The Calgary Flames (10-6-1, 21 points) have shown flashes of brilliance through the first 20% of this season. Tonight, we may discover if they’re actually a good hockey team when they face arguably the top Pacific Division squad, the San Jose Sharks (8-6-3, 19 points) in the second half of a back-to-back.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. MT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
The Flames
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Gaudreau – Monahan – Lindholm
Tkachuk – Backlund – Neal
Bennett – Ryan – Frolik
Hathaway – Jankowski – Czarnik
Giordano – Brodie
Hanifin – Hamonic
Valimaki – Stone
Mike Smith makes the start, backed up by David Rittich. The healthy scratches look to be Anthony Peluso, Rasmus Andersson and Dalton Prout, with Michael Stone swapping in for Andersson (per Derek Wills). It’s a big game for Smith, who hasn’t been overly sharp during the last few weeks while Rittich has been the sharpest we’ve ever seen him.
This game is what’s known as a “schedule loss,” in that the Sharks have been waiting for the Flames while they’ve traveled. But the Sharks haven’t been overly great lately and the Flames have been playing some of their best hockey of the season.
All season, our staff Slack chat has had a consistent question pop up: “Are these guys actually good?” We’ve seen the Flames play really good hockey on and off over the last three seasons, but the consistency just hasn’t been there – especially in situations like this, playing divisional rivals at the end of road trips. This is the type of game good teams, teams with the intentions of making noise in the post-season, find a way to win. Almost as much as their response to the 9-1 Pittsburgh shellacking eight games ago, this game will tell us a whole lot about the 2018-19 Flames.
The Sharks
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Kane – Pavelski – Donskoi
Meier – Couture – Hertl
Sorensen – Thornton – LaBanc
Suomela – Suomela – M.Karlsson
Ryan – Burns
Dillon – E.Karlsson
Vlasic – Braun
Martin Jones starts, backed up by Aaron Dell. The extras look to be Rourke Chartier, Radim Simek and Tim Heed. It sounds like Tomas Hertl returns after missing a few games due to injury.
The Sharks have been idle since a back-to-back set of road games on Thursday and Friday that saw them lose to Dallas (4-3 on Thursday) and St. Louis (4-0 on Friday). Their defensive game hasn’t been amazing and, thus far, they haven’t gelled the way you’d hope a team with as many strong players would. But the Sharks are a proud group and they’ll know the importance of a strong showing against a divisional rival, so expect them to come out of the gates with a lot of gusto tonight.
The Numbers
| CGY | SJS | |
| Wins | 10 | 8 |
| Points | 21 | 19 |
| Corsi Close | 54.7% | 57.5% |
| Power Play | 17.2% | 18.5% |
| Penalty Kill | 75.0% | 87.7% |
Injury Report
The Flames are without Dillon Dube, who’s working through the concussion protocol.
The Sharks are healthy.
Season Series
This is the first of four meetings between these two clubs this season. The next time they’ll meet is New Year’s Eve in Calgary.
Know Thy Enemy
Your Sharks Twitter follows for tonight:
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Feel flames should have had at least one PP the last 10min
I think there was a memo sent out saying Calgary is not allowed app
Boys look absolutely spent
these refs are a joke
Man these refs!!!
That should have been a penalty on Kane these refs suck.
Bennett had a chance. Twicd. Backlund again missed an empty net. Refs suck but blame the flames in the end.
The refereeing was extremely poor tonight. Gio’s penalty on Pavelski, the missed calls against Hamonic and the Kane over the glass… brutal.
The missed call on pavelski in the first minute of the game just before the sharks scored…
Backlund really screwed it. Cost us the game. How many empty nets/grade A chances has this guy missed this year?? Damn…..
At least the Oilers are losing 4-0
Does that make anyone feel better?
4-1. But yes!
Damn I jinxed it..
Congratulations on the win NHL officials. Another fine sequence by the worst officials in pro sports. 3 missed calls in the last 2 minutes of a game. How is that delay of game call missed at the very least. It was so obvious. Kane slashing and Burns tripping WTF?
Plus the bulls%#^* call on Gio as well , these refs are an absolute Joke!!! There’s like 5 of these morons out there and they still suck!!!
I’m pretty sure there are 4 officials Carl. Stop counting your fingers..
I know there’s 4 ,but if the refs were counting they would get it wrong .
Personally I find the refs have truly ruined the experience as a fan watching hockey. Too inconsistent. Especially the lack of standards in the playoffs.
Tough game. Flames didn’t play bad but didn’t deserve to win. Good to see Smith turning his game around and Jankowski played well but was snake bit around the net. Still need secondary scoring and need to see some offence out of Neal, Czar, Ryan, Backlund, etc.
Include jankowski and bennett on that list.
I’ve never seen such a poorly officiated game like this before. Absolutely terrible
I have and it’s really too bad I can say that it won’t be the last time.
Decent game from Smith still didnt get the W feel like if he was on his game early that first one doesnt go in
Those refs man.. at least be consistent in calls you make. I’m fine with losing, we looked tired, missed some Grade A’s in the 3rd. But to have no power plays in an entire game?! Wtf is that guys!
Smith just needs one more goal to reach his pace for the year
Some very disappointing events in the third period tonight. From a pee poor job by the referees, bad hockey from 5 point some million dollar hockey player that can not put a puck in an empty net to save his teams life and bad luck Bennet with a penalty shot that would embarrass an atom player.
Wow wish we could have put more than one puck in the net these last 2 games.
Over $11M AAV for both Backlund and Neal and they are not scoring…..
Top line 1 GF in the last 5 games at 5v5 and only 2 in the last 9 games. Remain a fixture despite doing very little. That’s a 0.91GF/60 over the last 5 and just a 1.31 over the last 9. Not getting it done in any way. (Mony was on with Janko and Backs made the block that created the Mony goal tonight).
Guys struggling, but rather than put them on a line that can help them pick up their play, sit them on the bench.
Give plugs shifts at the end when the team needs a goal. Hath and been good all game and was involved. He sits, as does the guy brought in for his offense, Czar. Neal is a no brainer when you need a goal, is he not? Even when struggling on the 3rd line with plugs, he is a threat when out with the Flames best players. Not saying he has earned it, but neither has Ryan.
Really confused as to what Peters was trying to accomplish with the lines tonight. And that started right when the puck was dropped.
Could have beat the Sharks tonight~! But there was No Way to beat the Reffs, Seriously this was the worst reffed game so far this year (2nd to the Montreal game) Why are the Flames Coaches and Players Not up in the Grill of the Reffs and Call them on their $#!T … How can you win against a team that gets away all night long with non-calls, even on video replay its Obvious… Isn’t there a video review for things like the kane over the glass non-call? wtf… Peters would be better served to throw a little “John Tortorella” or a stick or two on the ice~! C’mon show some passion for @#$%s sake! This one is on the Reffs and the Lack of care about it by the Flames!
2 point road trip. Needed at least 3. Going .500 on the road keeps you afloat. Missed opportunity. Time to get ready for Montreal.
Three teams ripe for the picking, and we come out of it with one win.
Just 4 goals in 3 games.
2-3 against Pacific division foes. 4 point games…
Stop your damn complaining. We got good goaltending..we score lots of goals.. this will continue throughout the year and eventually goal scoring and goaltending will line up. Sheesh
I do agree with the reffing being bad, but also it’s in the past already.. we cant get our Stanley cup back from 04 and we cant get this game back either….on to the next game. Gfg