Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames at Tampa Bay Lightning [Game 43]
I'm going to cyber-slap the next person that puts an "E" in "Lightning".
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| -AT- | ||||||
| 5:30 PM MST | ||||||
| Radio | Network | Arena | Network | Radio | ||
| 960 AM CFAC | SN | Amalie Arena | FSFL | 970 AM WFLA | ||
| League | Value | Metric | Value | League | ||
| 16th | 57.1% | Points Percentage | 75.6% | 1st | ||
| 23rd | 13.70% | Net Power Play Percentage | 23.38% | 3rd | ||
| 23rd | 81.75% | Net Penalty Kill Percentage | 84.03% | 14th | ||
| 23rd | 95.45% | Combined Special Teams Percentage | 107.40% | 4th | ||
| 21st | 2.81 | Goals for per Game (All Situations) | 3.72 | 1st | ||
| 15th | 2.88 | Goals against per Game (All Situations) | 2.49 | 2nd | ||
| 11th | .21 | Penalty +/- per Game (All Situations) | .23 | 10th | ||
| 6th | 52.54% | Shot Attempt Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted) | 53.97% | 2nd | ||
| 6th | 52.98% | Scoring Chance Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted) | 55.52% | 1st | ||
| 20th | 99.80% | P.D.O. (5V5) | 102.91% | 1st | ||
| 24th | 6.99% | Shooting Percentage (5V5) | 8.99% | 4th | ||
| 10th | 92.80% | Save Percentage (5V5) | 93.92% | 1st | ||
| Data from Hockey-Reference.com and Natural Stat Trick | ||||||
| The Enemies’ Lair | ||||||
| Raw Charge | ||||||
The Calgary Flames head to the sunny state of Florida to play the state’s good team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hopefully they enjoy their time off-ice while there because Tampa Bay is a nightmare on it. They’re an incredibly tough team to beat especially at home and barring a slip up the Flames will need to play their most complete game of the season to win.
It would be enough if the Lightning had the best possession metrics in the league, but no, they also have the best puck luck to go along with it. They come in first in save percentage and fourth in shooting percentage for the best P.D.O. in the league. As a result, they have the league's best offense to go along with the league's best defense – sprinkle in the fourth best special teams in the league and it's easy to see why they're tops in the league in points percentage.
There won’t be any changes to tonight’s lineup. The decision to call up Marek Hrivik looks more and more curious by the day as he continues to see zero ice time. Instead, Glen Gulutzan continues to roll out Curtis Lazar who looks nothing like an N.H.L. player – ’tis very befuddling.
Mike Smith will be the sacrificial lamb tonight for the Flames. He’ll go up against Andrei Vasilevsky (man, at least half of Tampa Bay’s roster sounds like made up James Bond characters). Vasilevsky is in discussion for the Vezina and Tampa Bay’s decision to ditch Ben Bishop looks brilliant.
The state of Florida uses weird puck drop times and as a result tonight's game will start at 5:35 P.M. M.S.T.
by Les Mavus
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