Tampa Bay Lightning at Calgary Flames [Game 36]

The Calgary Flames return to home ice as they look to get back in the win column against the Tampa Bay Lighting in a rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The bout pits the top team in the Atlantic and the top team in the Pacific against each other in a match where the Flames have a rare disadvantage. The Lightning have been rolling all season long despite going weeks without their top netminder. They might be the cream of the crop in the NHL this season.

There were rumours that Mike Smith would get the net tonight against his former club, but Bill Peters is going with David Rittich in what has to be considered a smart maneuver. The Flames will avoid Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight and instead get to fire at Louis Domingue. Domingue is a sub-par starter and this one should be considered a push given his ability in net.

Sam Bennett will return to the lineup tonight as will Ryan Lomberg for some reason. Lomberg has a -31.75 percent CF% relative to the rest of the Flames making him the second worst impact of any NHL player. He should not be here and playing him against a team as dangerous as the Lightning is a prime example of even the best of coaches having their faults. Hopefully it doesn’t cost the Flames.

Puck drop is at 7:00 P.M. M.S.T.

by Les Mavus