Flames host Blues in Round Two
27.04.07 12:00MST
Familiar face returns to Calgary as Blues take on Flames
J-S Giguere and the St.Louis Blues arrived in Calgary this morning in preparation for tomorrow night's game one in the second round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the host Calgary Flames. "It's all quite strange for him, I'm sure." Noted Blues Captain Chris Pronger (pictured). "He had to face former teammate Marty St.Louis last round, and now he's got to go through the rest of the team this round. He can't escape." Said Pronger with a chuckle.
The Blues and Flames faced-off 4 times this season and the teams battled it out to a 2-2 record. The Road team won all 4 games during the regular season, making this series an intriguing one.
J-S Giguere was the big free-agent acquisition for the Blues during the off-season as they pried him away from the Flames, but Giguere's numbers weren't much better than the much maligned Marty Turco this season. However, both netminders outperformed their regular season numbers thus far in the playoffs.
Chris Pronger continues to prowl the blueline in St.Louis as one of the more dominant players in the league. The 32yr old has been battling injuries as he's only played in the the Blues last two games so far this post-season.
Upfront, the Blues enjoy throwing their weight around. Handzus, Hartnell and Mike Richards feature heavily in their attack and enjoy making a lot of body contact ensuring the Flames' blueline will get its fair share of bodychecks.
The Flames enjoy an edge upfront, but it is seen as a wash on the blueline. If Turco can outperform his previous partner in net, the Flames stand a good chance in dispatching the Blues in this round.
Elsewhere in the West, Detroit will be hosting the Vancouver Canucks. In the East, Buffalo hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Islanders host the Ottawa Senators.