Calgary Flames (17-12-2) at Chicago Blackhawks (20-9-1), 8 p.m. (ET)

Calgary Flames (17-12-2) at Chicago Blackhawks (20-9-1), 8 p.m. (ET)

(SportsNetwork.com) - Many folks have been waiting for the Calgary Flames to fall off the pace after their impressive start to the season. Calgary hopes to quiet some of those detractors by avoiding a fifth straight loss when it visits the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

The Flames were expected by some to challenge for the league's worst record in 2014-15 before jumping out to a 17-8-2 start. Calgary has cooled off considerably in December, however, losing four straight in regulation after only dropping two in a row once before this season from Oct. 25-28.

On Sunday, the Flames have an excellent chance to prove their mettle when they take on the Blackhawks, one of the top teams in the West and a conference finalist in last season's playoffs.

Tonight's clash is the third and final regular-season meeting between these clubs. Calgary notched a 2-1 overtime win in Chicago on Oct. 15 before the Blackhawks answered with a 4-3 road win on Nov. 20.

Chicago has won five of the last eight in this series overall, but the Flames have taken two in a row in the Windy City. Calgary had lost 10 in a row at United Center before claiming the past two road encounters against the Blackhawks in overtime.

Calgary hopes to salvage a four-game road trip with a win tonight. The Flames played on back-to-back nights earlier this week in Buffalo and Pittsburgh, losing 4-3 to the Sabres on Thursday before falling 3-1 the next evening against the Penguins.

Pittsburgh was able to defeat the Flames despite playing without captain and star centerman Sidney Crosby, who was sitting due to an illness. Blake Comeau and Kris Letang helped pick up for Crosby's absence, posting early scores to put up all the offense the Pens would need.

Johnny Gaudreau notched the lone goal for the Flames, while Jonas Hiller made just 19 saves in the setback.

"We needed to play more in their zone, get more guys in front of the net and go to the dirty areas," Flames forward Paul Byron said. "It looks like other teams are scoring those goals right in the paint and we're not getting enough of those."

Calgary defenseman Ladislav Smid left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Smid was injured when Pittsburgh defenseman Simon Despres delivered a high check that resulted in the Flames blueliner taking an elbow to the head.

Smid was placed on injured reserve Saturday while defenseman Corey Potter was recalled from the Adirondack Flames of the American Hockey League.

Karri Ramo could get the start in net tonight. He is 1-1-0 with a 3.70 goals against average in his career against Chicago.

The Flames are next in action on Tuesday when they host the New York Rangers at the start of a two-game homestand. Calgary is 9-8-0 on the road this season compared to an 8-4-2 mark as the host.

Chicago will be eager to get back in the win column tonight after having a season-high eight-game winning streak halted Saturday with a 3-2 loss against the New York Islanders.

The Blackhawks grabbed a 2-1 lead with Patrick Kane's goal early in the third period on Long Island. However, Kyle Okposo and Lubomir Visnovsky tallied 51 seconds apart midway through the final stanza to grab the lead for good and cool off Chicago.

"Sometimes maybe you think you're a little bit better than you really are. This is definitely a wake-up call," Kane admitted.

Dan Carcillo also scored for the Blackhawks, while Scott Darling took the loss despite making 38 saves.

Antti Raanta could get the call in net for Chicago tonight. He has a 1-0 record and a 3.98 GAA in just two career appearances versus the Flames.

Chicago owns a 9-3-1 record on home ice and is playing two straight and four of its next five at the United Center. The Blackhawks have won five in a row as the host and haven't lost in the Windy City since falling to Washington on Nov. 7.

The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera

The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera

CHICAGO -- The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com.

News of the agreement was first reported by Chicago sports talk station WSCR 670-AM.

Cabrera, who was believed to have significant interest from the Seattle Mariners, would take over in left field and continue an impressive string of offseason acquisitions from general manager Rick Hahn.

The 30-year old Cabrera batted .301 with 81 runs scored in 139 games for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season, hitting 16 home runs with 73 RBIs.

The White Sox have not confirmed the signing, which comes days after a trade for pitcher Jeff Samardzija was made official and three days after the signing of reliever David Robertson was announced.

But White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton mentioned Cabrera in a welcome message on Twitter on Saturday night, and Cabrera retweeted the message.

 Multiple media reports suggested the contract, which is pending a physical, would be in the three-year, $42 to $45 million range.

