After a pair of losses in a single night at the hands of the dastardly Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames get a chance at redemption tonight at the Scotiabank Saddledome in the third of seven preseason contests. Tonight’s opponent is the Vancouver Canucks, who are icing a depleted roster given the majority of their established NHLers are off in China for a pair of preseason games against the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames have a good chance to leave a better impression than they did on Monday night on either end of Highway 2.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. MT and you can catch the action on Sportsnet 960 The Fan and Sportsnet (and Sportsnet 360). In a weird quirk, it’s a Canucks regional broadcast on Sportsnet TV featuring the Flames broadcast team since everybody is still in Shanghai.
The Flames
The locals made big cuts yesterday and now have just 47 bodies left in camp. We’ll see just under half of them tonight as the Flames ice a much less star-studded group than they did on Monday at the Saddledome.
Lines, via Pat Steinberg (thanks, Pat!):
Hrivik – Backlund – Frolik
Mangiapane – Jankowski – Versteeg
Cramarossa – Lazar – Foo
Lomberg – Dube – Glass
Valimaki – Stone
Kulak – Bartkowski
Kylington – Andersson
Gillies
Parsons
Aside from selfishly wanting to see how Morgan Klimchuk would fit with NHL-esque linemates, this is a pretty decent cross-section of talent featuring a lot of names we profiled during our summer Top 20 Prospects series. We’re bullish on Marek Hrivik around here, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares on the left side of the best 200-foot duo in the NHL.
The Canucks
Here’s what you need to know about Vancouver. The team’s not particularly good at the NHL level, and everybody good is in China right now. The Flames will be facing the Utica Comets.
Here is who’s dressing tonight (via Jeff Paterson):
Goldobin – Chaput – Boeser
Rodin – Megna – Virtanen
Carcone – Cassels – Bancks
Archibald – Hamilton – MacEwen
Juolevi – Chatfield
Pedan – Brisebois
Holm – Subban
Demko
Bachman
The entire Canucks lineup, combined has 417 games of NHL experience – and most of those are from Michael Chaput and Anton Rodin. For Calgarians, it’s a chance to see former Calgary Hitmen star Jake Virtanen and former Flames farmhand Carter Bancks. But beyond them, Olli Juolevi and college star Brock Boeser, this team is slim pickings.
History Lesson
These teams split their two exhibition meetings last fall. The Flames swept both games in 2015’s preseason, while the Canucks did the same thing in 2014. They’ll meet again in Vancouver next week.
Sum It Up
The Flames get a mulligan from Monday’s games where everyone with a one-way contract looked like they were waking up from a long nap. But the bar will be set considerably higher when they face what’s fundamentally Vancouver’s C-team.
The Calgary Flames losing to the Utica Comets…..?!
Let’s see how GG coaches his way out of this mess….
WW
C’mon ww even you can look at the rosters and realize this is hardly flames vs Utica.
We have one line And stone for regulars….
We still ought to be doing better then this.
I didn’t say we shouldn’t be doing better.
Since the second period, Flames have simply been out worked and out-hustled.
#6D position wide open…..
Looks like the #5 should be as well
Foo has been less than spectacular. Id say hes bordering on bad this game
Foo is poo
Looks to me like Bartkowski just played his way out of the NHL
And Kulak
But, is it Bart pulling Kulak down with him?
Kulak looked real bad on the Virtanen goal – Can’t blame Bart on that one.
Or is Kulak pulling down Bart?
Good news for Kulak and Wotherspoon….
I just Hope Bart doesn’t hurt Stockton too much… The dude should just retire after tonight’s performance!
Is Kulak looking bad because of Bartkowski?
As for Foo… To me, Dube’s the far more exciting prospect.
Foo has almost been invisible tonight. A lot of our guys have.
OK – Next goalie – show us what you got!
At work and can’t watch tonight. Anyone have a take on what went so wrong in the 2nd? Are we getting into penalty trouble tonight? Is jankowski dominating? Anything other than we should be better?
All I will say is Utica is way better. We are giving up really great chances against. Defensive nightmare
So is Stone the only defender who looks good? Seems so, from the comments here. Perhaps Valimaki has a shot at making the squad out of camp?
Stone has a few giveaways that are concerning. Not sure Valimaki was where he should be leaving Stone with no where to go. Kylington and Ras to me have been the better of the 6
Valimaki looks good to me. Skates fast, hard shot, has no problem carrying the puck over the blue line. The Flames have tightened up defensively here in the third.
Agreed, we’ve been sloppy, slow and lethargic on defence.
Its called Bartkowski and being Out Coached! GG is useless at line combinations and Line matching! Oh and Our PP Still Sucks Otter Balls.
Yeah I know, preseason and all that jazz, but the Flames really need to start doing something on the power play.
“On paper”, seems Lomberg’s having a decent night. Also, “on paper”, not our best roster. Not a lot of regulars. So seems a fair tilt, in some respects…
Lomberg has been one of if not the most noticeable Flames forward tonight. Jankowski as well, but it’s hard to miss him. Dube’s been good.
Yeah and that’s about it.
I wouldn’t worry, everything is going according to master plan of GG/Huska, they got this under control.
After losing, all preseason games Flames will magically turn on the switch.
