Sorry for stealing this, @SKRusty, hope you don't mind! Also I don't keep track of week numbers in the NHL so let's just call this the Pre-Christmas week.
Tuesday
@ 
Thursday
vs 
Saturday
vs 
Dallas Stars: Dallas is a game that concerns me slightly, they always find ways to score on the Flames and make it a closer game than it maybe should be (not to discredit the Stars, though). If I'm Peters, I probably give this game to Mike Smith for a few reasons. A) Rittich is coming off back to back games. B) Peter said Smith would very likely get a start on this road trip and this is the only remaining game. C) I want Rittich to start vs Tampa, more on that below. I think if the Flames can ensure they get at least a point in this game, I'll be happy with any result. Khudobin is playing great for the Stars but if they can pot a few early and play hard, they should be in good shape.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Woof, this is it, boys. Biggest test of the season right here. The only team that sits clear of the mess that is Calgary/Nashville/Winnipeg/Toronto rolls through the Dome on Thursday. Tampa is arguably the deepest team in the NHL, with some of the most prolific scorers and a goaltender that makes saves that should not be made. I sincerely hope Peters turns to David Rittich for this game, as I believe Rittich to be the Flames' best option in net and so help me god we don't need any muffins against in this game. The Flames have to be air tight. Another fiver in the first period wouldn't be such a bad thing.
St. Louis Blues: Recency bias aside, the Flames should polish off the season series against the Blues with a big performance at home, sending them into the break on a high note. There's really no reason for the Flames to lose to a Blues team that is a shadow of its former self. In seasons past, this would be a classic trap game for the Flames, and frankly I'm still not entirely confident that they won't treat it like one of those, but it's a home game on HNIC and they could very well be coming off a loss to the Lightning so this is the perfect game to roll into the break with. I'd start David Rittich in this game as well because I think it's important to go into the break on a high note. Plus there's really no reason not to start Rittich.
Okay, that's enough writing. Discuss.
Tuesday
@ Thursday
vs Saturday
vs Dallas Stars: Dallas is a game that concerns me slightly, they always find ways to score on the Flames and make it a closer game than it maybe should be (not to discredit the Stars, though). If I'm Peters, I probably give this game to Mike Smith for a few reasons. A) Rittich is coming off back to back games. B) Peter said Smith would very likely get a start on this road trip and this is the only remaining game. C) I want Rittich to start vs Tampa, more on that below. I think if the Flames can ensure they get at least a point in this game, I'll be happy with any result. Khudobin is playing great for the Stars but if they can pot a few early and play hard, they should be in good shape.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Woof, this is it, boys. Biggest test of the season right here. The only team that sits clear of the mess that is Calgary/Nashville/Winnipeg/Toronto rolls through the Dome on Thursday. Tampa is arguably the deepest team in the NHL, with some of the most prolific scorers and a goaltender that makes saves that should not be made. I sincerely hope Peters turns to David Rittich for this game, as I believe Rittich to be the Flames' best option in net and so help me god we don't need any muffins against in this game. The Flames have to be air tight. Another fiver in the first period wouldn't be such a bad thing.
St. Louis Blues: Recency bias aside, the Flames should polish off the season series against the Blues with a big performance at home, sending them into the break on a high note. There's really no reason for the Flames to lose to a Blues team that is a shadow of its former self. In seasons past, this would be a classic trap game for the Flames, and frankly I'm still not entirely confident that they won't treat it like one of those, but it's a home game on HNIC and they could very well be coming off a loss to the Lightning so this is the perfect game to roll into the break with. I'd start David Rittich in this game as well because I think it's important to go into the break on a high note. Plus there's really no reason not to start Rittich.
Okay, that's enough writing. Discuss.
