As usual, the Calgary Flames are playing well at home. That doesn't bode well for the Minnesota Wild.
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Calgary (20-11-4) defeated Ottawa 6-3 on Saturday to improve to 2-0-1 on its season-high five-game homestand. The Flames, who have recorded at least 21 wins at the Pengrowth Saddledome in four straight seasons, are 11-4-3 on home ice this season and practically unbeatable there against Minnesota. The Wild are 3-15-1 with three ties all-time at Calgary, including losses in their last four visits.
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Bourque has four goals with an assist in his last three contests, giving him 14 goals and eight assists in his first season with the Flames, who are 4-0-3 since their last regulation loss at Montreal on Dec. 9.
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While trying for a rare victory in Calgary, Minnesota (17-15-2) also hopes to avoid a sixth straight road loss. The Wild haven't won on the road since a 6-2 victory at Nashville on Nov. 29, and have been outscored 15-6 in their last five contests away from home.
The Wild have been playing really poorly as of late and the Flames need to jump on that. Besides Gaborik, they have zero offensive weapons so if we can score a few early, we can put the game away quickly. I hope Kipper and the D continue their great form and I'd love to see Bourque light it up tonight as well.
It says in The Herald that GlenX is questionable for tonight.
NO GABORIK
Owen Nolan won't play as he's on the Wild's Injured Reserve .
D-men Kurtis Foster and MA Bergeron will also not play tonight.
First of all:
Nice GDT, but I assume that the cooltext.com pictures should be team logos, shouldn't they?
With the setup of the GDT, I suppose you expect a Finnish goalie duel tonite, right? I know that it is a intradivisional game, so one would assume that the Wild's No. 1 gets the nod, but Backstrom played a full 60 minutes last night against a flyin' Blackhawks team, so I can see Lemaire starting Harding against us.
the wild have slipped to last in the division?? Vancouver is only one point behind us, so we have to be able to beat the teams sliding and/or below us. Our offense is doing well so I'll predict a 4-2 score in our favor.
It feels dirty, but go Calgary! Can't have the Wild catching the Oilers...
In this case dirty is good! Should be a good one with the Wild playing awful as they have been I hope the Flames pepper Backstrom early and often to use one of our two games on hand vs the Canucks to try and pull away a little.
Need to get off to a good start tonight. Wild played last night and lost against the Hawks. Jump on them early and try to get an early lead. Definetly a game the flames should win. I think Gaborik is sitting out this game as well.
I'm assuming with Sutter still up that Glencross is a no go tonight. Hopefully he is back for the New Year's eve game against the Oilers.
Does anyone know if it is Harding tonight playing for the Wild? Anyways I am hoping the Flames keep up the strong play. It's inspiring watch them dictate the play and playing up to the ptential that we as fans can see they clearly have. The offense needs to keep up the crash and bang.
Besides Gaborik, they have zero offensive weapons so if we can score a few early, we can put the game away quickly. I hope Kipper and the D continue their great form and I'd love to see Bourque light it up tonight as well.
Pretty foolish to say that there is zero offensive weapons without Gaborik. I think they have someone named Mikko Koivu and a couple others...
Just a simple observation but Dion is gripping to hard right now, he had a couple of point shots that he whiffed on Saturday night, I think the constant scrutiny may be getting to him somewhat.
I hope the Flames pepper Backstrom early and often to use one of our two games on hand vs the Canucks to try and pull away a little.
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Originally Posted by TheGuardian
Should be a good game for the flames, Kipper usually impresses against finnish goaltenders.
No Backstrom tonight guys. Plus it looks as though they will only have 5 d-men tonight.
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Josh Harding starts in nets for Minnesota. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that the Wild will play with just five d-men tonight because Kim Johnsson has returned home for a family emergency and there's no time to call up a replacement from the minors.
Man they are going to be a tired bunch. If they are only using 5 d-men tonight I hope we play the dump and chase game. Throw a few hard hits when going for the puck and their D will be decimated by the 3rd period. All signs point to a Flames W which scares me.
The Wilds record in the Dome is just down right pitiful (3-15-4 All Time). Not to mention that Iggy, Dion and Kipper all have great records agaisnt them. Please even if Backstrom, Johnsson and Gabby were playing I would hardly blink an eyelash.
Now, I most likely really just scared Flames 4 Life.
Woah, nice GDT CH. Same format I see but better organized and prettier .
As for the game: I'd be disappointed if we didn't win. We're going up against a very fragile Wild team and we're currently on a roll. No time like the present to get Kipper his 4th shutout .
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