I guess the answer to WW question from last page is: – yes GG/Huska can find a way to lose this game.
Can we stop this GG/Huska thing before it even starts? It’s pretty much the second game of the preseason.
ok, but it is kind of 3rd.
No – can’t stop – Just getting the momentum of slamming GG going.
Yeah, momentum is important.
Yeah, and So is the hurting Truth… As Han Solo would say “I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This”
Is it too early to call Darryl Sutter?
Anyone thinks it will be better to call Darryl after we lose the first 10 games?
Gelinas – we need Gelinas to be put in charge, and GG, Cameron, Jerrard, and Sigalet to be sent packing. Now I know it won’t and shouldn’t happen yet, but by game 15 you will all see the light. (It should have happened last year, but it would be a bit unfair to make the right move this early, preseason and all…)
Lomberg Dube, Glass – Puck in Nucks end for the first time in a long time. They look good as a line. Ras and Kylington on D
GG does not have this group at all prepared. Preseason is to shake off rust not take a holiday. Terrible showing. No faith in this coaching group. They fail miserably at getting the best out of players. Almost all (save 3M) under-perform.
Even Backs and Frolik are disappointing tonight. Dube’s line clearly the best of the 4
GG’s system is messing up all the talent we have. This is a mess. They all look lost.
GG mixing up the D pairings. Anyone got a program – even the announcers have no clue who is out
Stone, Kulak and Bartowski are looking horrible. Jankowski and Dube look good up front and the whole fourth line.
Love that Bartkowski giveaway in the final minute. Just to make a statement.
That’s great working his way into AHL lineup.
How goes it Theo? fLames still championship bound?
Only pre-season, last year Van was one of the best preseason teams.
You guys have been winning those pre-games for a decade, and we know how that always worked out. No worries about the team yet.
Hey Theo. Maybe the Flames should give Vladdy Tkachev a call. Looks like they could use him.
I doubt the kid has enough heartbeat to jumpstart a team under GG/Huska hypnosis.
The team will be fine, but right now they are sleepwalking.
Anyway, Flames will be fine as long as their goaltending holds up and key prospects like Jankowski finally make the jump.
They will be fine. But, they would be better with a good coach.
I thought the prospev Pool was ultra deep!
Cansucks prospects beat fLames prospects.
Go figure.
😂😂😂😂😂
Hey Theo. Maybe the Flames should give Vladdy Tkachev a call. Looks like they could use him.
Lazar is wowing Tre, his coaches, Lubo and the fans again with yet another reason why he is a lock to be on the club when the season opens up in Edmonton.
What did lazar do?
Nothing
Dube is much better than I expected. Easy to project him out in at least a bottom six role in the not so distant future. Speed, hands and lots of heart.
Ok what was that?
First 5 minutes I thought we were going to blow them outta the water. Good hits, good forechecking and nice plays from the d-zone.
After the 2 goal lead, we looked discombobulated… no one taking their guys, no fore-check, the most horrific giveaways from our D. What the heck is Bartowski doing?
Is he now our 4th man on the rush?!
Hory shrite this was awful..
Bright spots:
Jankowski, Versteeg and Gillies
This is a terrible way to start pre-season. I know it’s doesn’t count but really?!
Forgot Dube, he was good as well, too bad no one was around to make themselves available for a decent pass.
Read Lomberg looked good, as well.
The challenge our team has is to create a winning attitude. I say, whichever players express this every shift, should be on the opening day roster. Dube has been one of the biggest surprises, but I thought he’d do well in camp. Jankowski is ready. Some who should be ready and “just giving”, are not giving at all.
We need a winning attitude.
Brouwer brings the winning attitude, and Tre agrees, what else do you want.
If you don’t puke a little I will be surprised: http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/flames-veteran-brouwer-trying-to-strike-balance-between-lean-and-mean
Thanks to Just.Visiting for pointing it out.
Shocked that this didn’t get any comments here today. This is my favourite quote:
“Aside from maybe not scoring a couple more goals, I’m still happy with the way my season went,” Brouwer said. “I was brought in to help be a leader. I was brought in to help change the way this team plays. And not that I feel like I did it all by myself, because there are so many great guys in our room, but I feel like I had a part in that, and that, for me, is rewarding.
“And at my year-end meeting, Tree said kind of the same thing to me-‘Don’t be discouraged. We brought you in here for more than just scoring goals, and you were able to do that.”
I’m shocked as well, nothing, crickets.
Unbelievable.
Janko – Lomberg-Dube-Glass all good. Some great saves by Gillis, but also some bad rebounds, including one that caused a goal. Rebound control is a must at the NHL level.
6th and 7th Dspot wide open. Maybe the 5th should be too. Ras and kylington seemed to be the best 2. Bart was awful, and Kulak struggled, although he made a great defensive play late.
GG has them watching the play with their sticks in the lanes, even 5v5. I am sure Dube, Lomberg and Glass will be scolded for their aggressive play.
Pre-season or not, that kind of edfort, against that kind of line-up is unacceptable.
This is not making me excited for the future of the club.
Where is Hockeyfan66…whatever?Yes,I made a mistake.I meant to say that the flames roster depth is stocked with truly outstanding quality.
Dube was also the best in the faceoff circle. He’s a winner. I like this kid.