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Game #8: Flames at Kings Game Thread

After a surprising start to the season, the Flames are unsurprisingly struggling on their California road trip thus far against their new Pacific Division rivals. Tonight, they're at the Staples Centre to take on the LA Kings.

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Calgary Flames
@ Los Angeles Kings

Monday, Oct 21, 2013, 8:30 PM MST
Staples Center

The Opposition: Jewels from the Crown

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: The Fan 960

Complete Coverage >



The Flames are having a pretty miserable time on their five-game road trip so far, and things don’t get any easier tonight in Los Angeles. After nearly coming back in Saturday’s eventual 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Flames will do what they can to stop the bleeding tonight in LA, but it won’t be easy.

The Kings are 6-3-0 and have won two straight games coming into this evening’s contest. The team seems to have rediscovered its mojo after early season losses to the Jets and Rangers and a more recent 5-1 thrashing courtesy of the Lightning. However, Jonathan Quick has allowed just three goals in his past two games, and the Kings put five past Dan Ellis on Saturday night.

Unsurprisingly, Anze Kopitar is leading the pack so far with eight points in nine games, although he has yet to score a goal. Jeff Carter and Justin Williams are tied for the team lead in that department, with four a piece.

For the Flames, it is being reported that former King Mike Cammalleri skated with the team in warm-up and looks ready to slot back into the lineup tonight:

Cammalleri’s presence will certainly boost the Flames and add some modicum of stability to their top six, which has been something of a rotating door this season as the Flames attempt to juggle injuries and ice the best lineup they can with the healthy players they have. This means Roman Horak, who was called up by the Flames yesterday, likely won’t get to play tonight. Cammalleri’s addition to the lineup likely won’t be enough to beat the Kings–Saturday’s game proved that many of the team’s problems have their roots on the Flames’ blueline–but it won’t hurt either, unless he’s not 100% healthy.

Projected Lines and Pairings:

LA:

Brown-Kopitar-Williams

Carcillo-Richards-Carter

King-Stoll-Lewis

Clifford-Fraser-Nolan

Regehr-Doughty

Mitchell-Voynov

Muzzin-Greene

Quick

Then again, the Kings are playing Daniel Carcillo on the second line, so maybe the Flames have a better chance here than I originally thought. But they also continue to employ Brian McGrattan.

Flames:

Glencross-Backlund-Stempniak

Galiardi-Colborne-Cammalleri/Horak

Baertschi-Monahan-Hudler

Bouma-Street-McGrattan

Giordano-Brodie

Russell-Wideman

O'Brien-Butler

Breen

Ramo

Chris Breen was also re-called by the Flames yesterday, and is apparently a game-time decision as well. Perhaps he will be inserted into the lineup to remedy the nightmare pairing of O'Brien and Butler.

Go Flames!

by Hayley Mutch