Home Comfort? - Flames vs Canucks Game 3 Preview

Vancouver Canucks @ Calgary Flames - 8PM MT

CBC, NBCSN (TV), OMNI (Punjabi TV), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Radio)

I never saw that coming. It looked like the Flames were about to fall in game two with little more than a whimper (recap/stats), until the Rogers Arena turned into the Flavian Amphitheatre. All of a sudden, game three has a narrative and the Flames have a point to prove.

With the series tied at one, the Flames' destiny is still very much in their own hands. The victory in game one means that if the Flames win their remaining home games, they are through to the next round. That'd be pretty cool.

On the off chance he's reading this, hi Bob Hartley. In need of a team talk before the game? Try this:

"It looked like they were trying to get that going for a few shifts before," Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa said of the rough stuff at the end. "That ‘Ferklund’ or whatever his name is was running around trying to get something going. It’s not the first time we have seen that in playoffs. We have played against Ben Eager and some other dumb-dumbs like that before. So we know how to handle that."

- Vancouver Sun (link)

Dumb-dumbs? Ferklund? How very dare you!

I've seen people on Twitter call for blood in game three. I'm not sure about that. It hasn't made me want to see the Canucks get hurt. It's made me want to see the Canucks get beaten, and beaten badly. I want two tip-top professional performances in these two games, to swing the series firmly in the Flames' favour.

Ignoring all the physicality and silliness, it is about time the top line made an impression on the series. Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau had their first career playoff points on Kris Russell's consolation, but other than that the Jiri Hudler line has been pretty anonymous in the first two games. Maybe a return to home ice will reignite the magic.

Worrying signs mid-way through period two of game two when Sam Bennett left the bench with a potential recurrence of his shoulder injury. He returned in the third but his ice time was minimal - probably a good thing with how it played out. Bennett himself says he's 100%, so here's hoping it was more precautionary than necessary, and that he'll take the ice in game three.

For all he has been berated all season, Deryk Engelland has truly stepped up to the plate this series. No, he's not great, but he was good in game one and stood up for his team in the melee of game two. It's nice to see a veteran stand up and be counted, and at this point he'd have been a miss if the instigator penalty had not been removed

As for that Ferklund kid... yet again Michael Ferland had another starmaking showing. He needs to get a bit more streetwise, and maybe choose his hits more carefully, but the exuberance of youth has seen him blossom at the start of this series. Personally, I wouldn't try to curb him yet. He's been the impetus of most things good so far, and any attempt to change his style of play right now might negate his use.

Playoff Leaders

Potential Starting Lineups (subject to change)

Just remember, whatever happens, Deryk Engelland has some sage advice for you: