After closing out 2017 with a victory over the Blackhawks, the Calgary Flames (19-16-4) kick off the 2018 portion of their calendar against the Los Angeles Kings (24-11-5). The Kings are perhaps the Flames most bitter recent rival (aside from the Canucks), and the majority of their most important regular season games in recent years have been against the gentlemen in black and silver from So-Cal. With the Flames in need of differentiating themselves from the clump of mediocre Western Conference clubs they’re mired in, this could be another important clash between these two teams.
The puck drops shortly after 7 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan!
The Flames
Projected lines, courtesy of Daily Faceoff:
Gaudreau – Monahan (A) – Ferland
Tkachuk – Backlund – Brouwer (A)
Bennett – Jankowski – Hathaway
Mangiapane – Stajan – Lazar
Giordano (C) – D.Hamilton
Brodie – Hamonic
Kulak – Stone
Mike Smith starts for the 34th time this season. He’s 15-13-3 with a 2.57 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. He’s backed up by David Rittich. The healthy scratches are Matt Bartkowski and the newly-recalled Marek Hrivik. Jaromir Jagr is dealing with a nagging lower-body injury and once again won’t be available tonight. Other line-up tweaks may happen tonight as well.
Since the beginning of December, the Flames have been a streaky team: three losses, two wins, three losses, two wins, three losses and, on New Year’s Eve, another win. The Flames will need roughly 95 points to make the playoffs, so they’ll need to grind out 53 points in their remaining 43 games – that’s a .616 points percentage. Long story short, they’ll need to win roughly two out of every three games – by hook or by crook – from here on out. The streakiness absolutely has to end.
The Kings
Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:
Pearson – Kopitar – Brown
Gaborik – Kempe – Toffoli
Clifford – Shore – Lewis
Iafallo – Mitchell – Jokinen
Muzzin – Doughty
MacDermid – Martinez
Forbort – Gravel
Jonathan Quick starts for Los Angeles. He’s 19-11-2 with a 2.20 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. He’s backed up by Darcy Kuemper. The healthy scratches are Oscar Fantenberg, Andy Andreoff and Jonny Brodzinski.
The Kings have the best goals against average and the best save percentage in the entire NHL. Quick and Kuemper have been lights-out and they’re playing on a team that gives up an average amount of shots. It’s not like they’re an incredible possession or defensive team, they’re just a team that plays a smart game and gets strong goaltending.
Los Angeles beat Edmonton 5-0 in their last outing, so they’re not all bad.
Injury Report
Flames: Daniel Pribyl (knee), Kris Versteeg (hip) and Michael Frolik (jaw) are on the injured reserve.
Los Angeles: Jeff Carter (ankle) and Christian Folin (lower-body) are on the injured reserve.
When Last We Met
This is the second of four games between these teams this season. The Flames won their first meeting, back on Oct. 11 in Los Angeles, by a 4-3 score in overtime. Sean Monahan scored the winner.
The Numbers
CGY | LA | |
Wins | 19 | 24 |
Points | 42 | 53 |
Adjusted Corsi | 52.0% | 50.1% |
Power Play | 18.6% | 17.6% |
Penalty Kill | 78.0% | 87.4% |
Know Thy Enemy
These fine So-Cal peeps will presumably be tweeting about the Los Angeles hockey club:
Sum It Up
It’s a key divisional game between the Flames and one of their most bitter recent rivals, with the locals desperately needing points to get back into the playoff pack.
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Guesses on what’s with Jagr? Do you think they release him, then he signs a one-day contract with PIT and retires a Penguin? Maybe he’s just sick, and this is all rumor? Any thoughts on a possible Duclair trade?
fire GG, put in Jagr as coach, see what he has?
That’s the first moldy one I’ve seen from Smitty this year.
I had a flashback to the playoffs!
What’s all this head man passing from your own side of centre and ending up in the icing.
These idiots have not corrected a thing.
Wake up folks; we are screwed.
NO FIRST OR SECOND ROUND PICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WW
2-0, feels like 5-0. They’ve not looked good or desperate tonight.
Does Brody ever get his head out of his a$$ and look at which side of centre he is on?
what an absolute s**t team
Oh boy, Matthew. You cough up the puck and see if anyone bails you out. Then, you start skating back when it’s too late.
It’s sad to see a game slip away this early. No wonder if in the end, PP is like 0 for 6.
Nice pass Matthew.
And i get downvoted for revamping the lines? I guess it is working then? Joke team, joke coach joke mngt. Flames are screwed.
I think if we could convince the league to change to 19 minute periods we would be unstoppable! 🙂
These guys aren’t ready. Prediction. One point out of the next two games.
I see a big fat zero in next 3.
Can someone please post the stat of the percentage of times this team has given up a goal late in a period. I’m scared to see it.
Smith .867, yep gg, don’t bother with the better back up?
Ferland!
I love Ferland!!!!!
WW
I love Brouwer…….no wait; I hate Brouwer…..
WW
A generational talent like Byng can make anyone look good…..
WW
I think it was Backlund’s presence on the ice that elevated Brouwer …
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.
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J
(take the bait WW … )
Byng is now turning Brouwer into a goal scorer!
Brouwer for captain. Wait we might be able to trade him now that he’s scored and is captain
Ha, I love it Slim. Strip Gio of his C’ and give er to Brouwer the power forward..
Watching hockey with some of you guys must be how a ping pong ball feels.
that was Monny’s goal btw!
Really? Shiz were going to trade Brouwer after making him Captain.
Slim, stitch the C’ back onto Gio.
Plan has been thwarted.
You know if you can’t win a Faceoff in your own end
Why is Hamilton standing there behind his own Blue Line icing the puck? You know this team can’t win a Faceoff in their own end so what are you doing?
He’s got to get over his angst because his Babysitter Is Gone.
At least Canada advances to the Gold medal game against Sweden!
Jankowski !!!!
Our 2C is looking good right WW?
Yup….
WW
Love Jankowski!!!!!
WW
Quick should get a delay of game or unsportsmanlike conduct for that fiasco he pulled
GG for the Jack Adams! How he’s inspired this group!! What a bench boss!!! 😉
All that said… If GG gets this team on a winning streak again, like last season… Words of any kind, will fail.
Extend Gulutzan
We’re excited not delusional