"Things have really gone well on the road. We're really getting the lead quick in road games. The first goal definitely makes a difference on the road, and gives us a big boost. It definitely takes a little wind out of their sails." - Craig Conroy
The Calgary Flames embark on their longest road trip of the 20009-10 season, a six-game, ten-day excursion that takes the team to Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Jose. The club plays three games in the next four nights and three next week before returning home to face Atlanta on Wednesday, December 9th.
The Flames have played extremely well away from the Saddledome, fashioning a 7-1-3 record, with their only regulation loss coming in Columbus the night after the Massacre on Madison in Chicago.
Playing with quiet confidence and a physical edge while utilizing gallant goaltending, timely offense and diligent defensive play has allowed the Flames to overcome the flaws that characterized many of their matches so far this season. The club still struggles in the face-off circle on both sides of the puck, allow too many shots, surrender too many goals in bunches, lose focus when pressured by aggressive fore-checking and stand in the middle of the pack in both power-play (16th) and penalty-killing (22nd).
On the plus side of the ledger, the team has scored first in 18 of the 22 games they’ve played, showcase a goaltender who is consistent, durable and competitive and feature a balanced, well-paced offensive attack. Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich are the only regulars without a goal while eight players have reached double digits in points. Jay Bouwmeester leads all NHL skaters in average ice time, hitting the sheet for an average of almost 27 minutes a night.
Still, the measure of a Stanley Cup-capable club is their ability to not only compete on the road but to excel – which makes this current journey an important gauge in evaluating the depth and capabilities of the current club.
Here’s a preview of the three opponents the Flames will be facing in the next four days.
Game one: Friday, November 27 vs. Detroit
The Wings have lost four of their last six – including three straight at the Joe - are plagued with a plethora of injuries (Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Jason Williams) and have eight forwards in the lineup who are goal-less in at least eight straight games. Henrik Zetterberg leads the team with nine goals and 24 points but no Wing has yet to hit double digits in goals.
Detroit has always posed problems for the two main elements in the Flames lineup – Miikka Kiprusoff has a goals-against-average of 3.76 and a modest 3-3 record in his last six starts against the Wings while Jarome Iginla hasn’t scored against Detroit since 2004. The Wings won the only meeting between the two teams this year – the 3-1 Horror on Halloween that spawned coach Sutter’s skate-til-they-shake marathon on November 2nd.
Game two: Saturday, November 28 vs. Columbus
Blue Jacket bench boss Ken Hitchcock likes to run a tight defensive ship, but so far this season his fleet has been leaky at best and porous at worst. The Jackets have surrendered at least six goals in a game on half-a-dozen occasions – an event that occurred only four times in the entire 2008-09 season - and sixteen regulars are on the deficit side of the plus/minus ledger. Goaltending sensation Steve Mason has been experiencing a sophomore slump, compiling an 8-6-3 record with a lofty 3.50 goals-against-average and mediocre .889 save percentage.
On the plus side, the team stands second in the league in power-play efficiency and when they play to their defensive capabilities, they are a potent, dangerous club. The teams have split the season series so far, with Columbus edging Calgary 2-1 in their first meeting and the Flames undressing the Jackets 6-3 in the return match.
Game three: Monday, November 30 vs. Nashville
The Flames hit Music City just as the Predators are streaking up the charts. On Wednesday, Nashville erased a 3-2 third period deficit and rebounded to slide past the Colorado Avalanche and record their seventh consecutive victory with a 4-3 win. Nashville doesn’t have a single player with more than seven goals (Jason Arnott) or more than 16 points (J-P Dumont) and stand middle of the pack in both penalty-killing (16th) and power-play (18th).
What they do have is a disciplined approach, an enthusiastic mix of youth and experience and a talented Finnish goaltender – Pekka Rinne (11 wins, 2.34 GAA 2 shutouts) – who is challenging Miikka Kiprusoff for the #1 job in Team Finland’s Olympic crease. The Predators have compiled a tidy 14-8-1 record to sit second in the Central Division of the Western Conference.
This will be the first meeting between the two Conference rivals this season. Calgary won all four meetings (5-3, 7-6, 3-2, 3-1) against Nashville in 2008-09.
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