FGD R1-G4: Flames face their Waterloo in Denver (8pm MT, CBC)

After getting thumped in Game 3, the Flames face their potential reckoning in Game 4.

Game 4 of the Best-of-Seven Western Conference Quarterfinal
Colorado leads series 2-1
Puck Drop: 8 p.m. MT
TV: CBC
Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan
Odds: The Flames are slight (-130) favourites, via OddsShark.

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

The only change here is that Juuso Valimaki is drawing in for his playoff debut. He’ll slot in alongside Rasmus Andersson on the third pairing. The two were the Flames’ third pairing to start the season, before a high-ankle sprain in November shortened Valimaki’s rookie year.

Mike Smith starts for the Flames, backed up by David Rittich. Their projected scratches appear to be Jon Gillies, Oliver Kylington, Oscar Fantenberg, Dalton Prout, Michael Stone, Dillon Dube, Alan Quine and Austin Czarnik.

On Tuesday night, the first overall Tampa Bay Lightning were swept by Columbus. The Flames have their backs similarly against the wall heading into Game 4. The Flames have been not good for three games. Tonight’s game is the swing game: a win makes it a 2-2 series and sends the Flames home needing two wins in three games (with two home dates) to advance. A loss makes it a 3-1 series and gives Colorado three chances to eliminate them.

If the Flames aren’t a group playing with some urgency or desperation, the season could end for them on Friday night at the Saddledome.

Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:

Philipp Grubauer starts once again for the Avalanche, backed up by Semyon Varlamov. Their projected scratches are Pavel Francouz, Dominic Toninato, Ryan Graves and Mark Barberio. It’s likely that the Avalanche go with the same lineup as they had for Game 3, aside from Derick Brassard sliding back in and bumping Sven Andrighetto back in.

All the Avalanche need to do is what they’ve been doing for the first three games. They’ve out-worked and out-battled the Flames through virtually every game situation.

Tonight’s referees are Jean Hebert and Steve Kozari. The linesmen are Bryan Pancich and Steve Barton, and the standby officials are Tom Chmielewski (referee) and Brandon Gawryletz (linesman). The series supervisor is Bill McCreary. All of the officials involved in tonight’s game, even the standbys, are new to the series.

The Flames are healthy.

The Avalanche are without Vladislav Kamenev and Samuel Girard.

Your Avalanche Twitter follows for tonight:

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