be coming as a major surprise as most (myself included) thought Blair should have been dressed last night. Begin did an alright job in his role of getting in the faces of the Sharks players last night, but tonight it will probably benefit to have Jones in the face-off circle, where he will be facing the likes of Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf is a pretty cool cucumber. You're going to have more success beating him in the circle and along the boards than trying to goad him into taking dumb penalties. Even if that's the aim, I like Jones better as the agitator anyways.
The defense will also see a slight juggle. T.J. Brodie is suspected to replace Derek Smith in the third pairing. This makes sense as well. It was going to be Smith or Sarich, and in the game last night, Corey was more on the ball than Derek. One of the reasons the Flames were taken to task in the second period last night, was that they stopped moving their feet. Too many times, too many Sharks were between the Flames defense and Kipper. T. J. Brodie has been playing all year in Abby and his conditioning is a lot more up to snuff than Smith. Last year's combination of Sarich and Brodie is the natural fit to re-unite, and besides, Hartley seems pretty sweet on Sarich already.
THE OPPONENT
Who doesn't love Selanne? No matter what team you cheer for?
- Perry - Getzlaf - Ryan
- Selanne - Bonino - Winnik
- Koivu - Cogliano - Beleskey
- Rakell - Smith-Pelley - Holland
- Allen - Fowler
- Souray - Sbisa
- Lydman - Beauchemin
- Hiller
Selanne is playing his 1,343 career game tonight. He is 42 years old, plus another couple hundred days. In the Ducks season opener he had two goals and two assists for four points; moving him past Dale Hawerchuk into the 18th spot on the NHL all-time scoring list.
Getzlaf's line is always one the Flames have had troubles with. Perry is always a threat around the net, not just to score, but to cause havoc on the goalie. He's been getting away with it for so long, that he's damn near perfected avoiding interference penalties. If you do manage to keep this line out of your zone, well then you have Ryan's quick hands that are always good for throwing the odd puck out of the net, that managed to get past Hiller.
Souray looked impressive as well in the Ducks opener, scoring once on the power-play and assisting on one of Teemu's goals. He has a bomb of a shot for the point and with the likes of Selanne, Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan circling like vultures, the Flames defense is going to have to be on their toes tonight.
SUM IT UP
First and foremost, the Flames are going to have to keep the Ducks off the power-play. They have too many weapons and if Calgary starts taking dumb or successive penalties, the Ducks PP is going to make them pay for it.
The Flames know what they have to do tonight because it's pretty much the same game plan as yesterday. Shut down the top six and play a smart agressive game.
Game time is 7:00 pm on Sportsnet West.
Am I the only person to be impressed with Stajan in these two games....
He looks a lot better
Irving did win in Vancouver last year and played extremely well, and you are absolutely right, I can't really remember the last time Kipper played well vs. Vancouver. I doubt it happens, but the way Kipper has played these first two games if you're Hartley you have to at least consider it.
Irving can't be worse than Kipper.
Would agree & Irv would make sense. Hudler & Cerevenka need to be slotted back in, I think Comeau was invisible & I wouldnt be suprised to see both Stajan & Comeau sit. Horak has looked good & Jones was good tonight. Brodie was good too.
262 Posts and counting. Wow, what fan backlash.
As predicted, TJ was, by far, the best D out there (maybe even the best player). Horak and Stemp rocked, too bad they don't have a centre. The first period was painful. Flames were in this for the last few min of the first, until they tied it. After that, it appeared that they felt their job was done, they won the game by catching up. Let the Ducks have it after that. What a waste of a great comeback.
Thanks everyone for the fantastic involvement tonight. Despite not having the live chat, you guys were engaged and awesome.
Good to have you all back!
Still no live chat eh?
I don't have high hopes for this one, I never recalled us doing well on the 2nd half of back to backs, not that we did well on the first game either, but looking at the way the destroyed the Canucks while the nucks were standing still, I don't have much hope for us once the invetiable happens and we decided to start standing around.
@Colin.S
Nope.. No live chat. Kent is checking into alternatives for Cover-it-live.
The Flames better learn how to get a hold of back-to-backs or this season is a wash already.
