How fortunate, that a team that had been near the basement of the conference is just now getting hot, as the Blues roll into town. The Flames have just one more point (52) than the Blues, but are on the upswing. They are riding a streak, now having won 3 in a row, and getting points in 8 of their last 10 games. The Flames are actually playing like they want to make the playoffs; is it too much to hope a little of that can rub off on some of the Blues players?
Fire / Jimi Hendrix Experience
I happen to really dig the goal celebration at the Calgary arena .. just don't stand TOO close to that fire...
The Enemy: After a rotten start that got the GM shown the door (awkward for little brother Brent, the head coach), the Flames have started to turn things around. The interim GM, Jay Feaster has just put former Blue Craig Conroy out on waivers, leading some to think that this is the first steps toward an actual rebuild. Meanwhile, the Flames have managed to put points on the board. The leading scorers are the names you'd expect: Jarome Iginla (46 pts), Alex Tanguay (37), Rene Bourque (28), and Olli Jokinen (28). However, those same players are also a combined -40. The goaltending has looked mighty human, too. The ol' workhorse Miikka Kiprusoff has a 2.79 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
Further Reading:
Blues vs Flames coverage
The Blues are still out west, so the puck doesn't drop until 9:00 PM St Louis time. The broadcasts are on the usual outlets: FSMW TV and KMOX 1120AM for radio. The GDT should drop shortly before the puck does. Until then, consider this your pregame warmup: gather here, huddle together for warmth, reminisce about the Sutter dynasty, and enjoy one of the finest moments of Blues-Flames history...
The Monday Night Miracle (1986) BLUES 6-5 FLAMES (via heatonrd)
LGB!
-CrossCheckRaise