New York Rangers (12-4-1) at Calgary Flames (10-6-3)
When: Thursday, 7 p.m. MT, Scotiabank Saddledome
TV: Sportsnet One. Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan
Odds: Flames +138, Rangers -170
The buzz
The Flames are struggling to score — but picking up points anyway — and it’s not going to get any easier against the Rangers, one of the stingiest squads on the circuit. The Blueshirts are surrendering just 2.41 goals per game so far this season, fourth-lowest in the NHL. As Nazem Kadri, Andrei Kuzmenko, Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary and other Flames forwards attempt to snap out of their scoring slumps, they will be in tough against one of the NHL’s top netminders. In February, the last time that these teams hooked up, Rangers stalwart Igor Shesterkin pitched a 30-save shutout.
The Flames, despite their scoring woes, have collected at least a point in six of their past seven outings (4-1-2) and have back-to-back wins to start this homestand. With Tuesday’s 4-3 victory in Vancouver, the Rangers improved to 7-1-0 on the road. They roll into Calgary with a .735 point percentage, fifth-best in the NHL this fall.
The quote
“I think we have to get greasier. You have to pay a price to score goals. I mean, goaltenders in this league are too good. If there’s not second, third, fourth efforts in front of them, if the traffic isn’t there, if their sightline is easy for them to pick up pucks, they’re going to make saves all the time. And most teams have big defence. Most teams, you see guys that are 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 and they don’t make it easy on you to get inside. So if you want to score a goal, you’re going to have to pay a price. When you look at our players and the guys that aren’t scoring right now, where they scored goals in the past is typically right around the net. Andrei (Kuzmenko) is a great example of that. So get there. You want to score a goal, you have to get to that area. I don’t think it’s a magic recipe or you have to find seam passes or back-door tap-ins. You have to get greasy.”
— Flames head coach Ryan Huska, whose team has scored a grand total of four goals in a three-game stretch
The poll
Who is your favourite player to boo on Saddledome ice?
a) Drew Doughty, Kings
b) Adam Fox, Rangers
c) Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers
d) Any Edmonton Oiler
The news
- Flames netminder Dustin Wolf has stopped 57 of 58 shots in his past two games. Does that mean a third consecutive start for the 23-year-old masked man? We’ll find out at Thursday’s morning skate.
- The Flames, averaging a measly 1.89 goals per game during the month of November, made one tweak to their forward lines during Wednesday’s practice, swapping Blake Coleman and Yegor Sharangovich. Coleman was working the right wing with Connor Zary and Jonathan Huberdeau, while Sharangovich was on the left side of Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato. Flames coach Ryan Huska wasn’t ready to commit to sticking with those combos against the Rangers, perhaps not wanting to tip his hand.
- Rangers forward Filip Chytil, who has missed a pair of games due to injury and visited a specialist to rule out a concussion, will reportedly meet the team in Calgary.
- Friends and family of Rangers ruffian Matt Rempe will have to wait a while longer for his first NHL game in his hometown rink. The 22-year-old Rempe, who became an instant fan favourite in the Big Apple when he burst on scene last winter as an always-willing-to-go rookie, is currently in the minors.
- The Flames are hosting their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night, which is presented by Mayfair Diagnostics. A special pre-game ceremony will include six children from Kids Cancer Care’s PEER Program.
The projected lineup
- Forwards
- Pospisil-Kadri-Kuzmenko
- Huberdeau-Zary-Coleman
- Sharangovich-Backlund-Coronato
- Lomberg-Rooney-Kirkland
- Defence
- Bahl-Andersson
- Weegar-Miromanov
- Bean-Pachal
- Goalies
- Wolf
- Vladar
- The injuries
- Anthony Mantha (knee)