Preview: Calgary Flames vs LA Kings 10/7/19 (3/82): No Love Loss Between Doughty & Tkachuk

Calgary Flames vs LA Kings, 7 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

TV: SNW – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Calgary Flames 1-1-0 (2 pts) – LA Kings 0-1-0 (0 pts)

NHL Standings

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we’re off. The Flames and Kings will meet tonight at the Saddledome as Calgary looks to climb above .500 and send their divisional rivals home with a record of 0-2-0.

There’s zero love loss between these two teams and really, it’s mainly just Tkachuk and Doughty. These two have been going at it since Tkachuk hit Doughty with a, shall we say, “borderline” (?) cheap shot two seasons ago. Since then the Flames and Kings rivalry has heated up and the drama between these two hasn’t cooled off. The funny part is, Tkachuk has been taking the high road, not saying a thing. Sure, Doughty was pushed a little on Monday to comment, but he took the bait and ran with it. It’ll be interesting to see how much nonsense happens on the ice tonight with the Flames having more muscle in the form of Milan Lucic. Looch currently leads the NHL in penalty minutes with 21 in only two games.

The Kings opened up with the Edmonton Oilers and they allowed the other team from Alberta to hang six on them in their season opener. It’s weird to look at a stat line with Jonathan Quick’s name in it and see numbers like 6.21 GAA and a Save% of .806. Quick surrendered the six goals on 31 shots, two of those on the PP. The Kings are in a weird spot as they aren’t getting any younger. Their average age across the board is 31.0 years old and in real life that’s not old, but in sports life that’s getting up there.

Last season the Flames and Kings played four times with the Flames going 3-1-0, easily taking the season series. These two split at the Saddledome, while Calgary took both games in LA. Records and stats are nice, but with the re-newed spark of Doughty/Tkachuk these games take on an entire new level of interesting.

Starting Goalies (E=Expected, C=Confirmed)

Flames: Rittich (E): 1-1-0, 2.02 GAA, .938 Save%

Kings: Quick (E): 0-1-0, 6.21 GAA, .806 Save%

Team Leaders

Flames: Goals: Gaudreau (2) Points: Gaudreau (5) PIM: Lucic (21) Save%: Rittich (.938)

Kings: Goals: Kopitar (1) Points: Kopitar (3) PIM: Brown (2) Save%: Quick (.806)

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 3 – Vancouver Canucks 0

LA Kings 5 – Edmonton Oilers 6

Players To Watch

Flames: Johnny Gaudreau (F): 2 goals & 3 assists in last 2 games

Kings: Anze Kopitar (C): 1 goal & two assists opening night

by Mark Parkinson