Los Angeles Kings v Calgary Flames (Saddledome)
Time: 7:00 PM
TV: TSN, KCOP-13
Enemy reading: Matchsticks & Gasoline | Flames Nation
Flames (projected) lineup:
Byron-Cammalleri-Hudler
Glencross-Monahan-Colborne
Bouma-Stajan-McGrattan
Van Brabant-Galiardi-Westgarth
Brodie-Giordano
Butler-Russell
Billins-Cundari
Ramo
Injured: Dennis Wideman, Markus Granlund, David Jones, Ladislav Smid, Mikael Backlund, Tyler Wotherspoon; Scratched: Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski
Kings (projected) lineup:
Gaborik-Kopitar-Williams
King-Carter-Toffoli
Pearson-Stoll-Brown
Clifford-Richards-Lewis
Muzzin-Voynov
Mitchell-Martinez
Campbell-Greene
Quick
Injured: Drew Doughty, Robyn Regehr?; Scratched: Jordan Nolan?
Game Notes:
- I thought I had used up all of my not caring against the Canucks but it turns out that I have vast reserves of not caring, because I do not care even more about the Flames than I did about the Canucks. I fact, I don’t even care enough to figure out if that preceding sentence even made sense.
- Remember when the Flames traded Jarome Iginla for a first-round pick (good)…and two unsigned college players (less good?) And those two players were Kenny Agostino and Ben Hanowski? The team has an entire lineup full of players injured, and guess who’s still scratched?
- In totally unrelated news, I really hope the Canucks hire Jay Feaster.
- Karri Ramo is single-handedly ruining the “be bad for ekblad”/”don’t give a damn for sam” efforts of the Flames, posting stellar showings against the Lightning and the Devils recently (even as the Devils scrambled to keep their faint playoff hopes alive). Maybe he’ll be great again tonight. Maybe he won’t. The world is a vast and indifferent place.
- (Okay, I admit that “don’t give a damn for sam” isn’t my best work, but also I…wait for it…don’t give a damn.)
- This is from the Flames Nation preview of tonight’s game: “The Kings need wins. Badly. They’ve lost three of four and in the process have tumbled from well ahead of Minnesota to tied with them, although that has zero playoff impact. But during a stretch where they should be playing strong playoff-style hockey against prospective playoff opponents, they’ve stumbled….They just don’t seem to have it right now, which is likely incredibly worrying for the team from Hollywood.” lol
- ~Fun With Numbers~ from Extra Skater. The Kings are way better than the Flames. Duh. Another thing of note: every regular Kings defenceman except Robyn Regehr has a more favourable O/D-zone start percentage than Anze Kopitar and he is still magnificent. Also, I am totally on board the Giordano 4 Norris train (and I believe I’ve mentioned previously in these previews that he is a)great and b)basically the only great player on the Flames right now).
- Prediction: Kings win, probably?
- Whaaaaaatever.