Arizona Coyotes at Calgary Flames [Game 47]

The Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes are set to square off at the Saddledome. Tonight’s game is a schedule loss for the Coyotes as they played last night against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton while the Flames are rested at home having last played against Florida Panthers on Friday. This presents the perfect opportunity for the Flames to get two points and create some separation between themselves and the San Jose Sharks who are suddenly just a single point back.

Mike Smith gets the puck tonight against his former team. Smith has struggled mightily this season, but this is the correct call. If Smith cannot defeat a lottery team playing in a schedule loss on the road, then the Flames are in more trouble than they would care to admit with their backup spot. They might even be in more trouble than they care to admit with their backup spot either way, but David Rittich cannot play in every game.

There’s not much to report in terms of lineup changes. The only expected change is Garnet Hathaway drawing in for Austin Czarnik. Hathaway has some horrible possession metrics and it’s befuddling that the team continues to turn to him as he’s not brought much of anything to the table.

Puck drop is at 7:30 P.M. M.S.T.

UPDATE: Travis Hamonic is out due to a family illness and will be replaced with Dalton Prout.

by Les Mavus