Game Preview: Flames vs Chicago Blackhawks

CALGARY FLAMES (23-22-6 52 points) vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (29-16-7 65 points) GAME #52

PREVIEW:

The Flames enter tonight’s game against the Blackhawks much like they did against the Red Wings. For the second straight game they host a team that will come into the Dome coming off an embarrassing loss. That is the case for the Blackhawks who surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 8-4 to Sam Gagner and the Edmonton Oilers last night. The Flames will have to take advantage of the Hawks playing back-to-back games. This is the 4^th and final meeting between the teams with Chicago leading the series 2-1. Both teams victories have come on home ice, so if that trend continues, the Flames are in good shape heading into tonight’s match-up.

Unfortunately home ice isn’t the cure all for the Flames heading into tonight’s game against the Hawks with scoring once again being a hot topic. In 7 of 12 games in January the Flames scored one goal or less. I have beaten this dead horse game preview after game preview but things haven’t improved for the Flames in the goal scoring department.

Injuries have of course played a factor as top six forwards like Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross have missed significant time. Add Lee Stempniak to the list, who suffered a high ankle sprain against the Wings and will be out at least 6 weeks, and the Flames scoring depth continues to thin out.

In to replace Stempniak is 30 year old rejuvenated Krys Kolanos, who is fresh off signing a contract with the Flames after being on an AHL deal with the Abbotsford Heat. Kolanos has revived his career this season, leading the Heat in scoring (34GP 18G 22A 40PTS) while getting rave reviews about his two-way game which has hampered him in the past. Kolanos will be thrown into the fire right away as he will centre the Flames second line with Mike Cammalleri and Blair Jones. Kolanos who was born and raised in Calgary will also have 100+ family and friends at the Dome to watch him play, so the spotlight can’t get much brighter in his return to the NHL.

As good of a story that Kolanos is, being a hometown boy and all, in my opinion the Flames are really digging deep signing Kolanos to a contract. Not saying Kolanos hasn’t earned it but when was the last time a 30-something year old who put up good numbers in the AHL was able to do the same in the NHL? Names like Darren Haydar, Keith Aucoin and Alexander Giroux come to mind. All three have averaged well over a point-per-game in their AHL careers while only playing a handful of games in the NHL (none have even reached the 82 game mark). I truly hope Kolanos proves me wrong for himself most importantly but also for the Flames and Flames fans.

At the end of the day, the Flames have a long road ahead of them with 31 games remaining and sitting 5 points out of the last playoff spot. Injuries are no excuse but when you don’t have excessive talent in your top six and young budding talent to bring up when injuries do build up, you’re going to be in tough. The Blackhawks are a great example, when Patrick Sharp went down with a wrist injury; Andrew Shaw came up and filled in admirably with 8 points in 13 games thus far. The Blackhawks come into the Dome pissed off, let’s just hope the Flames can score more than one goal tonight.

PROJECTED LINES:

Flames:                                                                        Hawks:

1-TANGUAY-JOKINEN-IGINLA                         `           1-STALBERG-TOEWS-KANE

2-CAMMALLERI-KOLANOS-JONES                            2-SHARP-MORRISON-HOSSA

3-BOUMA-BACKLUND-COMEAU                                3-SHAW-BOLLAND-KRUGER

4-KOSTOPOULOS-STAJAN-JACKMAN                       4-BRUNETTE-MAYERS-BICKELL

1-BOUWMEESTER-BUTLER                                       1-KEITH-SEABROOK

2-GIORDANO-HANNAN                                                2-HJALMARSSON-LEDDY

3-BRODIE-SARICH                                                      3-MONTADOR-SCOTT

1-KIPRUSOFF                                                               1-EMERY

2-KARLSSON                                                                2-CRAWFORD

EXTRA- BABCHUK                                                      EXTRA- FROLIK, O'DONNELL, LEPISTO

INJURIES:

Flames: RW- Lee Stempniak (Ankle) LW- Curtis Glencross (Knee- IR), C- David Moss (Lower Body-IR), D- Derek Smith (Ankle-IR)

Hawks: LW- Dan Carcillo (Knee- IR)

STATS:

Flames

Hawks

PP-

Flames: 17.8% (15^th)

Hawks: 18.4% (11^th)

PK-

Flames: 83.3% (12^th)

Hawks: 78.3% (27^th)

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS:

DID YOU KNOW?

• Last ten games: Flames- 5-4-1, Hawks- 5-3-2
• With his start tonight, Miikka Kiprusoff will break Mike Vernon’s all-time Flames record for games played for a goaltender.
• Kiprusoff has a mediocre 11-13-1 record in 30 starts against the Blackhawks
• Kiprusoff continues to sit 2 wins shy of 300.
• Matt Stajan is 3 goals away from 100. (Will it ever happen?)
• Brendan Morrison makes his return to the Saddledome tonight; just 8 days after the Flames dealt the veteran to Blackhawks for AHL defenseman Brian Connelly. Morrison hasn’t recorded a point in just two games with the Hawks.
• The Blackhawks goaltending has been below average recently. Corey Crawford is 0-3-1 in his last 4 outings with a .864 save percentage. Ray Emery hasn’t been much better with a .789 save percentage on 19 shots in two relief appearances.
• The Blackhawks come into tonight’s game after a humiliating 8-4 loss to the Oilers. The Blackhawks are lucky they won’t have to face the Oilers in the playoffs as they have been outscored 17-6 in their last two meetings.
• Sam Gagner registered 8-points in last night’s victory over the Blackhawks, becoming only the 13^th player in NHL history to reach the mark joining the likes of Darryl Sittler (10 points), 99 and 66.

GAME DAY QUOTE:

"Krys has been one of our best players in Abbotsford and has done everything we’ve asked of him to earn this opportunity, he has worked hard on being a responsible two-way player and we look forward to him contributing to our success at both ends of the ice."

– Jay Feaster on Krys Kolanos