Flames at Coyotes Game Thread

For the first time this season, the Flames visit the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com arena. Daymond Langkow is retired and Matt Lombardi is injured so there’s no reason for you to like the Coyotes anymore–except for maybe David Moss, who has two goals and six points in 15 games so far this season. But they also have Raffi Torres, and he’s a jerk, so yeah.

Anyway, the Coyotes have rebounded from a somewhat tough start to the season and have gone 6-2-2 in their past ten games to claim eighth place in the Western conference. After being shutout 3-0 by the Nashville Predators on Thursday evening before beating the Blue Jackets 5-3 two days later. The Flames are 0-1 in back-to-back games so far this season and will be looking to rectify that in this game, building on the momentum from coming back from a two-goal deficit against the Dallas Stars last night to win the game.

It was a night of firsts for Matt Stajan, Roman Horak, and Steve Begin(!) last night, as all three scored their first goals of the season. If the Flames are going to win this game, they’re going to have to avoid a repeat of their second period performance against the Stars, in which they allowed three unanswered goals and 22 shots against. They might have a hard time limiting the Coyotes in terms of shots on goal though, as Phoenix ranks fourth in the league in that category with 30.9 shots per game. Despite getting outshot in last night’s game, the Flames also blocked 15 Dallas shots in last night’s game, tied the Stars in faceoff wins, and killed off all three opposing powerplays, so there are some good things to build off of tonight, if they can keep their energy up. Also, the much talked about Czeching Line was finally inaugurated and Danny Taylor gets his first start for the Flames tonight, which is cool.

Lines and Pairings:

Flames:

Cammalleri-Tanguay-Iginla

Glencross-Stajan-Stempniak

Hudler-Horak-Cervenka

Comeau-Begin-Jackman

Giordano-Bouwmeester

Wideman-Brodie

Butler-Sarich

Taylor

Coyotes:

Doan-Vermette-Boedker

Korpikoski-Hanzal-Sullivan

Moss-Gordon-Chipchura

Bissonette-Torres-Vrbata

Michalek-Ekman-Larsson

Klesla-Yandle

Summers-Rundblad

Smith

Go Flames Go.

by Hayley Mutch