Game #40: Flyers at Flames Game Thread

In their final game of 2013 the Flames host the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flames will be looking to light the lamp before the year closes out. They haven't scored since Mark Giordano's goal against the Oilers Blues, having been shutout in the past two games. The newest Flame, Kevin Westgarth, probably won't be able to help out in that regard, but he will add toughness to the team: a quality President of Hockey Operations Brain Burke feels the Flames are lacking.

Well, a line with both Brian McGrattan and Kevin Westgarth would be extremely truculent... for the maybe five minutes they would play. That leaves plenty of ice time for the rest of the roster to get back on the scoreboard.

As for the Flames' defence, Dennis Wideman is close to returning, but will not play tonight. He is expected to make his return in the first game of 2014, when the Flames host the Lightning.

The Flyers are coming off back-to-back shootout wins against the Oilers and Canucks. While off to a horrible start to the year, they've been much better as of late, and are currently third in the (admittedly terrible) Metropolitan Division, which puts them in a playoff spot.

Claude Giroux is the guy to fear tonight, as the Flyers' captain enters this game riding a nine game point streak. During this stretch he has six goals and 17 points.

Here are the projected lines:

Flames:

Cammalleri - Backlund - Byron

Bouma - Stajan - Jones

Hudler - Monahan - Stempniak

Galiardi* - Colborne - McGrattan

Butler - Brodie

Smid - Giordano

Smith - O'Brien

Berra

*If Westgarth is able to make tonight's game, it's likely he'll take Galiardi's spot.

Flyers:

Raffl - Giroux - Voracek

Hartnell - B. Schenn - Simmonds

Read - Couturier - Lecavalier

Rinaldo - Hall - Downie

Coburn - Timonen

Streit - Grossman

L. Schenn - Meszaros

Emery

Go Flames!