Calgary Flames host Colorado Avalanche in Northwest Division showdown
The red hot Calgary Flames play host to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday October 28 in a tough Northwest Division matchup.
Previous meetings and recent games
Colorado dominated the season series between these two teams last season winning four of six games.
The Avalanche have been on a bit of a cold streak recently losing their last three games in a row including a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
After being shut out in two of their first three games of the season the Calgary Flames have soared to the top of their division and currently sit in third place in the Western Conference. They've also managed to find their scoring touch with 14 goals in
their last three games after only scoring nine in their first six.
How they match up
Avalanche defenceman John-Michael Liles recently set a record most people would not readily pay attention to, but the 29-year-old has recently broken Philip Kuba's record of eight consecutive games with an assist to start the season by a defenceman. Liles
has recorded a helper in each of Colorado's nine games so far, and is tied for the league lead with Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin with 11.
Twenty-two year old right winger Chris Stewart is also off to a good start with 11 points, and leads the team with five goals.
The main area where the Avalanche are vulnerable is in goal as they are ranked last in goals allowed per game. Craig Anderson has had a rocky start to the season giving up more than three goals per game. Handing the reigns over to Peter Budaj didn't help
much as he let in a weak effort in overtime against the Canucks in their last game.
It's in goal where the Flames find one of their greatest assets in Miikka Kiprusoff who is once again posting solid numbers, and already has two shutouts this season.
Since missing two games with a concussion, the return of winger Rene Bourque has sparked a turnaround in the Flames offence. Bourque leads the team with six goals and his outstanding play has inspired others to step up their games – including Alex Tanguay
who is currently riding a three-game point scoring streak.
What to expect
The Calgary Flames are finally giving their fans something to cheer about by winning the first two games of their five-game home stand. But is this the real Calgary Flames, or just a Flames team currently riding a nice wave?
After a string of defeats to some of the Western Conference's best teams including the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver Canucks – all teams that made the play-offs last season – the Colorado Avalanche will be a team desperate to prove that
they are better than their recent results might indicate. Look for first-year head coach Joe Sacco to have his team fired up.
The Flames can't expect to win all five games at home. Still, they'll be favorites going into the game, so go for the underdog.
Avalanche win 3-2 in a shootout.
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