Calgary Flames vs Montreal Canadiens, 7 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

TV: SNW - Radio: Sportsnet 960

Calgary Flames (11-12-3, 25 pts) - Montreal Canadiens (11-6-7, 29 pts)

NHL Standings

The entire league will get a look at what the new look Flames will appear to be tonight as new coach Darryl Sutter takes over the reigns on the bench for the first time since he was hired by the Flames. Calgary has lost eight of their last eleven and desperately needed some shake up to help correct things and it turned out the HC was what the organization deemed necessary. This will certainly not be a country club or a walk in the park as Darryl Sutter runs a completely different ship than any coach these current Flames have played for (save Milan Lucic who played for Sutter in LA).

What should you expect from the Flames tonight? Who knows. Calgary played a solid 40 minutes under Ryan Huska, the only problem being that was over two games and 120 minutes. I wouldn’t expect the Flames to come out throwing haymakers and playing like a team filled with goons, that’s not their game and shouldn’t be. What Darryl Sutter SHOULD bring to the Flames is some toughness that manifests itself through ALL facets of their game. One thing, outside of effort, that needs to be addressed is the Flames PP. It’s been horrible lately. In their last four games alone Calgary is 3-15 including a painful 1-8 in a 4-3 SOL to Ottawa on Sunday night.

This well rested and newly coached Flames squad returns to the ice tonight to find the Montreal Canadiens waiting for them. Montreal won’t be a cake walk, but they are starting falter. They are currently in fourth place in the North Division, but that’s only four points ahead of sixth place Calgary and they’ve been just as bad as the Flames lately. The Canadiens have only won three times in their last twelve, thought they have been able to secure a point in five of those losses by way of losing in overtime or a shootout. Where Montreal has an advantage is that they play very well on the road. Montreal is 6-1-6 away from home, collecting 18 of their 29 points in other cities across the North Division.

This will be a big test for the Flames to see how they respond to their new coach and if Sutter can get more out of this group and Bob Hartley, Glenn Gulutzan, Bill Peters and Geoff Ward could. Sutter has a winning pedigree and if he can’t get the best out of this group there probably isn’t a coach on the planet that can.

Starting Goalies (E=Expected, C=Confirmed)

Flames: Markstrom (E): 8-7-2, 2.88 GAA, .907 SV%

Canadiens: Allen (E): 4-2-3, 2.31 GAA, .921 SV%

Team Leaders

Flames: Goals- Gaudreau (11), Points- Gaudreau (23), PIM- Tkachuk (28), Save%- Markstrom (.907)

Canadiens: Goals- Toffoli (15), Points- Petry (23), PIM: Chiarot (39). Save%- Allen (.921)

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Montreal Canadiens Coverge: Habs Eyes On The Prize

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 3 - Ottawa Senators 3 (SO)

Montreal Canadiens 1 - Vancouver Canucks 2 (SO)

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Matthew Tkachuk: 7 points in last 5 games

Montreal Canadiens

Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Nick Suzuki (C): 4 points in last 5 games