FGD: A Horse With No Name

Well, last night happened. Down 3-1 with 20 minutes to play
against a team fighting for playoff breath, and the Flames grind out a W.
Regardless of your position in the #winningculture vs. #tankmode debate, last
night was a fun night to be a Flames fan. I won’t get into that though, for
it’s a can of worms I’m not intent on opening at the moment.

Tonight, it’ll be a quick turnaround as the squad will play
in the quiet, undisturbed confines of Jobing.com arena against the soon to be
named Arizona Coyotes. In theory, the ‘Yotes, battling for their playoff lives,
should hungrily dismantle a tired, lowly Flames squad. That is theory though,
and Flames have spit in the face of theory all season, so for all we know the
Coyotes could get blown out of the water. What a weird team this Flames group
is. Great fun to watch though, so I guess that’s all you can ask for when
you’re rebuilding.

The Flames (and/or Heat) will likely roll with the same
combination of hockey players tonight as they did last night against the Stars.
This line-up looks borderline comical when told it’s used in National Hockey
League games. Imagine if Cammalleri had been dealt too. In all fairness though,
the kids have been excellent. Paul Byron has been a revelation this year,
playing quality minutes in all situations, contributing in on the offense all
while looking less like a 12 year old and easing the pain associated with that
wretched Regher trade. Corban Knight sniped the game winning shootout goal last
night after recording his first NHL goal a game previous. He hasn’t knocked the
doors down by any means but hasn’t looked out of place either. Monahan keeps
doing what he’s doing, working great with Joe Colborne who appears to be
morphing into a legitimate NHL winger. Kudos to Bob Hartley and coaching staff
recognizing a potential fit for Colborne on the wing. Benjamin Hanowski looks
like he’ll probably be a career bottom 6 NHLer at best, but he too has
contributed in a good way during this stint.

TJ Brodie has really come into his own this year, hasn’t he?
Playing with a rock solid talent like Giordano probably hasn’t hurt either, but
Brodie has firmly established himself as the second best defenseman on this
team. Kris Russell has struggled since signing his contract extension, but the
drop off in play could be attributed to a nagging injury or perhaps an
incomplete healing of his sprained knee. Smid and Wotherspoon have presented a
really intriguing pairing going forward for the Flames. Both are effective
shutdown blueliners with average puck moving ability and have been good
together, so far. This could be the birth of a reliable shutdown pairing for Calgary in the future

Joni Ortio has shown me more than Curtis McElhinney, Hernik
Karlsson and Leland Irving ever did and I have confidence that he can become at
least an average starter in the NHL. Right now, every puck he stops is a
valuable learning experience and leading the Heat in the playoffs at seasons
end in Calgary
will further equip him to arrive here in the fall and legitimately compete for
the starting job.

The Coyotes have rebuilt their offensive group fairly well
the past few years, currently boasting a very respectable Top 6. Mike Ribeiro
has been a Flame killer to #winningculture supporters hope the Flames can find
a way to shut him down, while #tankmode loyalists won’t mind seeing him run
around and pot a few. Mikkel Boedker has finally come into his own after a few
stale development years and is all kinds of fun to watch with the puck. Calgary will no doubt
have their hands full containing the hardworking, skill saturated Coyote
forward ranks. I hope McGrattan fights Chipchura because it’s always fun when
McGrattan fights someone.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to get better with every
stride and is paired with  impeccably
responsible Zbynek Michalek. Along with the Yandle-Morris pairing, the ‘Yotes
are able to roll two very solid two-way pairings that can contribute at both
ends of the ice. All 4 of the aforementioned blueliners pack solid shots as
well so Joni Ortio can expect to see a clapper or two tonight. Always good to
see former Hitmen captain Michael Stone playing, as well; great guy.

Mike Smith has had an up and down season, failing to recreate
the magic of two seasons ago. Nonetheless, he’s been good of late and can steal
games on any given night. The Flames will need to send bodies to the net and
score early to knock the big netminder off his game.

The Flames head into the desert with the money against them,
but that’s true of any game the Flames have played this year. The Coyotes are
both the better team, and the most in need of points, but that makes the
outcome of this match up is far from predetermined. The Flames will come out of
the gates bubbling with energy and will put their noses to the grindstone and,
well, grind. If the Coyotes can’t match that work ethic and energy, we’re in
line for another upset special.