Flames in LA tonight. It's these kinds of games I hate most when the team is on a winning streak: you see, it's tougher to get up for a non-divisonal, bottom-feeder opponent. For example, it was the 14th place Chicago Blackhawks that stopped Calgary's (9 game) winning streak in it's tracks in November '05.
Anyways, for all their losing, the Kings have a pretty good looking squad. Kopitar, Cammallari, Nagy, Handzus, Calder, O'Sullivan, Frolov and Brown make for an impressive front line. The defense isn't too shabby on paper either: Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart and Johnson. Of course, goaltending is LA's achilles heel. Laberbera has decent numbers (2.76 GAA, 0.913 SV%) while the back-ups are all abysmal (JS Aubin, Jon Quick).
LA has allowed the 2nd most goals against in the league going into this evening (135 GA) and are the worst team in the WC by 6 points (yes, even Edmonton and Phoenix are better). And that's despite winning 3 of their last 4. Ouch. They do, however, have the ability to score some goals (117 GF in 42 games) and a couple of their youngsters are dangerous every time they hit the ice (Cammalleri, Brown and Kopitar). If fatigue, complacence or mediocre goaltending afflict the Flames tonight, chances are the winning streak will come to an end.
Note - It was inevitable. Adrian Aucoin is hurt. meaning Rhett Warrener will be back in the line-up tonight. That's a bit of hit to the Flames PP, not to mention the fact that Warrener will likely be step or two behind the play given he's missed a lot action thanks to his injury. Expect Eriksson to get way too many minutes tonight (sigh). In addition, it looks like Boyd might be drawing back into the line-up at the expense of the increasing useless Wayne Primeau (anti-sigh).
If you're hankering for a view from a Kings perspective, go visit Rudy Kelly over at Battle of California.
