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Gameday: Calgary Flames at Ottawa Senators
From ESPN.com:
Flames-Senators Preview
Even with a comfortable lead atop the Northwest Division, the Calgary Flames are aware they can't afford another defeat like their last one.
The Flames, looking to bounce back from an ugly performance, open a season-high seven-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
Calgary (37-19-6) has earned points in nine of its last 10 games (7-1-2), but fell 8-6 to visiting Tampa Bay on Sunday night -- the first time it allowed that many goals since a 9-4 defeat at Nashville on March 18, 2006.
Captain Jarome Iginla had two goals -- including his 400th -- and three assists, while Michael Cammalleri added a goal and two assists for the Flames, who led 4-2 during the second period before the eventual loss.
"It's a wakeup call for us," said Craig Conroy, who had a goal and an assist. "If we try to run and gun, that's not the way we're going to win games."
That's also true if Calgary plans on extending its lead over second-place Vancouver in the Northwest. The Flames have an eight-point advantage on the surging Canucks as they begin a 12-day trek that ends March 14 in Toronto.
Calgary has won four straight on the road, its longest such streak since reeling off six in a row from Dec. 9-18, 2007.
It's a run the Flames will be trying to continue behind Iginla, who also surpassed Theo Fleury as the franchise's all-time scoring leader with his 834th point Sunday.
Iginla, who leads Calgary with 46 assists and 72 points, has six goals and seven assists in his last six contests. Meanwhile, Cammalleri -- first on the team with 33 goals and second with 63 points -- has four goals and four assists during a three-game point streak.
Cammalleri had an assist in the Flames' 6-3 home win over Ottawa on Dec. 27 that was their fourth straight overall versus the Senators (23-28-10).
Calgary failed to contain Tampa Bay, but might be able to limit Ottawa's offense, which is last in the league with 152 goals.
The Senators -- whose 56 points are the fourth-fewest in the NHL -- have lost consecutive games after a 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Toronto.
Rookie Brian Elliott gave up the decisive tally 33 seconds into the extra period, and Ottawa slipped to 1-3-2 following a season-high five-game winning streak from Feb. 7-16.
Looking to re-energize the Senators' offense, interim coach Cory Clouston adjusted his top lines in Monday's practice. Ryan Shannon was moved to the first line with Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, while captain Daniel Alfredsson joins Mike Fisher and Nick Foligno in the second group.
"A lot of it has to do with who we're playing (Tuesday) and how we want to match lines with them," Clouston told the Senators' official Web site. "We wanted to make sure we had at least one guy who we felt was generating some energy and had some intensity on each line."
Heatley has been doing his part with eight goals and three assists in his last nine games. He tops the Senators with 30 goals and 57 points.
Ottawa is 1-1-1 thus far on its season-high eight-game stretch at Scotiabank Place, but 5-2-1 with three ties all-time at home against Calgary.
Flames rookie Brandon Prust is out indefinitely due to a concussion suffered after
taking an elbow from Minnesota's Derek Boogaard in Friday's win over the Wild.
From Hockey Capital, James Gordon/The Citizen:
THE QUOTE: “Poor start, battle back, gain the lead, take a penalty with four minutes left, and give up a couple of goals like that at the end — I don’t know what else to say. We’re not a good enough team to have one or two bad goals against. We need everybody, including from our goaltender straight on out, to be a lot more consistent.” – Clouston, giving the Cliffs Notes version of Saturday’s demoralizing 4-3 defeat.
THE SICK BAY: Senators – RW Chris Neil (leg, indefinite), C Cody Bass (shoulder, indefinite), D Alexandre Picard (lower body, indefinite). Flames – LW Rene Bourque (ankle, indefinite), D Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out for season), C Daymond Langkow (hand, questionable), LW Andre Roy (concussion, questionable), D Mark Giordano (shoulder, indefinite).
From ESPN.com:
Flames-Senators Preview
Even with a comfortable lead atop the Northwest Division, the Calgary Flames are aware they can't afford another defeat like their last one.
The Flames, looking to bounce back from an ugly performance, open a season-high seven-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
Calgary (37-19-6) has earned points in nine of its last 10 games (7-1-2), but fell 8-6 to visiting Tampa Bay on Sunday night -- the first time it allowed that many goals since a 9-4 defeat at Nashville on March 18, 2006.
Captain Jarome Iginla had two goals -- including his 400th -- and three assists, while Michael Cammalleri added a goal and two assists for the Flames, who led 4-2 during the second period before the eventual loss.
"It's a wakeup call for us," said Craig Conroy, who had a goal and an assist. "If we try to run and gun, that's not the way we're going to win games."
That's also true if Calgary plans on extending its lead over second-place Vancouver in the Northwest. The Flames have an eight-point advantage on the surging Canucks as they begin a 12-day trek that ends March 14 in Toronto.
Calgary has won four straight on the road, its longest such streak since reeling off six in a row from Dec. 9-18, 2007.
It's a run the Flames will be trying to continue behind Iginla, who also surpassed Theo Fleury as the franchise's all-time scoring leader with his 834th point Sunday.
Iginla, who leads Calgary with 46 assists and 72 points, has six goals and seven assists in his last six contests. Meanwhile, Cammalleri -- first on the team with 33 goals and second with 63 points -- has four goals and four assists during a three-game point streak.
Cammalleri had an assist in the Flames' 6-3 home win over Ottawa on Dec. 27 that was their fourth straight overall versus the Senators (23-28-10).
Calgary failed to contain Tampa Bay, but might be able to limit Ottawa's offense, which is last in the league with 152 goals.
The Senators -- whose 56 points are the fourth-fewest in the NHL -- have lost consecutive games after a 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Toronto.
Rookie Brian Elliott gave up the decisive tally 33 seconds into the extra period, and Ottawa slipped to 1-3-2 following a season-high five-game winning streak from Feb. 7-16.
Looking to re-energize the Senators' offense, interim coach Cory Clouston adjusted his top lines in Monday's practice. Ryan Shannon was moved to the first line with Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, while captain Daniel Alfredsson joins Mike Fisher and Nick Foligno in the second group.
"A lot of it has to do with who we're playing (Tuesday) and how we want to match lines with them," Clouston told the Senators' official Web site. "We wanted to make sure we had at least one guy who we felt was generating some energy and had some intensity on each line."
Heatley has been doing his part with eight goals and three assists in his last nine games. He tops the Senators with 30 goals and 57 points.
Ottawa is 1-1-1 thus far on its season-high eight-game stretch at Scotiabank Place, but 5-2-1 with three ties all-time at home against Calgary.
Flames rookie Brandon Prust is out indefinitely due to a concussion suffered after
taking an elbow from Minnesota's Derek Boogaard in Friday's win over the Wild.
From Hockey Capital, James Gordon/The Citizen:
THE QUOTE: “Poor start, battle back, gain the lead, take a penalty with four minutes left, and give up a couple of goals like that at the end — I don’t know what else to say. We’re not a good enough team to have one or two bad goals against. We need everybody, including from our goaltender straight on out, to be a lot more consistent.” – Clouston, giving the Cliffs Notes version of Saturday’s demoralizing 4-3 defeat.
THE SICK BAY: Senators – RW Chris Neil (leg, indefinite), C Cody Bass (shoulder, indefinite), D Alexandre Picard (lower body, indefinite). Flames – LW Rene Bourque (ankle, indefinite), D Rhett Warrener (shoulder, out for season), C Daymond Langkow (hand, questionable), LW Andre Roy (concussion, questionable), D Mark Giordano (shoulder, indefinite).
