Welcome to the Game Day Fire Drill, for this, Calgary’s 71st game of the season on March 19, 2010.

In the last 24 hours we’ve learned a lot about revenge games.

The Bruins were allegedly out for blood against the Penguins after Matt Cooke knocked Marc Savard’s brain into another dimension, and they ended up getting the buhjesus beaten out of them in every way except the one Cooke/Shawn Thornton fight two minutes into the game. They looked like garbage. Total garbage.

And now the media types are all like "YEAH LET’S GET REVENGE" and I’m all like "Yeah how bout let’s try for a freakin win instead you idiots."

I get why there’s a need to manufacture hype around a game like this, where the Flames straight-up got it handed to them NINE TO ONE the last time these teams met. But cripes, doesn’t it seem like this game would have enough gravity around it without everyone acting like there’s some psychological need to wash away the stench of that loss in mid-January.

Was it embarrassing? Sure it was. No one could argue otherwise. Does it happen? Yup. More than you’d think. Hell, the Sharks just lost 8-2 to the Stars the other night. So basically what I guess I’m saying is who cares about revenge it’s stupid and accomplishes nothing.

Do you want revenge or two points? Probably can’t have both. Jeez that’s a real tough question.

 

The Calgary Flames (35-26-9 for 79 points. Ninth in the West, third in the Northwest) and the San Jose Sharks (43-17-10 for 96 points. Tied for first in the West, first in the Pacific).

7 p.m. Mountain time and 9 p.m. Eastern time. All other time zones should pay attention when driving.

Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta.

Calgary is 17-16-3 at home this year, and lost to San Jose 9-1 in their last meeting. The Sharks are 21-11-2 at home, but have lost four straight by a combined score of 18-8.

Evgeni Nabokov — But only if you’re a Sharks fan. Dude’s in total meltdown mode or, as everyone else on the planet calls it, "Sharks Playoff Push Mode." The stats: 3-5 in his last eight, with 25 goals against (a 3.39 GAA) on 225 shots, good for a whopping .889 save percentage.

Joe Thornton — Ay yo, Big Joe Thornton, what’s the scoop here buddy? You’re on a line with Patrick Marleau, and the guy’s got 41 freakin goals and then on the other wing is Dany Heatley and he’s got 36 and you’re in the middle goin "Eh I only have like 63 assists." How’s that work, Joe? You should have way more. Me and my third-place fantasy team think so anyway.

Dany Heatley — The All-Star. (language nsfw)

Because Staios has us back on track! Enjoy the game and ride Steve Staios to victory in the comments section.