Flames at Blues Game Thread

The Flames take on the St. Louis Blues tonight for the first time since Jay Bouwmeester was traded before deadline day for Mark Cundari, Reto Berra and a first round pick (which is now solidified for the Flames as the Blues have clinched a playoff spot). Bouwmeester has one goal and six points in 12 games with the Blues this season, and will be headed to the playoffs for the first time in his 11-year NHL career. Tonight will also be Cundari’s first game against the team that traded him.

The last time the Flames played the Blues was also Jarome Iginla’s last game in a Flames uniform. Iginla scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis on March 24th. Calgary lost 5-2 to the Blues in their only meeting prior to that this season back on February 15th.

After the Flames sat the majority of their “experienced” players in Tuesday’s loss to the Nashville Predators, Mike Cammalleri, Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak, Mikael Backlund and Tim Jackman all return to the lineup for the Flames tonight, as does Brett Carson. The goons will return to their rightful place in the press box tonight, and Roman Cervenka argued his case for remaining in the lineup in the best way possible with two goals against the Preds.

The Blues are on a tear with a 7-3-0 record in their past ten games and are looking to be a formidable opponent for whomever faces them in the first round of the playoffs, but TJ Oshie being out for the rest of the season is certainly not helping their cause.

Lines and Pairings:

Flames:

Cammalleri-Stajan-Stempniak

Baertschi-Backlund-Hudler

Byron-Horak-Cervenka

Reinhart-Jones-Jackman

Giordano-Wideman

Brodie-Cundari

Carson-Butler

MacDonald

I still have no idea why the heck the Flames called up Leland Irving. Maybe he plays tomorrow.

Blues:

Schwartz-Backes-Steen

McDonald-Sobotka-Stewart

Perron-Berglund-Tarasenko

Cracknell-Porter-Reaves

Bouwmeester-Pietrangelo (what a mouthful for the play-by-play team)

Leopold-Shattenkirk

Russell-Polak

Elliott

Go Flames.

by Hayley Mutch