Calgary Flames Host Vancouver Canucks – Pregame Notes

Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames will host the Vancouver Canucks tonight at the Dome. This will be the second of five match-ups between these two teams this season. The first match-up in Calgary was a Canucks overtime win on October 6th with a final score of 5-4. This will be their last meeting at the Saddledome as the rest of their meetings will be on Vancouver ice.

Roberto Luongo is out with an undisclosed injury which means that chances are good that the Swedish goalie Eddie Lack will get the start in net for Vancouver tonight. With a 1.93 GAA and a save percentage of .928, the Canucks are in top form with Lack in net. The Flames will have to dig deep into their offensive play to snipe past the hot goaltender.

Markus Granlund may be able to add some offensive grit to the Flames line-up tonight. The Finnish centerman was called up from the Abbotsford Heat for the first time today to add some much-needed grit to the red line. He’s played 27 games in Abbotsford this season and has tallied 12 goals and 11 assists for the Heat. Hopefully his defensive play has improved and he can help the Flames achieve some defensive offense as well.

Ladislav Smid, who Hartley recently called “a warrior,” is on the attack on the Flames blue line lately. Going into the holiday break, after enduring a few bumps and bruises in the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smid was ranked third on the team in blocked shots with 55. More often than not, he is depended upon to keep pucks out of the Flames net and he is proving, game after game, that he is an asset to the Calgary line-up.

Dennis Wideman is still out with a broken hand after blocking a shot against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 27. So far, he’s missed 14 games, but the defenseman is hoping to be back on the Flames bench soon. It is projected that he could return as soon as later this week.

Puck drop is early tonight, 5:30 pm MT.

Go Flames Go!!