The Calgary Flames hit the practice ice on Friday morning to prepare for their season finale on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. While it was mostly an all hands on deck session, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett were absent.
Per reports from the rink, Monahan briefly skated but left quite early in the session.
Monahan was sick today, which is why he left early. Possible he plays tomorrow.
Bennett won’t play tomorrow, but will be available for game one.
Coach Peters says guys who are able will play on game 82. Won’t play those who are banged up or under the weather. #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) April 5, 2019
Via Pat, lines from Friday’s skate:
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Neal
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Quine – Jankowski – Czarnik
Mangiapane – Ryan – Hathaway
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Quine – Jankowski – Czarnik
Mangiapane – Ryan – Hathaway
Giordano – Brodie
Hanifin – Hamonic
Fantenberg – Andersson
Stone – Prout
Hanifin – Hamonic
Fantenberg – Andersson
Stone – Prout
Per Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson, Dillon Dube, Juuso Valimaki and Oliver Kylington did a skills session prior to the main session. Dube skated as an extra body in that main session.
Based on these lines, it appears that Monahan, Bennett, Dube, Valimaki, Kylington, Stone and Prout probably won’t dress for Saturday’s game with Edmonton. If Monahan does play, it seems likely that Neal drops back to the third line and Alan Quine sits as a healthy scratch. It’ll be largely a Game One playoff lineup, aside from those minor variations.
No indication one way or another in terms of which goaltender starts against Edmonton. Given that Mike Smith sat for two consecutive games as David Rittich played against Los Angeles and Anaheim, it seems likely that Smith gets the nod.
