After nine games of the 2015-16 schedule, the Calgary Flames are in trouble. They’re looking for some rhythm, some rhyme, and to figure out what the heck has happened to their meat-grinder of a game.
Tonight, they get a golden opportunity for a course correction in Ottawa against the Senators. The Flames (2-7-0) haven’t been great, but the Senators (3-3-2) are hardly a world-beater and are on a losing streak. And given their injury-ravaged state, there’s no better time than the present for the Flames to take advantage of a diminished foe.
And thankfully, tonight’s (probably) the long-awaited return of T.J. Brodie to the Flames line-up!
Puck drops just after 5:30pm MT on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet 960 The Fan!
THE FLAMES
Lines from the morning skate via Daily Faceoff:
(DEREK GRANT)
After Joni Ortio’s loss in Brooklyn, Jonas Hiller starts tonight in Ottawa. It’ll be his sixth start and seventh appearance. He’s 2-3-0 with a 3.52 goals against average, .872 save percentage and .888 even-strength save percentage.
The Flames will get a boost tonight in the form of the return of T.J. Brodie, who is a game-time decision officially! He’s missed the first nine games (and the majority of pre-season) with a broken bone in his hand, but the upside is his cardio should be good and he’s been skating with the team. His return bumps Ladislav Smid to the press box, where he’ll join Jakub Nakladal and Matt Stajan tonight. To make room on the roster, Micheal Ferland gets bumped to the injured reserve (retroactive to last weekend), where he joins Lance Bouma.
Through nine games, what have the Flames done well? The polite answer is “not much with consistency.” The hope is they’ll take tonight as an opportunity to push the pace against a depleted Senators team, wear them down with cycling, skating and some hitting, and then take advantage of whatever odd-man or special teams opportunities they’re afforded. You generate chances and induce penalties by working harder than the other team for 60 minutes. We’ve only really seen that against Detroit so far.
THE SENATORS
Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:
Craig Anderson starts for Ottawa. He’s 3-2-1 with a 2.61 goals against average, .918 save percentage and .929 even-strength save percentage. He’s off to a very strong start for the Sens.
Ottawa is presently without Clarke McArthur, Curtis Lazar and Mike Hoffman, which has depleted their forward ranks a bit. Be honest: when you skimmed Ottawa’s lines, you had to run to HockeyDB to find out who a bunch of the players were. Shane Prince? Max McCormack? Ottawa’s stretched a little bit, but they’re still a talented team with a deep defensive group and some really good goaltending. That’s the key: if the Senators can get enough run support, they’re good enough on the back end to squeeze out their opposition.
For the Flames to have success against Ottawa, they’ll need to get to Craig Anderson early and get the Senators feeling uneasy about their defensive schemes. With the way Calgary’s been playing this season, though, that’s easier said than done.
WHEN LAST WE MET
The Flames took three of a possible four points from Ottawa last season. They beat them 4-2 in November at the Saddledome, then lost 5-4 in a shootout in early March in Ottawa.
Overall, the Flames are 17-12-4-2 against Ottawa all-time.
THE NUMBERS
Calgary | Ottawa | |
Wins | 2 | 3 |
Power Play | 12.5% | 19.2% |
Penalty Kill | 78.6% | 78.8% |
Corsi Close | 45.6% | 50.8% |
Faceoffs | 47.0% | 52.3% |
SUM IT UP
The Calgary Flames desperately need wins, by hook or crook. They need to beg, borrow or steal points in the standings. They’re falling behind the pack, and time may be running out.
Nice soft play by Backlund.
Nice cherry pick comment. Backlund has been good and effective all night long. But hey he’s no Brandon Bollig.
Ya he’s a great “two way centre” who can’t score or defend. Are you saying he wasn’t soft on the play?
Oh I see, you must be talking about Joe Colburne. No, I’m sorry I completely agree. Colburne is soft and ineffective on both sides of the puck. And definitely not top 6.
And it begins… an early goal given up… with our top defensive pairing on the ice.
