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Calgary Flames

Flames at Coyotes Preview

The Flames are on a two-game winning streak. The Coyotes are fighting to make the playoffs. They play against each other tonight.

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Coming off a third period comeback and shootout win the night before, the Flames immediately set off to Phoenix to take on the Coyotes. Tonight will decide the season series, which is tied at two games a piece.

Calgary Flames (27-33-7, 6th in the Pacific Division)

A two-goal effort by still-present Mike Cammalleri and shootout goals by noted rookies Sean Monahan and Corban Knight saw the Flames top the Stars last night, in yet another example of the whole “this team just doesn’t give up” theme the Flames have going this season. It was fun!

Joni Ortio is expected to get the start after sitting last night, his first break after five straight games.

Fun fact: Joey MacDonald is currently the oldest player on the Flames roster at 34 years of age. Only nine players on the Flames are above the age of 30, so this team is still really, really young. And having these young players not only experience winning in the NHL, but being crucial parts of it, is worth the potentially worse draft pick.

Phoenix Coyotes (31-25-11, 4th in the Pacific Division)

The Coyotes, meanwhile, are currently two points out of a playoff spot with an extra game played. This should be one of their winnable games on the schedule, so expect them to come out hard. They lost their last game, which was against the Bruins, 2-1, in which our old friend Best Player of All Time Oh God Please Come Back Some Day PLEASE Jarome Iginla scored the game winning goal.

Despite being eighth in the league on the powerplay, the Coyotes haven’t been scoring much with the man advantage as of late. Radim Vrbata has been good for them, though, scoring six points, including four goals, in his last five games. Shane Doan, meanwhile, is just coming off his 1,300th game played – yet another factor highlighting the difference in age between these two teams, because nobody on our side is even close to 1,000.

This is the Coyotes' first game back from a .500 road trip, and apparently their 10 millionth fan will be at tonight's game. The Yotes' attendance struggles have been long documented, so congrats to them!

Be sure to go to Five For Howling for all your Coyotes game day news!

Puck drop is 8 p.m. MT on Hockey Night in Canada. Paul Bissonnette and Mike Smith are the expected guests for After Hours.

by Ari Yanover