After a home-and-home pair of games with the Vancouver Canucks, the Calgary Flames (1-1-0, 2 points) are hitting the road in earnest. Tonight they begin a three-game trip through the Central Division against the Nashville Predators (2-0-0, 4 points). Can the Flames keep their momentum going, or will they hit a roadblock in the form of one of the Western Conference’s top teams?
The action starts at 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet Flames (with Rick Ball and Kelly Hrudey) and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
The Flames
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Gaudreau – Monahan – Lindholm
Tkachuk – Backlund – Czarnik
Bennett – Dube – Neal
Frolik – Ryan – Peluso
Giordano – Brodie
Hanifin – Stone
Valimaki – Andersson
Mike Smith makes his third start of the season, backed up by David Rittich – who’ll likely start in St. Louis on Thursday evening. Tonight’s healthy scratches are Dalton Prout, Mark Jankowski and Garnet Hathaway. The bottom six got a bit of a shake-up, with Sam Bennett promoted, Derek Ryan demoted, Dillon Dube moved to center and Mark Jankowski swapped out for Anthony Peluso. (Why Peluso? Well, Zac Rinaldo plays for Nashville…)
The Flames have also made some changes to the second unit of their power play in an effort to make them as formidable as their top group – the top unit has officially scored three times (and a fourth goal was scored three seconds after the penalty expired). The second unit hasn’t scored at all, so now Derek Ryan and TJ Brodie have been swapped out for Noah Hanifin and rookie Dillon Dube.
The Predators
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Forsberg – Johansen – Arvidsson
Jarnkrok – Turris – Smith
Sissons – Bonino – Hartman
Fiala – Gaudreau – Rinaldo
Josi – Ellis
Ekholm – Subban
Bitetto – Weber
Pekka Rinne starts, backed up by Juuse Saros. The healthy scratches look to be Dan Hamhuis, Miikka Salomaki and Matt Irwin.
After wins in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Predators finally enjoy their own home-opener tonight. They scored seven goals through their first two games, including a pair of goals from Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators will be hoping to have an easier time than they did on the road, where each of their games were won by a single goal.
The Numbers
| CGY | NSH | |
| Wins | 1 | 2 |
| Points | 2 | 4 |
| Corsi Close | 58.5% | 51.1% |
| Power Play | 23.1% | 0.0% |
| Penalty Kill | 71.4% | 80.0% |
Injury Report
The Flames are missing Travis Hamonic (facial fracture).
The Predators are healthy.
History Lesson
This is the first of three meetings between Calgary and Nashville this season. They’ll meet again in Calgary on Oct. 19.
Know Thy Enemy
Your Predators Twitter follows for tonight:
Looks like Ferland had a so so night 1 assist, three shots and 4 hits. I wonder if Carolina is feeling good about the trade. It could be one of those that works out for both teams.
Who cares about Ferland?
He’s gone.
If you make trades that better both teams more good trades are available.
Right now Ferly has 4 points in 3 games with a sh% of 18.2% it’s very early but right now the trade is paying dividends and Carolina is near the top of the Eastern Conference.
That sh% is not sustainable
Preds came alive in that period. Flames need to get back to their aggressive play in the third.
Not many checks finished that period. Need to start finishing some for sure.
Still not worried like I would have been the last few years though.
So anyway…been really keeping my eye on Ryan this year.
I have yet to see him smile, or chat it up with his team-mates.
He could be just a really quiet guy in the Brodie mould, but his body language isn’t great either.
Not sure what’s going on with the fella.
Let’s wait and see if he goes to a museum on this road trip instead of going out for dinner with the team before we make any rash decisions as a fanbase about his future as a Flame.
He’s been steady lol I love the guys that go against the players not producing, he’s playing minimal minutes and hasn’t once made a mistake , I’m fine with him in but ide rather him on the wing and janks centering
As long as he stays out of museums ?
He must be scared of Rinaldo. (e_e)
how are you gauging that? you see him on TV once or twice on the bench staring straight ahead and suddenly he’s going to a museum while the rest of the team hits Moxies?
Nah, not once or twice. That’s way too many. I’ve seen him 1/2 a time. Just making observations. A 45 page psychological profile upcoming.
