Calgary needs win over division rival
The Calgary Flames could point to their last two games as the reason they?re currently on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They could also blame their performance this season against the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche can improve to 5-0-0 against their Northwest Division rivals and notch their fourth consecutive win overall as the desperate Flames visit the Pepsi Center on Wednesday night.
A four-game winning streak earlier this month helped Calgary (34-26-9, 34-35 SU) briefly take control of eighth place in the West, but the Flames have slipped back out of postseason position after totaling two goals in back-to-back losses. Sunday?s 3-1 defeat at Northwest Division-leading Vancouver wasn?t as crucial for the Flames as their 2-1 home loss Monday to Detroit, which has moved three points ahead of Calgary in the standings.
?I hope there?s some guys disappointed in there. There better be,? Calgary coach Brent Sutter said. ?We found ways to lose two games here when we need to find ways to win games.? The Flames are 37-23 in road games after scoring two goals or less in three straight games.
The Flames? offense, which ranks among the worst in the NHL (28th) with 2.48 goals per game, has not gotten any help from its power play, which is 0 for 13 in the last four games. Calgary had a four-minute power play while tied with the Red Wings in the third period, but managed just two shots.
?You?d like to find ways to get a goal, but also get scoring chances and keep momentum, so that was definitely a missed opportunity,? said Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who leads Calgary with 64 points but has none in three consecutive contests.
Colorado has held Iginla without a point in the teams? last two meetings, with the Avalanche extending their winning streak over Calgary to six. The only point the Flames have earned against Colorado this season came in their 2-1 shootout loss in the most recent meeting Jan. 11. The Avalanche?s Craig Anderson made 44 saves and stopped two of three attempts in the tiebreaker to improve to 4-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average against Calgary this season.
?We show up every time we play (the Flames),? Avalanche forward Chris Stewart said following that game. ?Every time we play them we have a little bad taste in our mouth. It?s a four-point (swing) and these are the points that are going to count later on, down the stretch.? Stewart?s words seem prescient now that Colorado has a nine-point lead on the Flames.
The Avalanche (40-23-6, 40-29 SU) finished last in the West last season, but are now in fifth place following their third consecutive victory, 5-3 at St. Louis on Tuesday and they are 13-6 after a win by two or more goals this season.
Center Paul Stastny had his fifth goal in his last three games and added two assists, while newcomer Peter Mueller had two goals and an assist, giving him at least one point in all seven games with Colorado acquiring him from Phoenix on March 3. Mueller has four goals and seven assists in that stretch after totaling 17 points in 54 games with the Coyotes.
?It?s amazing what happens when you get a chance,? Mueller said. ?It?s one of those things where I wanted to come in here and show that I can contribute.?
Colorado, which has totaled 24 goals in its last five games, used its latest offensive outburst in support of backup goaltender Peter Budaj, meaning Anderson should be back in net Wednesday. He had started 23 straight games before Tuesday. The Avs are 10-4 after scoring three goals or more in three consecutive games.
Calgary?s Miikka Kiprusoff is 0-4-1 with a 3.00 GAA in his last five starts against the Avalanche after winning seven of his previous nine in the series.
The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have pegged Colorado as -115 money line favorites with total of 5.5 and puck line (-1.5) +230. The Avalanche is 7-2 against defensive teams allowing 2.55 or less goals a game this season and 13-4 UNDER on home ice after three-game unbeaten streak over the last two years. Calgary really needs to pull it together quickly and this is the right kind of opponent to do so against. Unfortunately the Flames are 4-12 revenging consecutive losses to opponent as a favorite and are 2-6 in last eight visits to Mile High City.
This Northwest Division encounter begins at 9:05 Eastern on TSN and ALT, with Calgary 17-5 UNDER after three or more consecutive Under?s this season.
Line ? Colorado -138 and Under
The Calgary Flames could point to their last two games as the reason they?re currently on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They could also blame their performance this season against the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche can improve to 5-0-0 against their Northwest Division rivals and notch their fourth consecutive win overall as the desperate Flames visit the Pepsi Center on Wednesday night.
A four-game winning streak earlier this month helped Calgary (34-26-9, 34-35 SU) briefly take control of eighth place in the West, but the Flames have slipped back out of postseason position after totaling two goals in back-to-back losses. Sunday?s 3-1 defeat at Northwest Division-leading Vancouver wasn?t as crucial for the Flames as their 2-1 home loss Monday to Detroit, which has moved three points ahead of Calgary in the standings.
?I hope there?s some guys disappointed in there. There better be,? Calgary coach Brent Sutter said. ?We found ways to lose two games here when we need to find ways to win games.? The Flames are 37-23 in road games after scoring two goals or less in three straight games.
The Flames? offense, which ranks among the worst in the NHL (28th) with 2.48 goals per game, has not gotten any help from its power play, which is 0 for 13 in the last four games. Calgary had a four-minute power play while tied with the Red Wings in the third period, but managed just two shots.
?You?d like to find ways to get a goal, but also get scoring chances and keep momentum, so that was definitely a missed opportunity,? said Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who leads Calgary with 64 points but has none in three consecutive contests.
Colorado has held Iginla without a point in the teams? last two meetings, with the Avalanche extending their winning streak over Calgary to six. The only point the Flames have earned against Colorado this season came in their 2-1 shootout loss in the most recent meeting Jan. 11. The Avalanche?s Craig Anderson made 44 saves and stopped two of three attempts in the tiebreaker to improve to 4-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average against Calgary this season.
?We show up every time we play (the Flames),? Avalanche forward Chris Stewart said following that game. ?Every time we play them we have a little bad taste in our mouth. It?s a four-point (swing) and these are the points that are going to count later on, down the stretch.? Stewart?s words seem prescient now that Colorado has a nine-point lead on the Flames.
The Avalanche (40-23-6, 40-29 SU) finished last in the West last season, but are now in fifth place following their third consecutive victory, 5-3 at St. Louis on Tuesday and they are 13-6 after a win by two or more goals this season.
Center Paul Stastny had his fifth goal in his last three games and added two assists, while newcomer Peter Mueller had two goals and an assist, giving him at least one point in all seven games with Colorado acquiring him from Phoenix on March 3. Mueller has four goals and seven assists in that stretch after totaling 17 points in 54 games with the Coyotes.
?It?s amazing what happens when you get a chance,? Mueller said. ?It?s one of those things where I wanted to come in here and show that I can contribute.?
Colorado, which has totaled 24 goals in its last five games, used its latest offensive outburst in support of backup goaltender Peter Budaj, meaning Anderson should be back in net Wednesday. He had started 23 straight games before Tuesday. The Avs are 10-4 after scoring three goals or more in three consecutive games.
Calgary?s Miikka Kiprusoff is 0-4-1 with a 3.00 GAA in his last five starts against the Avalanche after winning seven of his previous nine in the series.
The oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have pegged Colorado as -115 money line favorites with total of 5.5 and puck line (-1.5) +230. The Avalanche is 7-2 against defensive teams allowing 2.55 or less goals a game this season and 13-4 UNDER on home ice after three-game unbeaten streak over the last two years. Calgary really needs to pull it together quickly and this is the right kind of opponent to do so against. Unfortunately the Flames are 4-12 revenging consecutive losses to opponent as a favorite and are 2-6 in last eight visits to Mile High City.
This Northwest Division encounter begins at 9:05 Eastern on TSN and ALT, with Calgary 17-5 UNDER after three or more consecutive Under?s this season.
Line ? Colorado -138 and Under