Don’t blame the defence for Backlund not taking his man.
Talk about a potential back breaker right there…
Friggin beauty from Colborne and Hudler!
That was a huge individual effort from Bennett! Holy s**t!
nice play by Bennett
Wow, how did that go in? Flames showing a lot of determination and character… keep it up!
Bennett got some moves!
Kris Russelll does something positive this year for the first time!!!!! Nice play by Sam Bennett, his game is coming around nicely of late.
Let’s go Flames. Start skating.
Enough is enough. Time turn it on.
Need the next one. 31-12 in shots and only a one goal lead. Can’t trust Hiller b
Okay wait. Bollig took ANOTHER stupid penalty? NO EFFING WAY.
Why the hell won’t Hartley bench that pylon?
Another ridiculous penalty by Bollig… way to kill momentum.
Of Course, Bollig takes another stupid peanlty. Which Stockton player is worse then Brandon?
Nobody that’s who.
Monny wouldn’t have smashed that guy like Bennett did after he cheap shotted Johnny
How do you spell FRAGILE?
Omg Hiller. You had one job! One. Job.
Unbelievable.
Is Reggie Lemelin available?
When does Jon Gillies make his debut this season? Over/Under Before or After Christmas….
Honestly, I thought you were one of the brighter posters on FN….why would you want to destroy a 19 year old confidence. He is developing his skills in Stockton and has been inconsistent to date. This is par for a young prospect. Now you are conting on this kid to be called by soon……?
I was joking… But nothing is going to destroy Jon Gillies *knock on wood*… Great prospects cannot be destroyed… I refuse to believe that!!!!! He just took, what the 12th best team in the nation (a team no one predicted to win) on his back to the NCAA Championship… The NCAA isn’t like the CHL it is a very mature structured league… It’s not often ONE player makes such a difference in the NCAA.
For example last year simultaniously Jack Echel put up one of the most standout performances in the last decade…. Jon Gillies beat him straight up… Boston University’s goalie that game as well in the National Championship (Matt O’Connor) was the “goalie of the year in the NCAA” and TSN/Sportsnet Media pundits said he was the “top free agent” and “mvp of the league”… But he let in a bad goal in the NCAA Final… You know why… Because he knew, deep down, staring across the ice at the other end of the rink who was the best goalie in the NCAA.
I still remember when Montreal called up Carey Price to play for Hamilton in 2007 after his season with Tri-City’s ended… Many people questioned them starting him over Jaroslav Halak (who went on to have a decent career)… They ended up winning the Calder Cup with a 19 year old starting in 22 games.
Not to mention in all my years of watching the Flames the only prospect I can honestly say who was a surefire NHLer that didn’t pan out (i.e. on Gillies level)… Who we may have “destroyed” was Daniel Tkaczuk… And honestly I think we buried him in the AHL too long. He led the Saint John Flames in scoring his rookie year at 21, then he had 11 point in 19 games with the big club the next year and still wasn’t considering a NHLer… So we sent him back down where he won a Calder cup and as a reward Craig Button “let him walk” (like Martin St. Louis) and he never got a chance to play in the NHL. He battled injuries and his new clubs weren’t invested in him. Most amateur NHL scouts say he is still to this day the biggest surprise bust they have ever seen in the past two or three decades.
Tkaczuk was never the same after his concussion.
Sorry for disappointing, Hahaha.
Gillies turns 22 in 2 months by the way, and if the Flames have no shot at the play-offs, he will get games in at some point this season.
Hiller with the outstanding .812 save percentage. Bring up gilles better give him a try too. UNREAL
Yikes, dangerous chance… Hiller doesn’t look good and neither does Ryan.
Goalie interfrence? O well, we’ll take it. Ortio coming to the mound to save the game. There. Tied again.
Did the Flames ever need that PP goal… and first time they’ve scored four goals. Please… no more goals given up!
Now Ik having a player hurt is never good or something you ever want but maybe this is the best for the team?
Edit: see, the good luck charms are already happening