Last time the Calgary Flames started a season playing an afternoon game it was in Japan and against the same opponent they face Sunday to commence this 2013 NHL campaign.
It was October 9, 1998 in Tokyo where the Flames and San Jose Sharks battled to a 3-3 tie.
The two clubs won’t engage in a tie in this encounter in the Scotiabank Saddledome, but if recent history means anything it’ll be a close game.
All four confrontations between the two last season were decided by one goal with a couple of them going to extra time with each team winning twice. In fact, 11 of the last 14 fixtures have had a one-goal differential with the Sharks prevailing in six of the 11 one-goal decisions.
Miikka Kiprusoff will tie a Flame record starting his eighth-straight season opener. That equals Mike Vernon’s eight-in-a-row from 1986 through 1994. He and the Flames seek their second win in those openers.
It’ll be his 29th consecutive start against the Sharks going back to the beginning of the 2005-06 season. In fact, since he was traded by the Sharks to the Flames in November of 2003, including playoffs, Kiprusoff has started 37 of 38 games against his former team. In those tilts, he branded a 19-14-3 record with three shutouts and a 2.64 GAA.
The Flames will be without two of their three big off-season acquisitions. Winger Jiri Hudler, a free-agent signing from Detroit, is at his home in the Czech Republic following the sudden death of his father. Centre Roman Cervenka, who signed a one-year contract after two strong seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League, is sidelined with blood clot issues. He sustained an injury blocking a shot in Czech on Nov. 23. It’s not known when he’ll make his NHL debut.
Defenceman Dennis Wideman, secured in an off-season deal with Washington and subsequently signing a five-year contract, makes his Flame debut teaming with Chris Butler on defence.