Game Day setup, five things to watch
1. KINGS RISING ...
Perhaps the Flames chose the wrong time to drop into Los Angeles for two straight at the Staples Center. Consider the fact Darryl Sutter and crew have won eight of their last 10 games (out-scoring opponents 38-23) and 10 of their last 13 (out-scoring opponents 46-28. They’ve won seven of their last eight games at home for a sparkling record of 8-2-1 in the friendly confines of the Staples Center. Not that the coach is overly impressed, of course. “Got lots of work to do,” he said after Saturday’s 6-2 thrashing of the Calgary Flames. “As a team … individually we have lots of work to do. If you break it down by position, by who plays with who, they’ve got lots of work to do.”
2. WHO CAN STOP JEFF CARTER?
No one, apparently. The former Philadelphia Flyer/Columbus Blue Jacket has 11 goals in his last 10 games and 13 goals in the last 13 games. “It’s kind of funny every time he has a puck, he shoots. It doesn’t matter where he shoots it from, it could be from the neutral zone,” said goalie Jonathan Quick. “I feel like the fans expect it to go in. So he’s playing great hockey for us. You know he’s scoring big goals and he’s one of the leaders on the team and we need him to do that and he’s one of the biggest reasons why we are in the standings where we are right now.”
3. THE BOOK ON BACKLUND ...
Tonight marks the second game back for Calgary C Mikael Backlund after missing 14 games with a knee injury. Over the weekend, Bob Hartley positively raved about the Swedish centre. “You look at the start he gave us,” Hartley said.” You look at the attitude ... I had heard about every single player and the scouting report that I got on Mikael Backlund is definitely not the same Mikael Backlund as I met in my office, that I saw on the ice. I saw a mature young man that probably learned from many experiences. And I count on him. I like him a lot. I think he’s going to do great things for us.”
4. FUTURE WATCH ...
Flames fans in agony over this two-game losing streak can take solace in the box score from a 7-2 Boston College victory over this week. Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau collected six (!) points. The diminutive forward has 46 points in just 31 games.
5. FANTASY ALERT ...
If he’s available, pounce on Kings D Slava Voynov. The Russian blueliner collected three assists Saturday against Calgary and three assists last Monday against Nashville. The 23—year-old has 10 points in the last eight games and seven in the last four.