The Calgary Flames are hoping to finish off their home schedule in a strong fashion tonight when they play for the final time this season at the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Anaheim Ducks (7 pm, Sportsnet 960 and Sportsnet Flames). Could it be the final game at the ‘Dome for Miikka Kiprusoff? That question won’t be answered anytime soon, but if the answer is yes, fans will have an opportunity to show their appreciation tonight.
No one is sure quite what to expect tonight. The Flames were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday night after Columbus became the eighth team to reach 49 points this season; Calgary’s maximum amount of points is 48. The Ducks, on the other hand, are fairly set in the number two seed in the Western Conference, so there may not be a ton of motivation on their side. That said, both the Kings and Sharks are suddenly breathing down Anaheim’s neck for top spot in the Pacific Division, sitting just five points back. The Canucks are also just five back for the second spot in the conference.
Calgary Flames 17-22-4, 13th Western Conference
- Sven Baertschi-Matt Stajan-Lee Stempniak
- Curtis Glencross-Mikael Backlund-Jiri Hudler
- Mike Cammalleri-Roman Horak-Roman Cervenka
- Brian McGrattan-Max Reinhart-Tim Jackman
- Mark Giordano-T.J. Brodie
- Chris Butler-Cory Sarich
- Anton Babchuk-Brett Carson
The lines above are a reasonable guess knowing the lineup changes in store for the team tonight. On the blueline, Dennis Wideman will miss out thanks to a broken finger suffered against the Red Wings on Wednesday. As a result, Babchuk will re-enter the lineup for just the fifth time this season. Few believe he’ll be back in the NHL next season, so every game he plays could very well be his final with the team. Calgary has also recalled Mark Cundari from Abbotsford on an emergency basis; he won’t play tonight, but will likely debut against the Wild on Sunday.
Up front, the Flames will welcome McGrattan back to the lineup after he missed six games with a shoulder injury. With him coming back, Ben Hanowski will take a seat this evening. Some lingering injuries will keep Steve Begin out of the lineup which is the reason Roman Cervenka will get himself back with the group. Begin was the offensive leader on Wednesday, scoring twice against the Red Wings.
Miikka Kiprusoff gets the start in net after his outstanding performance two nights ago. Kiprusoff made 36 saves, including a number of the highlight variety, to preserve Calgary’s victory while giving us a look at a vintage performance. If this does end up being his final game in Calgary, you can expect a show of appreciation at some point from the Flames faithful.
Anaheim Ducks 27-10-6, 2nd Western Conference
- Kyle Palmieri-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry
- Andrew Cogliano-Saku Koivu-Bobby Ryan
- Teemu Selanne-Matthew Lombardi-Matt Beleskey
- Emerson Etem-David Steckel-Daniel Winnik
- Ben Lovejoy-Toni Lydman
- Francois Beauchemin-Sheldon Souray
- Sami Vatanen-Bryan Allen
It seems like the Ducks are running into the typical issues a team runs into near the end of a season where they’re going to finish with a high seeding. They’ve gone 2-3-1 over their last six games and all of a sudden have a little bit of company near the top of the Pacific Division. The red hot play of both the Kings and Sharks have moved them within five points of Anaheim with just four games remaining for all three teams. The Ducks will likely lock it up, but it’s a whole lot closer than it was.
Tonight will be Selanne’s 900th game as a member of the Anaheim organization, and many wonder if this will be his final trip to Calgary. However, we’ve wondered that the last number of seasons, so there’s no telling if he’ll be back next year or not. His 900 games with the Ducks is more than anyone has in the history of the franchise; he has 11 goals and 23 points in 43 games this season.
It sounds like Jonas Hiller will get the start tonight for the Ducks.