FGD: Seeing Stars
Ryan Pike
February 13 2013 01:54PM
For seemingly the zillionth time this hockey season, your Calgary Flames face-off at home with a team that played the night before (usually in a different city). Okay, it's only the third time, but the Flames haven't won one of these games yet. And with the quarter-pole of the season looming on Friday night, the club desperately needs to cash in on some of these opportunities.
Tonight's opportunity pits the 3-4-3 Flames against the 7-5-1 Dallas Stars.
THE LINE-UP
The Flames are still without the services of goalkeeper Miikka Kiprusoff, centre Mikael Backlund and winger Sven Baertschi. Paul Byron (wearing #32) and Joey MacDonald (wearing #35) will make their 2013 Flames debuts, although MacDonald will merely replace Danny Taylor opening the gate. The biggest boost is that Mike Cammalleri will return to the Flames line-up after missing a few games due to a hip flexor injury.
Wednesday's skate was an optional, but on Tuesday Steve Begin was between Glencross and Iginla and Baertschi was between Cammalleri and Stempniak. In reality, we're guessing they'll line up something like this.
- Hudler – Tanguay – Cervenka
- Glencross – Stajan – Iginla
- Cammalleri – Byron – Stempniak
- Comeau – Jones – Jackman
- Giordano – Bouwmeester
- Brodie – Wideman
- Sarich – Butler
- Irving
Cammalleri should give Calgary an offensive boost, assuing he returns to the line-up a better player than when he left it. Byron showed some great chemistry with Stempniak when he was up last season, so maybe he can do some damage rather than just be a warm body. That sure is a line of smaller guys though.
Sarich replaces Smith for the second straight game on the back-end while Steve Begin sits out up front. Anton Babchuk is more or less ready to go, but remains in the presssbox.
THE OPPOSITION
The Stars played last night and did a lot to get Flames fans on their side as they beat the Oilers up in Shelbyville by a 4-1 score. Dallas boasts a slew of familiar faces, including one of two active NHLers with more career goals than Jarome Iginla in the ageless Jaromir Jagr. Also contributing in Dallas is former Flames first rounder Eric Nystrom.
From our friends at Defending Big D, a stab at the lines:
- Morrow-Benn-Jagr
- Eriksson-Roy-Ryder
- Smith-Eakin-Vincour
- Nystrom-Fiddler-Garbutt
- Dillon-Robidas
- Rome-Daley
- Goligoski-Larsen
- Bachman
One of the fourth liners may cycle out for Wandell or Roussel and Oleksiak might swap in for Larsen.
Jamie Benn has returned the line-up and put together strong counting stats and underlying numbers as well. With him in the fold the Stars top six is pretty strong, alhough there are some useful players (albeit with limited offensive upside) in their bottom six as well.
Things get a bit dodgy on the back end, and its likely that the Flames will be seeing back-up netminder Richard Bachman (career stats: 8-6-1, 2.68 GAA, .913 S% and 1 shutout). He's not quite Kari Lehtonen, but he's got more games under his belt and better numbers than Leland Irving.
SUM IT UP
Dallas has a pretty strong team and they're not missing any big guns (well, besides Ray Whitney). With them having played the night before, there will be no better opportunity for the Flames to get two points. Of course, with the Flames missing their starting goalie, top rookie and their best possession center, they are by no means guaranteed success.
Haha but still better than Kipper this year!
Sarich is brutal
Stupid Cervenka!
Think how good Cervenka and Tanguay would look with O'Reilly.
Jebus, they really look terrible in third. Wake up boys, this game is gonna slip away.
I love it when Iggy throws body shots haha
Shut your infidel mouth Wilhelm!!
@schevvy
I'm kind of interested to see if Babchuk would be better. I think he could possibly fit in better with Hartley's systems
It was a mistake to wake up iggy ;)
Stupid Jamie Benn, why couldn't Iggy take you off the ice!
Warrener is probably happy he's not playing for the Stars tonight.
Stars are pressing hard here.
makes ya wonder just how much iggy was doggin it until he was called out in the media and people actually questioned the captains attitude.
way to go cammy!
Hatty! #200
haha, Cammy you selfish bastard.
You say that like it's a bad thing
Guys, Iginla played all of 12 minutes tonight and almost all of them aginst third liners. He looked fine, but it's not like he has suddenly broken out or anything.
So let's not talk about him being awoken by Warrener or some such.
I had the chances 6-4 in the third for DAL. Final count: 20-17 CGY.
@schevvy
Nah but I would give him a hard time on the bench if I was on his team.
agreed he faced the weaker comp but he did seem to be a bit more involved perhaps a bit of negative press and people aware of his antics he picked it up a knotch. makes ya wonder what kinda leader he realy is. in no way did anyone poke the bear they spoke the truth something that msm seems to lack.
Cammy. So hot right now. Cammy.
What xperiod did I get wrong Kent for SC's?
Cgy - Dal
10 5
6 6
6 4
Flip the 6-4 buddy
@Vintage Flame
Nevermind.. I reversed the third period numbers..
;)
Off to write the postgame.. Night all
I'm guessing the 12 minutes is influenced by the length of time he was in the box. He was engaged though, that's for sure, and made two gorgeous feeds.
Being the devils advocate I'm sure you could argue either way, although he did seem generally agitated/engaged, had two assists and three SOG. He's not the same player he was but you say yourself he's bound to get back to his average numbers at some point.
The plot thickens! Did his trade value go up? Will the flames make the playoffs, is Cammalleri everyones favourite flame now, tune in Friday! Haha.
Are we the team that gets everyone's backup goalie now? How many is that now, Emery, Bobrovsky (arguably, they've both played seven), Bachman, Giguere, both Van goalies...that's quite a few in 12 games.
Those of you who say Iginla is a bad leader and useless whatever, I think the problem is more in that he hasn't won here and year after year it's been the same old crap. It's like a marriage that's over and everybody knows except the ones involved. If he gets traded to a pittsburgh or some team like that just watch how it changes him. Man is probably depressed and doesn't even know it but has his safety net of the calgary flames and doesn't want to let it go.
Great effort tonight Flames.
Not to play what if, but this team is a little luck, 3 seconds against Chicago and some decent goaltending from having a fine record. We are better on faceoffs,we pass better, move the puck better, shoot better and our PP is becoming a force. On top of that,we are well-coached and resilient.
I see good things on the horizon.
Get behind this team Calgary.
Go Flames!
I agree with almost all of that, but lets be honest and say the PK has been disastrous, the goaltending has been so-so to awful and we ARE better on faceoffs but only coz we were so terrible before.
I see the potential of good things on the horizon.
Another iffy game by Irving but fans still seem to defend him to the end.
Not the horse I'd bet on, even if he's 2-1-1 around the first bend.