FGD 17: A Tinseltown do-over (8pm MT, CBC/SNW/360)

The Calgary Flames (9-6-1, 19 points) played their last game in Southern California after three days off on Wednesday and lost. With two days of rest they’ll try to get a better result when they visit the Los Angeles Kings (5-9-1, 11 points) in another big Pacific Division contest.

It’s the late game on Hockey Night in Canada. Catch it on CBC, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 360 and (as always) Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

Reports from the rink have David Rittich starting tonight, with Mike Smith starting tomorrow in San Jose. Anthony Peluso, Michael Stone and Dalton Prout appear to be the healthy scratches.

Andrew Mangiapane was a scratch for Stockton due to an injury last night, but that was due to injury and not an impending recall.

The Flames have been good the last six games and didn’t get points in Anaheim because of some defensive (and goaltending) lapses that saw them out-scored 3-0 at even strength. They just need to keep at it, doing what they’ve been doing, and points will probably follow.

Something that will make life a bit easier? Goals from players on the third and fourth line. Despite all the pronouncements of depth, they’ve still been a top-heavy club offensively.

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

Jack Campbell starts for the Kings, backed up by Peter Budaj. Paul LaDue and Michael Amadio are their healthy extras.

The Kings these days are the Pacific Division’s answer to the Chicago Blackhawks: a former champion beset by aging, bad contracts, iffy depth and injuries to key players. The Flames hosted Chicago just before the Blackhawks fired their coach, and they get the Kings right after they’ve fired theirs. Needless to say these aren’t the Kings of five years ago, as everyone’s a bit older, a bit more expensive, a bit slower, and surrounded by less impressive depth players for salary cap reasons.

They enter tonight’s action in last place in the entire National Hockey League.

The Flames are without Dillon Dube, who’s working through the concussion protocol.

The Kings are without Gabe Vilardi, Jonny Brodzinski and Jonathan Quick.

This is the first of four meetings between these two clubs this season. They meet again in late November in Calgary and then won’t play again until twice in the last seven games of the season.

Your Kings Twitter follows for tonight:

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