Oh boy, here we go...
Pertinent info:
Bertuzzi out with concussion.
Regehr down with a knee injury.
Friesen has a bad torso.
Amonte is getting visibly older by the second.
I like Kristian Huselius.
Stuff to watch for:
Calgary crease-crashing -
We all know Hasek is a good goalie. We also know he's kind of a basket-case. He helped the Flames win the last game of the year between the two clubs by doing a belly-flop in the crease in an attempt to draw a penalty. Ol' loudmouth himself, JR, proclaimed to the world on TSN the other night that Hasek is vulnerable to fits of rage should he detect even the slightest encroachment upon his precious personal space.
As such, I'm hoping to see some Calgary asses pressed firmly into the Dominator's face tonight. The odd brush of an elbow wouldn't hurt either. If Playfair has a brain in his head, you'll see the likes of David Moss and Wayne Primeau glued to the blue paint whenever the Flames are in the Red Wings neck of the woods.
Home-Ice Advantage -
Calgary is lacking Robyn Regehr while Detroit will be getting a rested Henrik Zetterberg back into their line-up. Missing Reggie makes the Flames even more susceptible to line-matching: the de facto top pairing becomes Phaneuf and Hamrlik (not as capable), while Warrener most likely moves up into a top 4 position. THAT means Hale and Zyuzin/Giordano will be getting the 10 minute spot duty this evening, which is a little scary.
While I think Playfair will try to keep Warrener and Stuart out against Zetterberg and Datsyuk, I've no doubt Babcock will find ways to match his top unit against the weaker links on occasion. Hale and partner will be sheltered, but let's hope they're able to hold the fort the odd times they see Zet/Dat/Holm bearing down on them.
Jarooommmmeee Iginla -
Iggy's got a supporting cast this post-season - probably for the first time in his career. Now we get to see what he can do with it. Despite all the talk about increased scoring and added parts, Iginla is still the straw that stirs the drink in Calgary. If he comes out to play like he did against Vancouver in '04, even Lidstrom and Draper will have issues containing him. I'm hoping for a big game from the captain tonight.
Matthew Lombardi -
According to Duncan (or, rather, the Windsor Star), Lombardi skated on the 2nd line with Langkow and Huselius in the most recent practice. Lombo is the Flames fastest players and has the ability to expose weaker defensemen when he's driving wide to the net. If Lombo plays well, he can augment the 2nd unit's potency which may be key to generating offense on the road.
Pavel Datsyuk -
Hit him early, hit him often. If the Flames can disrupt Datsyuk's mojo right away, they may be able to thrust him back into his established play-off rut, thereby neutralizing Detroit's best play maker. Something like this might do the trick:
Or this:
Or this:
Or, when Reggie returns, this:
(Good luck, comrade)
It's gonna be a good one tonight...
Go Flames!
