clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Preseason Slap Fight of Alberta

By Derek Zona

Kent over at Matchsticks and Gasoline was kind enough to provide us with the Flames' lineup and some insight for the tilt tonight.

The 5-foot-6 winger is suiting up for his fourth pre-season game Wednesday night on a line with centre Jamie Lundmark and flanker Curtis Glencross.

The other Flames lines look like this ...

Freddie Sjostrom - Olli Jokinen - Jarome Iginla
Nigel Dawes - Daymond Langkow - Rene Bourque
Colin Stuart - Jason Jaffray - Brandon Prust

On defence ...
Robyn Regehr - Jay Bouwmeester
Mark Giordano - Dion Phaneuf
Adam Pardy - Anton Stralman

Boyd is hurt, which is why he's sitting, but this is fairly veteran looking group otherwise. Fleury is making some noise in his return bid, but he's played with good line mates against middling pre-season-type rosters. If he can keep up tonight against the Oilers he may start looking like a decent bet to get a contract, if not a spot on the big team.

The Fleury comeback has used up much of the media oxygen around the Flames, but a story more likely to have an impact on the team's season is the opportunity being given to Nigel Dawes to win a top-six job. He's shown a bit of chemistry with Langkow, so they get another look as part of the second line. Rene Bourque gets his second pre-season game after summer ankle surgery, and Jason Jaffray plays in his 5th pre-season game as he attempts to make the bottom end of the roster.
Miikka Kiprusoff is expected to start, and he could use the work, since his first two games have been sketchy.

Pat Quinn will go with:

Jacques - Horcoff - Hemsky
O'Sullivan - Comrie - Stone
Penner - Brule - Nilsson
Moreau - Cogliano - Brennan

Souray - Gilbert
Grebeshkov - Visnovsky
Smid - Strudwick

  • Even though Gilbert Brule has yet to demonstrate any NHL game, Quinn continues to give the kid everyone opportunity. I don't expect him to stick.
  • The O'Sullivan-Comrie-Stone line is beginning to look like opening night's second line.
  • Horcoff and Hemsky are back together but Quinn has kept his slow dance with Penner on the first line going. It's like watching decisions in slow motion.
  • Last year's top two pairings Souray-Gilbert & Grebeshkov-Visnovsky are back together.

Open comment thread!