The Flames will have plenty of reasons to be mad if they lose this one tonight, their second contest in less than a week against the very same Winnipeg Phoenix Coyotes that they dropped a 3-0 decision to last Thursday in Glendale. After two straight losses, the Flames need to get back to their winning ways, and quick, as all the teams still contending for a playoff spot below them--Nashville, Anaheim, and arguably Minnesota--all have at least one game in hand.
In what is most certainly old news by now, the Western Conference standings are ridiculously tight. The Flames currently sit two points behind the Coyotes, ground that could be made up tonight with a victory. The home side's situation is made all the more complicated by the injury to centre David Moss, who was spotted at the Saddledome in a walking cast/boot by members of the media today.
While both Curtis Glencross (personal) and Olli Jokinen (flu) will play tonight after missing practice yesterday wile Freddy Modin (back) is still a game-time decision, and with the speculation that Alex Tanguay will be filling the role of first line centre, Brett Carson could move up to forward if Modin can't go.
Miikka Kiprusoff will start in net for the Flames after recording a loss in his last start against the Canucks while Ilya Bryzgalov will counter for the 'Yotes. Bryzgalov recorded a victory against his Scandinavian opponent in Henrik Karlsson the last time around and will look to do the same tonight; he's 8-7-0 against the Flames for his career and 3-0 against them this season.
Enjoy the game everyone and hope that Moss makes a miraculous recovery therefore rendering a Kotalik call-up unnecessary in the comments. Go Flames.