Good way to put that silly Boyd kerfuffle behind us it to focus on the fact that HOCKEY'S BACK BABY. Flames head into the Luongo's house tonight with the goal of winning their first season opener since Christ was a child.
The Canucks were the only team to go undefeated during the pre-season I think (meh) and have also had the Flames number for the last year or so (more relevant). They beat the tar out of Calgary last week, a game in which Luongo already looked in pre-season form and Kiprusoff played like he was trying to be cut. At the very least, the latter half of that equation will have to change if the Flames are to break the opening night jinx.
Anyways, here's the lines from practice this morning according to Inside the Flames:
Bertuzzi-Conroy-Iginla
Cammalleri-Langkow-Bourque
Glencross-Lombardi-Moss
Boyd(!)-Primeau-Roy
Regehr-Aucoin
Vandermeer-Sarich
Giordano-Phaneuf
Aucoin with Regehr? Conroy centering Iginla? Lombardi on the bloody third line again? All I can say is these better NOT be the combinations we see this evening. If Conroy skates more than 2 shifts with Jarome with Lombardi, Boyd and Langkow in the line-up, my head might a'splode.
As for Aucoin with Regehr - can you picture that duo taking on the Sedins? No? Me neither.
What we can expect to see from the Canucks - Sedins with Bernier, Demitra with Raymond and Pyatt and a whole lot of crap from Burrows, where ever he is in the line-up. Im sure they'll run that strangling game-plan to perfection against as well.
Kipper's play is making me nervous and the Flames stink at opening night. Still, it's good to be watching the real thing again.
PREDICTION - the curse continues. 5-2 Canucks with Iginla and Boyd (heh) scoring for the good guys.
Go Flames. Prove me wrong.
PS - make sure to check out and harrass Waiting for Stanley and Yankee Canuck.