Some of you guys seemed to think it was a dig on Hamilton somehow. I’m looking at him as a new hire, call it human-side analytics if you want.
but you have no real numbers or evidence. i’m thinking you should have just stayed quiet for awhile
“no real numbers”… The defense rests, Your Honour.
Ha…that’s a weak one.
Mickey is almost as stupid as ww, a little less redundant tho
Sour at me for calling you out on that rape “joke” last game?
Go sit down by your bowl little doggie.
I was just thinking, “I hope the Flames don’t let in an early one”, and then… Monahan!
Bennett draws a penalty. He’s been an unsung hero tonight.
Good work Benny
I think benny just moved up a line , just need someone that’s making 5 mil a year to start getting those guys points
Not a lot of Peluso in the third period. Peters might actually understand how to shorten a bench.
One of the biggest, most noticeable differences between him and Gulutzan.
And even with a lead they kept pushing and activating the D. A nice change so far.
Valimaki and Hanafin are looking super solid tonight.
Lol why don’t we ever get flames fans as refs for our games
Is it just Jobu? Or do the Flames always get the shaft when it comes to reffing. When the flames get away with one I always note it but it seems like that rarely happens. Maybe Jobu has the Rose Colored visor on.
Hanifin just got high sticked as well. Could have been called.
…and Tkachuk just took a high stick butt-end also …
“Want me to do that to him?” want me to do that to him?” as Chucky chirps the ref.
Once you start watching live stream games from the US you will realize what a dirty team we are
Where is Anderson?
Time for Ekholm to get F’ed up!
Lol the way you guy’s are talking it’s like you dont know that there winning.
Did anyone count how many shifts Peluso had tonight?
Total of 5:19 TOI
Amazing how great goaltending can motivate a team.
Exactly. Motivation, confidence, energy levels, a tight dressing room etc…sort of important concepts.
And a coach that knows how to coach…
It was frightful how bad GG was at actually coaching.
No numbers to back this up, obviously, but he didn’t have a clue – therefore No Respect from the players.
So I guess I won’t be seeing Valamaki or Dube in person until I come to Calgary in February.
SF..interesting to see what happens to Andersson when Hamonic returns……looks like he is going to be out 4-5 weeks.
I know what will happen, Stockton’s defense will suffer for 4 to 5 weeks….
I liked what I saw tonight except for two things –
No secondary scoring
Not much hitting.
Can’t argue with the result though.
With two power play goals the only 5×5 goal was Monahan’s. Bennett also scored but it was blown dead incorrectly and Dube should have had a couple, as well as Czarnik. I think the scoring was just fine. Every line looked dangerous and had serious zone time several times in the game, which was pretty amazing considering Nashville’s mobile D. That was a great game through and through.
You can put in the win column, shutout for Smitty!
Friendly scoreboard as all Flames rivals lost tonight!
San Jose won unfortunately
Was a bit nervous seeing Gaudreau against Ekholm on the forecheck in the last minute. Seems like an unnecessary risk to have the top line out that late in the game when you’re up by 3.
Best time to ingrain some new habits, amongst all the players….
The addition of Lindholm has made this line better defensively and it sure seemed like Johnny was more responsible in his own end last night versus his performance in game one.
Lindholm has been phenomenal. Has been calm with the puck, can shoot great, knows how to keep a cycle going. I’m loving the top line
A special shout out to all those people — including certain FN columnists — who were writing Smith off as useless after two games.
When is Neal going to suit up?
The guy is getting paid. He has to start showing up.
Puck Head: I am one of the more vocal critics of Neal’s performance to date, one commentator talked about the oral surgery he had recently so I am trying to cut him slack. The one area of improvement that I saw in his game last night was a little more effort in all 3 zones. Is he living p to expectations; no but there was some improvement last night.
Smashville?
Meh Ville.
Preds got handled. I’ve never seen the Flames play this well defensively.
Not any recent version anyways
Smith was very good…but that was a solid, solid team effort.
In my mind the Flames dominated. But what will the stats say?!
A great game to watch.
Corsi Shmorsi.
I agree about dominating. So many Nashville shots from outside, while ours came from in close.
I was never on edge about who would win after Flames killed the 5 on 3
Easy to say after the fact, and I’m never going to type the ‘S’ word for Smitty.
But Smith was sitting on a big game, and the whole team was dialed in right from the puck drop.
When that goal that should have been was was called off, I wasn’t even that mad.
This game was in the bag.