The boys better be fleet of foot tonight. The ducks top 6 will... hell, Teemu will eat us alive if not.
Is Bobby Ryan not playing tonight? I notice his name's not in the starting lineup for ANA.
Every. Game. Matters.
Can only be glad we're not at the Honda Civic Center. Flames get killed there (they've lost like 20 in a row).
Going to call it now.
- Stupid penalty in the waning minute of the game (used to be Bourque, I'll say... GlenX or Sarich this time. Slashing.)
- Anaheim goes on PP, Selanne sets up near net. Getzlaf and Fowler on point.
- Point shooters fire it, Selanne tips it in. Or, Selanne knocks it in while Kipper lays on the ground because Bouwmeester hit him, and only him.
Flames lose in first 30 seconds of OT, after being up 3 goals in the first, and being up by a goal with 30 seconds left.
@Vintage Flame
VF - Their top six is really only 4 (Perry, Getzlaf, Ryan, and Selanne). Everyone else is a slug.
Selanne is playing with Winnik and Bonino. Yeah, THOSE guys. Wait, who? Not scurrd.
And I thought Selanne was a winger, not a centre.
Sorry, one more post. Looks like Matt Greene (LAK D-man) is out for the season. Their other D depth is depleted now.
If we were ever going to trade some defense and fleece a team, now is the time. JBO+pick (from Karlsson trade) for something useful.
Jones is an AMAZING agitator. Everything about him is annoying, and I love him for it.
Jones in, Begin out.
All seven D skated at pre-game warm-up.
Piker is at the game tonight with a press pass BTW folks.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE scratch Sarich or go with 7 d and scratch Comeau.
Nope, they just scratched smith and begin.
Smith sits.
Backlund's line starting the game.
Well, the first shift was good.
Yup, Backlunds line with good pressure, captains line comes on and no D zone coverage leads to goal, no surprise.
Sarich trying to get it out of the zone up the middle, of course it gets intercepted, thankfully Brodie back to bail him out, CAN WE BENCH SARICH!!!
Cammalleri is rusty has hell. He can't seem to pick up passes.
Brodie already showing he was the right choice to dress.
No way Feaster allows his newly signed $2M/year (with a NTC) defenseman to be sat for at least 5 games. What would that say about the GM?
Really nice shifts and sustained pressure by the Backlund and Stempniak lines.
Tanguay's clearly trying to figure out centre on the fly.
How long til Hartley sees the same and puts him back with Iggy and Tanguay?
Thats he's just as incompetent as the last guy??
@ChinookArch
Haha, except that's exactly what happened to Babchuk last year.
Bingo.
Chances are 3-2 ANA so far.
@Vintage Flame
Or moves up Stempniak.
Goddamnit Giordano looks terrible.
Well, this isn't encouraging.
Poor Gio is getting eaten alive in the first two games here.
It's early in the season, but I watched all the games today, and every single team looks better than the Flames have in the last 5 periods.
Giordano and Bouwmeester could not get Winnick off the puck on that rush.
Man this is a woeful showing so far. Can't make or take passes in the neutral zone.
@Kent Wilson
Can you imagine if Butler was still Bouwmeester's partner? Gnashing of teeth.
@Ryan Pike
That's Winnik's thing. He used to control it all the time against the Flames with COL too.
He's like Frans Nielsen for me. I wish the Flames would get him every year.
@Kent Wilson
Looks much like last year, so I am thinking early season rust really isnt the problem. I starting to think its just straight up talent.
Team is chasing now.. Look very disorganized.
Flames are a bit all over the place. The Stempniak/Stajan/Horak line is good but can't finish. Everyone else is flat.
Well, I hope this is CGY getting the bad period out of their systems...
Winnick's third off a face-off/screen.
Yikes, Kipper might be done folks.
Sigh. Daniel Winnik.
Tank for Nate! Tank for Nate!
Three goals on the first seven shots tonight.
Chances are 4-2 Ducks and they have 3 goals. Last night the Sharks got 6 in the second and scored on 3 of them.
It's only been 4 periods, but Kipper hasn't made a single decent save this season, and has given up several stinky goals.