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Flames vs. Canucks preview: Johnny Gaudreau gets to take a break

Just a couple of players are playing back-to-back tonight, and Gaudreau isn't one of them as he gets his first night off of the preseason.

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5 years ago

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There are no breaks. Congrats, Flames, last night, you defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 in overtime in a thriller in Sylvan Lake. Tonight you have to play the Canucks. Tomorrow night as well. Preseason is endless and has no mercy.

Here is tonight's projected Flames lineup:

Left Wing Center Right Wing
Sven Baertschi Sean Monahan Devin Setoguchi
Michael Ferland Sam Bennett David Jones
Brandon Bollig Matt Stajan Garnet Hathaway
Kenny Agostino Bill Arnold Lance Bouma
Left Defense Right Defense
TJ Brodie Mark Giordano
Mark Cundari Dennis Wideman
Nolan Yonkman Keegan Kanzig
Raphael Diaz Ryan Culkin
Goalies
Jonas Hiller
Brad Thiessen

  • Of this group, only Baertschi, Ferland, and Diaz played last night. We don’t know who the extra defence pairing is, so there is a chance Diaz gets to sit tonight. Baertschi and Ferland are still competing for spots, though, and it looks like the Flames brass wants to see more of them. It’s probably a good sign.
  • Baertschi and Monahan started last season on the same line and performed well together. It’d be great to see that chemistry reunited, possibly even long term.
  • Setoguchi was day-to-day with a lower body injury after getting knee on knee’d by Nail Yakupov, so it’s good to see he’s apparently okay.
  • I don’t know what to say beyond that first line. This is Bennett’s return to action since suffering a groin injury in the final game of the Penticton tournament. Monahan definitely has the higher quality wingers with him.
  • The Hathaway love continues. He’s been a great story throughout camp. The Brown grad has seriously impressed at every turn, and even gets the chance to play with the team’s most veteran centre. All from an AHL contract and camp invite. The Flames currently sit at 45 contracts (before signing Diaz, because come on, they’re going to sign Diaz), so there’s certainly room for him. Think he’ll get an NHL deal?
  • Agostino makes his preseason debut. Still absolutely no word about Ben Hanowski. Morgan Klimchuk has been fine, but man, that Jarome Iginla trade return is really not looking so hot.
  • Yonkman and Kanzig aside, that’s a much more mobile D group. So Yonkman and Kanzig probably aren’t going to be the extra pairing.
  • Karri Ramo remains out with minor injury, so Hiller and Thiessen are splitting time again: Hiller with the first two periods, and Thiessen to close it all out.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. MT at the 'Dome. The game will also be broadcast on SN360.

by Ari Yanover

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