After playing in the chilly outdoors on Saturday, the Calgary Flames (6-5-2, 14 points) are headed to a distinctly different climate for their next game: Raleigh, North Carolina. The Flames are making their annual visit to the Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-1, 15 points) to make sure that Dougie Hamilton is being properly fed and watered. There will also be a hockey game.
The puck drops at 5 p.m. MT on Sportsnet Flames and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
The Flames
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk
Quine – Monahan – Bennett
Lucic – Backlund – Frolik
Mangiapane – Ryan – Rieder
Quine – Monahan – Bennett
Lucic – Backlund – Frolik
Mangiapane – Ryan – Rieder
Giordano – Brodie
Hanifin – Hamonic
Kylington – Andersson
Hanifin – Hamonic
Kylington – Andersson
After making 43 freakin’ saves in Regina, David Rittich starts again for the Flames (backed up by Cam Talbot). The projected scratches are Michael Stone and Mark Jankowski.
The Flames snatched defeat from the clutches of victory on Saturday in Regina, blowing a 1-0 lead with a late third period penalty and losing in overtime. One hopes it’s a lesson for a group that’s been pretty inconsistent this season, but is still talented enough to stay in most games.
The Hurricanes
Projected lines, via Daily Faceoff:
Svechnikov – Aho – Teravainen
Niederreiter – Staal – Foegele
Dzingel – Haula – Necas
McGinn – Wallmark – Gibbons
Niederreiter – Staal – Foegele
Dzingel – Haula – Necas
McGinn – Wallmark – Gibbons
Slavin – Hamilton
Gardiner – Pesce
Edmundson – van Riemsdyk
Gardiner – Pesce
Edmundson – van Riemsdyk
Petr Mrazek starts for the Hurricanes, backed up by James Reimer. The projected extra is Haydn Fleury.
Once upon a time, the only Hurricanes player that Flames fans could name was Dougie Hamilton. Well, the Hurricanes were really good last year and are really good to begin this season, so maybe start paying attention to ’em. Their top three forward lines are strong and deep, while their defensive group added Jake Gardiner and were able to flip Justin Faulk without getting weaker.
They’re deep. They’re fast. And they’ll have last change against a Flames team that hasn’t played a great 60 minutes of hockey yet this season.
The Numbers
Flames | Hurricanes | |
Wins | 6 | 7 |
Points | 14 | 14 |
Adjusted Corsi | 51.3% | 53.5% |
Power Play | 19.1% | 22.2% |
Penalty Kill | 88.0% | 81.0% |
Injury Report
The Flames are without D Juuso Valimaki (ACL surgery) and F Austin Czarnik (lower body).
The Hurricanes are missing F Jordan Martinook (core).
When Last We Met
The Flames swept both games with the Hurricanes last season. Their last meeting, Feb. 3 in Raleigh, was a 4-3 Flames victory. Elias Lindholm mockingly did the “Storm Surge” clap and everyone got mad about it. You remember.
Know Thy Enemy
Here are some key Twitter peeps to follow for tonight:
