(SportsNetwork.com) – The Calgary Flames have won just once in four home games
this season, but a visit from the Montreal Canadiens could improve on that
record.
The Flames try to avoid their first home loss to the Canadiens in over 12
years on Tuesday night as the clubs clash at the Saddledome.
Calgary is 1-1-1 on a five-game homestand that ends on Friday versus
Nashville, its first run of games at home since a season-opening loss to
Vancouver on Oct. 8. The Flames got their first victory as the host this
season on Thursday, blanking the Carolina Hurricanes, but fell in defeat to
Washington 3-1 on Saturday.
Dennis Wideman netted the lone goal and Karri Ramo stopped 27 shots in defeat
as Calgary allowed a goal in each period.
“I don’t think we gave ourselves our chance to win … I don’t think we played
our best game,” Flames head coach Bob Hartley said.
That can’t be said of Wideman, who leads all NHL defenseman with five goals.
They have all come in his past six games and the blueliner’s goal on Saturday
was his 300th career point.
Forward Davis Jones, who has missed the last eight games with a lower-body
injury, is expected to return to action tonight, but forward Mason Raymond is
day-to-day with an unknown injury and not expected to play tonight.
Hartley has alternated starts this season between Ramo and Jonas Hiller, so
the latter figures to get the call tonight. Hiller is 2-1-2 with a 2.67 goals
against average and .912 save percentage in five meetings with the Habs.
Hiller will try to extend the Flames’ nine-game home unbeaten streak over the
Canadiens, who have not won in Calgary since Jan. 5, 2002. Calgary is 8-0-0
with a tie since and that includes a victory outdoors on Feb. 20, 2011 at
McMahon Stadium.
The Habs should present a nice challenge for the Flames given their 7-2-0
start to the campaign. They picked up that second loss on Monday night in
Edmonton, falling 3-0 and having a four-game winning streak halted.
Carey Price was given the night off and his backup, Dustin Tokarski, made 16
saves for the Canadiens, who had a first-period goal waived off because it was
ruled that Brendan Gallagher made contact with Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens.
“If we didn’t score, that means we weren’t good enough,” said defenseman
Andrei Markov. “We have to work harder and be better tomorrow.”
Montreal allowed more than two goals for the first time in four games and will
wrap a three-game road trip on Thursday in Vancouver.
Price figures to start tonight and is 2-4-0 with a 3.04 GAA and .892 save
percentage in six games versus the Flames, all but one of those starts.
