The Calgary Flames (16-18-4, 36 points) have bounced back somewhat from their rough first 13 games, and a big part of that has been their play at home. After a big home win over Edmonton on Saturday, they’ll try to keep things rolling when they host the Boston Bruins (20-18-1, 41 points), a team that’s struggled lately and is looking for a bounce-back effort of their own to snap a losing skid.

Today’s broadcast begins at 7 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Yegor Sharangovich – Nazem Kadri – Joel Farabee
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato
Connor Zary – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg – John Beecher – Adam Klapka

Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar
Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

We’re projecting Dustin Wolf to start in net, backed up by Devin Cooley. The projected extra skaters are Justin Kirkland and Brayden Pachal. John Beecher is rotating back in just in time to play his former team.

The Flames have played pretty well lately and gotten favourable results. They’ve won three of their last four, four of their last six, and seven of their last 10. Moreover, they’re 10-5-2 at home, putting the 10th in home points percentage this season. Since Nov. 2, they’re 9-2-1 at home – third in the NHL.

The Flames are not a perfect hockey club, but they’re doing what they need to do to grind out wins lately.

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff (and Belle Fraser):

Alexander Steeves – Elias Lindholm – Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson
Murat Khusnutdinov – Fraser Minten – David Pastrnak
Mikey Eyssimont – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic

Nikita Zadorov – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Jonathan Aspirot*
Mason Lohrei – Andrew Peeke

The projected starting netminder is Jeremy Swayman, backed up by Joonas Korpisalo. The projected extra skaters are Vladislav Kolyachonok and Jeffrey Viel. The Bruins have shuffled their forward lines almost completely following their most recent loss. It looks like former Wranglers blueliner Jonathan Aspirot will play, but he’ll need to be activated from the injury reserve to do so.

The Bruins have lost five in a row (going 0-4-1), and they’ve also dropped six of their last seven (going 1-5-1). They’re a team that, on paper, should be less streaky than they are. But man, they’ve struggled recently and been finding ways to lose hockey games. They’re a team that’s definitely due for a turn in their fortunes.

The Flames are without Martin Pospisil, Zayne Parekh, Sam Honzek and Jake Bean.

The Bruins are without Jordan Harris, Henri Jokiharju and Tanner Jeannot.

This is the first of two meetings between these teams this season. They’ll close things out in Boston on Jan. 8.

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