CALGARY -- One game after holding Alex Ovechkin off the score sheet, the Calgary Flames are tasked with trying to do the same against another of the NHL's hottest forwards.
Hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday for the first time since Feb. 14, 2012, the Flames will look to shut down Phil Kessel, named the League's Second Star of the Week on Monday.
"Before trying to stop him we'll try to contain him," Calgary coach Bob Hartley said. "We've watched quite a few of the Leafs' games in the past week and he's been very impressive. He's been very dominant and even with [Tyler] Bozak out of the lineup, last night with [Nazem] Kadri he didn't miss a beat. It just shows the depth of this organization right now. It's a good challenge."
FANTASY SPIN
Few better than Kessel in recent years
By Pete Jensen - NHL.com Fantasy InsiderOutside of Alex Ovechkin, Phil Kessel is arguably the most valuable fantasy wing in the game today. READ MORE ›
Hartley can take solace in the job TJ Brodie and Chris Butler did against Ovechkin last Saturday. The defensive pairing helped blank Ovechkin, who came into Calgary riding a three-game point streak that saw the Capitals forward collect four goals and six points.
Kessel comes into Calgary on an even hotter stretch with points in four straight, including seven goals. Four of Kessel's points came at the expense of the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, propelling him into second in League scoring, two points behind Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The challenges of Ovechkin and Kessel are similar, according to Brodie.
"You just have to go about the game the same way," he said. "They're both great players that will shoot the puck when they get the opportunity and make plays when they get the opportunity. Taking away the time and space and making them earn everything that he gets is important."
Flames forward Joe Colborne, acquired from Toronto in late September, shared a similar scouting report on Kessel.
"He's a top player in this League for a reason," Colborne said. "He signed that nice new big ticket (an eight-year, $64 million contract Oct. 1) for a reason too. You have to make him play in his [defensive] zone and try to keep him from the offensive zone because there is no real way to contain him.
"He's a guy like Ovechkin. He's going to get his chances on the ice no matter what. He's that smart on the ice and that skilled and you just have to try to minimize it and have someone close to him at all times."
Here are the expected lineups for the game Wednesday:
MAPLE LEAFS
James van Riemsdyk - Nazem Kadri - Phil Kessel
Mason Raymond - Dave Bolland - David Clarkson
Carter Ashton - Jay McClement - Joffrey Lupul
Frazer McLaren - Trevor Smith - Colton Orr
Dion Phaneuf - Carl Gunnarsson
Scratched: Troy Bodie, John-Michael Liles
Injured: Nikolai Kulemin (ankle), Mark Fraser (knee), Tyler Bozak (lower body)
FLAMES
Curtis Glencross - Matt Stajan - David Jones
Sven Baertschi - Sean Monahan - Jiri Hudler
Mike Cammalleri - Joe Colborne - TJ Galiardi
Lance Bouma - Mikael Backlund - Brian McGrattan
Scratched: Tim Jackman
Injured: Lee Stempniak (lower body), Mark Giordano (ankle), Christopher Breen (abdominal wall strain)