Flames Look To Salvage Their Road Trip In Carolina

Calgary Flames @ Carolina Hurricnes, 5 PM MT, PNC Arena, Raleigh NC

Calgary Flames 17-9-6 (40 pts) – Carolina Hurricanes 23-7-1 (47 pts)

TV: SNW – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Odds: Calgary (+100) Carolina (-120) O/U: 6

The Flames will try to earn a split on this four game road trip with a stop in Raleigh to face the Carolina Panthers tonight. Sigh. Calgary has dropped two in a row as they are having to run the gauntlet of the three of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. So far the Flames have defeated the Blackhawks 5-1, but reality has settled in as they lost back to back games to the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning by a combined score of 10-3. And these games read exactly like the scores do: not close. Calgary is quickly finding out that they aren’t close to being on the same level with the teams from the Southern US and the gap is growing. The Panthers toyed with the Flames for a bit before putting them away and without Dan Vladar’s performance against Tampa, that game would have been over in the first 10 minutes.

Don’t worry though, the Flames only have to play the Carolina Hurricanes the day after getting creamed by the Lightning and the Canes are on a nice stretch of five days off thanks to a Covid cancelation. They have also won eight of their last nine and allowed only 14 goals in the eight wins. If you hop into the way back machine, you will also remember that Calgary lost Carolina 2-1 in OT back on December 9th in a game where they mustered only 26 shots on goal.

The Flames have played well in Carolina recently, winning three out of their last four games, but those weren’t the Hurricanes Calgary will run into tonight. This version of the Canes is a powerhouse that can score at will, have a solid defence and are getting fantastic goaltending from Frederik Andersen. So, you know, no big deal tonight in Carolina.

Puck drop is at 5 PM MT from PNC Arena.

Starting Goalies (E=Expected, C=Confirmed)

Calgary: Markstrom (C)- 12-7-5, 2.15 GAA, .926 SV%

Carolina: Andersen (E)- 17-5-0, 1.91 GAA, .929 SV%

Injury Report

Calgary Flames: None

Carolina Hurricanes: Brendan Smith (Covid/Out), Jake Gardiner (Hip/IR-LT)

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Carolina Hurricanes SBN Coverage: Canes Country (@canescountry)

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 1 – Tampa Bay Lightning 4

Carolina Hurricanes 7 – Columbus Blue Jackets 4

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Oliver Kylington (D): 4 points in last 5 games

Carolina Hurricanes

Teuvo Teravainen (C): 5 points in last 4 games

On The Struggle Bus

Calgary Flames

Nikita Zadorov (D): 3 points in last 13 games

Carolina Hurricanes

Vincent Trocheck (F): 2 goals in last 9 games

by Mark Parkinson