(SportsNetwork.com) – The Calgary Flames will try to avoid dropping two games
in a row for the first time in almost a month as they play host on Saturday
night to the New Jersey Devils.
The Flames had a three-game winning streak come to an end with Thursday’s 4-3
loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. It was only Calgary’s third setback in the
past 10 games.
Paul Byron, Sean Monahan and Dennis Wideman scored and Jonas Hiller allowed
four goals on 22 shots. Wideman’s goal was his eighth of the season, most
among all NHL defensemen.
“We don’t want to lose two in a row. We’re in a position to respond,” said
Flames coach Bob Hartley. “We’ve been responding very well since the start (of
the season).”
Calgary is, in fact, 7-0-1 this season in games following a loss, with its
lone losing streak an 0-1-1 span on Oct. 25-28.
The Flames will end a five-game homestand tonight and Karri Ramo is expected
to get the start in net. He is 1-0-3 in his career versus the Devils with a
2.37 goals against average and .931 save percentage in five games (4 starts).
Calgary’s last home game of the month will feature the return of a familiar
face in New Jersey forward Mike Cammalleri.
The 32-year-old has spent 3 1/2 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Flames. He
skated with the club in 2008-09 and posted a career-high 39 goals and 82
points before signing a five-year deal with Montreal the following offseason.
The Flames then re-acquired him in a trade with the Canadiens on Jan. 12, 2012
and he finished out that campaign with 11 goals and 19 points in 28 games with
Calgary.
Cammalleri notched 26 goals and 45 points in 63 points with the Flames last
season and then signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Devils during
free agency.
One notable difference Cammalleri has seen with the Devils is the goaltending
situation. While Hartley has rotated Hiller and Ramo all season, Cory
Schneider set a New Jersey club record on Friday night with his 20th straight
start to begin a season.
The workload didn’t slow down Schneider on Friday versus Edmonton as he made
29 saves in a 2-0 victory. It marked his second shutout of the season and 14th
of his career and came on the night he broke Martin Brodeur’s Devils record of
19 consecutive starts to open the 2001-02 season.
Adam Henrique and Tuomo Ruutu each scored and Eric Gelinas tallied two assists
for the Devils, who snapped a two-game skid and won for the third time in nine
games.
“You look at the standings, you look around the league, we’ve got to get on a
roll here. We needed to start somewhere,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said.
New Jersey wraps a four-game road trip on Tuesday in Vancouver against
Schneider’s former Canucks club. He figures to start that game, but it is
unknown if DeBoer will finally rest his No. 1 goaltender and go with backup
Scott Clemmensen tonight.
The Devils have been outscored 10-5 over a three-game series losing streak to
the Flames, and Calgary is 4-0-1 in the past five meetings at home.
