Calgary Flames at Arizona Coyotes game preview: Even more Joni Ortio? Yay!

First, a four-game swing through the southwest United States, then, the All-Star break. The Calgary Flames' road trip kicks off with the fourth of five meetings against the Arizona Coyotes. The Flames have already won the season series, having beaten the Coyotes in the first three matchups by scores of 5-3, 3-0, and 5-2. With the Coyotes in the McEichel race and the Flames closer to the playoffs than drafting a generational talent, you know Calgary's gotta have this marked as a must-win. (Fun fact: the Coyotes already swept the Edmonton Oilers this season. How about a .500 record against Alberta?)

While the games against the Coyotes have been fun, you know what else was? Shutting out the Vancouver Canucks, that's what. And that's exactly what the Flames did last game, all the way back on Saturday, Jan. 10. While the Canucks seriously outplayed the Flames, rookie goalie and call up Joni Ortio seriously outplayed the Canucks, earning the first shutout of his NHL career. Thanks to him, all the Flames needed was to score their first goal on their first shot, courtesy of the magnificent and ever-underappreciated Mikael Backlund. | Recap | Stats | Boxscore | Miikka Kiprusoff two-point-oh was up to the task:

Thus far into 2015, the hockey team that resides in the Phoenix area has a 2-3 record, but only their most recent game has been close. 6-3 and 4-1 wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets are exciting, but 6-0 and 5-1 losses to the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators, probably less so. Most recently, the Coyotes fell 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks, the game-winning goal coming early in the third period. Devan Dubnyk started that game. Devan Dubnyk is no longer a Coyote.

Someone who still is a Coyote, however, is Philip Samuelsson. While the Flames have Drew Shore making his Flames debut tonight, Samuelsson is expected to make his Yotes debut. He's a 23-year-old rookie defenceman who has already played five NHL games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has no points. So. Let's not get any ideas about first NHL goals here or anything. (Unless it's Ortio's first NHL goal, that would be awesome.)

For more substantial opposition information, head on over to our friends at Five For Howling.

Game time: 7:00 p.m. MT

Channel: SNW

All-time record: Historically, the Flames are the better of the two teams (that whole three-game win streak might have something to do with it). The all-time record against the Coyotes is 91-76-20-6, and the Flames have a +54 goal differential. The Coyotes can be boring and low-scoring so... that makes sense.

Common threads: David Moss played for the Flames for a while! A seventh round draft pick that came in alongside Craig Conroy, he played 317 games over six seasons for Calgary. He's quietly been a positive possession player throughout his career, but also has this unfortunate tendency to get injured a lot. When deemed unnecessary to retain, the Coyotes decided they liked him, and he's still playing down where a number of Calgarians decide to spend their winters.

Also, General Manager Brad Treliving once had something to do with the Coyotes as recently as, like, nine months ago or so. Then Brian Burke whisked him away, and he seems to be an alright guy. Thanks Phoenix! (They were still Phoenix when he left. I think. Well, they'll always be Phoenix to me.)

Approaching milestones: So we're basically doing a countdown to Mark Giordano's 500th game now. Tonight is game number 493 for him. Remember that time he played a year in Russia because he couldn't get a one-way contract?

Current records and leaders

Possible starting lineups

The recently called up Drew Shore swaps in for Markus Granlund, which makes sense: centre is Shore's natural position so of course he should start off there, and Granlund isn't NHL ready quite yet. (Before you get mad, remember what healthy scratches have done for other prospects this season.)

Mason Raymond continues to be this season's TJ Galiardi, in that despite not being the worst forward available, Bob Hartley inexplicably hates him when he doesn't produce and therefore won't give him ice time. We've improved from last season because instead of Brian McGrattan and Kevin Westgarth now it's just Brandon Bollig, but we're clearly not quite there yet. Also, somebody needs to inform Hartley that Lance Bouma is a fourth liner. Scratching Bollig, dressing Raymond, and putting Bouma on the fourth line just makes way too much sense to actually happen, apparently.

With Devan Dubnyk's trade, the Yotes now have a tandem of Mikes, while with Karri Ramo's injury, the Flames have a Jonias tandem. Ramo should be healthy soon, which means Joni Ortio will be going back to the AHL. Considering how the rookie is coming off a shutout and his return to the minors is imminent, it only makes sense to give the kid another start. Go Joni.