Your Morning Coffee- Saturday January 22

With everything so topsy-turvy with the boys in blue & green over the last few days, we really don't know what to expect in this one.  They're not winning, but they're still getting points.  They're still getting good goaltending, but not getting the goal scoring they've gotten all season.  They're playing Calgary, who they have dominated of late, but it's the same Flames team that slapped Dallas around 7-4.  So your guess is as good as mine.  One thing's for sure: if there were ever a team to play that we could snap out of a funk, it would be the Flames.  More after the jump...

On the heels of the announcement Ryan Kesler will be wearing an 'A' for Team Staal, the Canucks almost to a man look to bump their respective slumps.  The Flames have been struggling all season, and one of the most glaring examples has been goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff.  He was pulled the other night in Montreal after giving up 4, and it certainly didn't help his cause that backup Henrik Karlsson went on to get them into OT, then got the win against Dallas last night. 

The Canucks have outscore the Flames 10-3 in their 2 previous meetings this season, and haven't lost in regulation to the Flames in their last 6 contests.  Still, the Canucks aren't taking this matchup lightly, and are focused on continuing their divisional dominance.  A lot was made of Sergei Shirokov sitting in the press box tonight after getting benched in the 3rd, but some lack of hustle in the game against San Jose had nothing to do with Alain Vigneault slotting Aaron Volpatti back into the lineup against the Flames.  It's more about Volpatti's physical presence against a tougher Calgary squad.  The boys will need to keep their heads on a swivel tonight, especially around Curtis Glencross, he who must be the possessor of naked photos of Colin Campbell.  What else could possibly explain him not getting for suspended for that hit from behind against Minnesota earlier in the week?  That's twice he's gotten off light this season, and he obviously is learning squat from a penalty that takes .02% of his salary as I saw mentioned somewhere. One more thing, that win for the Flames last night was just the 6th at home from a backup goalie since the 2005-06 season.

A bacon, green pepper and cheddar omelet

As mentioned, the league announced the alternates for the All Star Game next weekend, and joining Kesler on Team Stall is Washington's Mike Green, while Martin St. Louis of Tampa Bay and Chicago's Patrick Kane will be on Team Lidstrom...  The Twitter was all abuzz yesterday with the news that Peter Forsberg will attempt a comeback with the Colorado Avalanche.  Although it's downright comical how many different apparently erroneous reports we have heard concerning his health over the last couple years, my personal hope is that they add him to the squad, just so that he can get injured again.  Is that harsh, wishing injury on someone?  Let's just say my wish is that karma isn't done with this pathetic scumbag just yet...  Hard to believe, but Anaheim's Saku Koivu will be making his first appearance back in Montreal as a member of another team.  Their longtime captain will be saluted by the fans I am sure, and then Corey Perry will do something douchey to ruin the night for everyone...  Buffalo's Nathan Gerbe provided one of the few highlights on what has been a season of disappointment for the Sabres, when he scored 2 goals in 5 seconds, just one off the record of 2 in 4 seconds, held by Nels Stewart of the Montreal Maroons, and Deron Quint of the Winnipeg Jets...