Preview: Calgary Flames vs Arizona Coyotes 11/30/17 (25/82): Mike Smith Won’t Be Hyped For This At All

Calgary Flames vs Arizona Coyotes, 7 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

It’s game two of the Flames 4 game home stand as they welcome the NHL’s worst team, the Arizona Coyotes to the Saddledome. This is the first regular season meeting between the two and you have to think Mike Smith has had this game circled on his calendar from the minute he joined the Flames. Calgary is looking to get back into the win column after a turnover filled loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. If there was ever a team to get back on the right track against, you’d think it would be this version of the ‘Yotes, but as Calgary has shown this season, you never really know.

What to say about Arizona? The Coyotes are the worst team in the NHL, sitting dead last in the West with 16 points. They have an NHL worst 17 losses and they’ve given up 97 goals in 27 games. They’re “headed” in the right direction as the Desert Dogs have put a few in the win column lately. In the middle of the month Arizona put together a modest 3 game winning streak, which must have seemed like winning the Stanley Cup after they started the season with 11 straight loses and didn’t get a regulation win until November 16th. Their season started October 5th. Think the Coyotes miss Mike Smith? Smith is 11-8-1 with the Flames. Antti Raanta, Scott Wedgewood, Adin Hill, Louis Domingue and Marek Langhamer. That’s who’s played between the pipes for Arizona this season with Raanta owning the best record of 4-5-2.

Calgary and Arizona had a contentious rivalry last season, but the Flames took the season series 4-1-0. While the games were physical, Calgary took care of business where it mattered most: in the win column.

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 1 Toronto Maple Leafs 4

The Flames last took to the ice on Tuesday night and got sloppy and then got beat 4-1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Stone got the Flames only marker and Mike Smith got dealt some bad luck, giving up 3 goals on 29 shots. Here’s our recap and the highlights from NHL.com

Arizona Coyotes 2 Edmonton Oilers 3 (OT)

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Arizona went to either overtime or a shootout. Arizona’s latest extra time disaster came at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night 3-2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the game winner, sending Arizona to their second straight loss. Five For Howling has the recap and NHL.com provides the highlights.

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Mike Smith (G). Smith has been the Flames rock and up until recently he was the only reason Calgary was winning games. The current Flames netminder spent 6 frustrating seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona franchise before landing with the Flames. If he starts (like he wouldn’t) it will be interesting to see how aggressive he plays against his former team.

Arizona Coyotes

Clayton Keller (C). Keller is one of the few bright spots in the desert this season for the Coyotes. The 7th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft leads the Coyotes in points and goals on the season. His +/- is horrible, but he’s a kid and the team surrounding him isn’t very good. He hasn’t found the back of the net in his last 5 games, but he does have 3 assists.

by Mark Parkinson