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Posted at 1:30 PM EST.

1:00 PM EST. OT included. The Flyers return home after a quick two game western road trip that saw them drop both games to the Wild and Jets respectively. Going back to last Saturday's home game with Minnesota, the Flyers have only mustered two goals in their last three games. The Flyers have been shut out five times already this season, making them a boom or bust selection. As long as the Flyers continue to send Brian Elliot to the crease we are going to continue fading them. Elliot signed a 2.5 million dollar deal in the offseason so the Flyers are going to run him out there even though they have a better option sitting on the bench in Michal Neuvirth. Philly should take a cue from the Bruins, who have finally sat Tuukka Rask in favor of the superior Anton Khudobin, who we have championed all season. Sometimes it takes more than a spreadsheet to tell you if a goalie is good or not.

The Flames were blasted 8-2 in Detroit on Wednesday night, and after getting beat up on the score sheet and on the ice, this Calgary team has had its toughness questioned locally by morning radio host and former player Rhett Warrener. Michael Ferland took the brunt of Warrener's criticism for failing to reel in the Wings' Luke Witkowski, who is nothing more than a goon. Warrener is a relic and guys like Witkowski have no place in today's NHL. The skill level in this league is too high and the players are too fast. For traditionalists that still romanticize “old time hockey,” the game is leaving you behind. Ferland's job is to score goals and put up points just like he’s been doing with goals in five straight games. Like most Canadian teams, the Flames play in a bubble so everything they do is overanalyzed to death, as there are more hours in the day to fill on the radio then there are interesting things to talk about. After getting blown out, the best thing for the Flames is that they are still on the road and away from the talking heads. These guys should be supremely motivated after such a lopsided loss and Calgary will only be boosted by the return of starting goaltender Mike Smith. Smith brings a swag to this team and they play totally different in front of him than they do a guy like Eddie Lack, who hasn’t been able to stop a beach ball since leaving Vancouver. Smith might not stop them all, but he makes the big save when the Flames need it. The Flames are quietly a top-10 Corsi For% (8th) sandwiched between the Blue Jackets and Penguins, two teams that are much more highly regarded in the market. The Flames are undervalued in a strong bounce back spot and we’re on it.

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