Calgary Flames at Dallas Stars [Game 64]

			-AT-
			6:30 PM MST
Radio	Network		Arena		Network	Radio
960 AM CFAC	SN		American Airlines Center		FS-D	96.7 FM KTCK
League	Value		Metric		Value	League
14th	57.9%		Points Percentage		59.7%	11th
16th	16.82%		Net Power Play Percentage		14.89%	24th
19th	81.82%		Net Penalty Kill Percentage		83.89%	14th
19th	98.64%		Combined Special Teams Percentage		98.78%	17th
16th	2.89		Goals for per Game (All Situations)		2.97	14th
16th	2.94		Goals against per Game (All Situations)		2.65	5th
15th	.08		Penalty +/- per Game (All Situations)		-.37	27th
6th	52.43%		Shot Attempt Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted)		51.73%	10th
7th	52.72%		Scoring Chance Percentage (5V5 Score Adjusted)		51.56%	11th
16th	99.89%		P.D.O. (5V5)		100.60%	13th
19th	7.31%		Shooting Percentage (5V5)		8.05%	11th
13th	92.58%		Save Percentage (5V5)		92.55%	14th
Data from Hockey-Reference.com and Natural Stat Trick
The Enemies’ Lair
Defending Big D

The Calgary Flames hit up Texas to take on the Dallas Stars as both teams hunt for one of the final spots in the Western Conference playoffs. The Flames are narrowly on the outside looking in with the Los Angeles Kings tied with them in games played and points, but having the advantage in regulation or overtime wins. The Stars are one point ahead with one game in hand and one more regulation or overtime win.

The Flames will be adding one of their new deadline acquisitions into the lineup in waiver pickup Chris Stewart. He’ll slot in along side Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan while Sam Bennett heads back to the third line. Point blank, this is an absolutely God awful decision by Glen Gulutzan and company – Stewart has been woeful for the better part of half a season and comes in with worse possession numbers than every Flame forward this season except for Ryan Lomberg and Freddie Hamilton (who was waived in his own right). A player with worse possession numbers than Curtis Lazar, Troy Brouwer, and Tanner Glass doesn’t deserve a roster spot, much less a chance to play with Gaudreau and Monahan and that he’s now on the roster holding back one of the many, many players in Stockton that have proven their worth is a absolute disgrace.

On a more fun aside, two 200 CM goalies will go up against one another in Jon Gillies and Ben Bishop. Gillies has been a bit of a net negative in net for the Flames, but David Rittich has seen his dSV% fall to 54th out of the 63 netminders with at least 500 minutes played – that’s not ideal at all. A good performance here could result in a bit of a controversy over who stays and who goes once Mike Smith gets back.

Puck drop is at 6:35 P.M. M.S.T. for this one.

by Les Mavus