Hahn had indicated after the Robertson signing that money was now tight, but a Cabrera signing would contradict that stance. The White Sox came into the offseason with money to spend after big contracts like those for Jake Peavy, Alex Rios, Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn all have come of the books in the past two years.

Heading into the winter meetings on Monday, the White Sox's biggest needs were with relief help, a right-handed starter and a left fielder. Robertson, Samardzija and Cabrera would provide an answer to all three areas in that order. The White Sox have also acquired left-handed reliever Zach Duke and first baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche since the 2014 season ended.

The White Sox appeared to be in the middle of a rebuild that started when Peavy was traded at the 2013 non-waiver trade deadline. But with the additions of Robertson and Cabrera, that timetable now appears accelerated.

Cabrera, a switch-hitter, has a career .286 average, with a .339 on-base percentage over 10 seasons. He was an All-Star in 2012 with the San Francisco Giants but ended that year with a 50-game suspension after a positive test for elevated testosterone levels.

Cabrera is coming off a two-year, $16 million contract with the Blue Jays. He batted .293 with a .340 on-base percentage in 227 games for Toronto.

The White Sox tendered a contract to outfielder Dayan Viciedo earlier this month, but a Cabrera acquisition would make Viciedo nothing more than a backup. Cabrera provides an upgrade over Viciedo defensively.

Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng has something to prove

That he's not the soft slacker some believe him to be after his injury last year

It would be hard to find many people who are looking forward to the  Bulls' opener Thursday night more than Luol Deng.

Deng was two things last year: much maligned and very much sidelined, the former having everything to do with the latter.

He was called soft. How much could a stress fracture hurt?

He was called selfish. Why wouldn't he suck it up and play?

He had to listen to that and more while he sat. And he had to read a Bulls press release that let everyone know "he will be encouraged to challenge himself physically, and if the symptoms remain minimal, he will be allowed an expeditious return to play."

Fans and media commended the Bulls for what looked to be their tough stand against a pampered athlete.

And what did Deng do? He took it. He could have spoken up, could have answered the critics, but he decided to wait quietly, bide his time and heal.

"There was no way I could have come out and said anything that would have changed anyone's mind until I play," he said Tuesday. "That's why I'm so excited for this season. I think it will shut a lot of people up."

It is not a reach to say that if Deng can get back to what he was two seasons ago, the Bulls will be very good this year. But it's a big "if," a Shaq-sized "if," and some of the Bulls are tiptoeing around the notion, not wanting to pin their hopes on it.

Others can't help themselves.

"We need him," guard Derrick Rose said.

The term "stress fracture" doesn't sound like much, and that probably added to the perception problem Deng faced last year. "Fractured leg" carries more weight and more sympathy.

"I couldn't play," he said. "I would have been stupid if I had said, 'You know what? I'm just going to lace them up and play.' I probably would have missed this year if I did.

"I was really close to having surgery for a fractured tibia, which in some cases is career-ending. But I didn't want to take the criticism personally. I tried to be smart about it, tried to be true to myself. I know how hard I worked for this game."

When you're wearing street clothes during the first year of a six-year, $71 million contract and when your team goes out and trades for John Salmons to play the same position you do, it doesn't make you Mr. Popular. Deng heard the grumbling among Bulls fans.

It's amazing how quickly public sentiment moves on. When Deng wasn't getting criticized for sitting last season, he was being left for dead. Salmons played well after being acquired from Sacramento, and suddenly Deng looked as necessary as wisdom teeth.

That was a long way from July 2008, when the Bulls gave him the long-term deal.

"Obviously we're incredibly happy to get Luol signed," then-general manager John Paxson said at the time. "It's the type of thing that gives him security and gives us the direction we're going to go here in the future."

But things change, and now Deng feels like he has to show everybody again. It's not a bad thing to have a few more logs thrown on the fire. His teammates see it. They named him one of three captains.

Now he just wants to stay healthy. It's not asking too much, is it?

"I'm a rhythm guy," he said. "I need my rhythm. When I start missing practices, it really affects my rhythm. Some guys are able to sit out practices and show up at game time. I really need to get my practice in."

In 2006-07, he played all 82 games and averaged a career-high 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. In the playoffs, his numbers increased to 22.2 and 8.7. He said he didn't miss a practice all season.

The next year, he missed 19 games to injuries. Last season, he missed 33 regular-season games, as well as the thrilling playoff series against the Celtics.

"I can't describe how hard it was to sit out and watch that playoff series," he said. "I don't think I'll ever erase that memory until I play again and enjoy it with the guys."

Deng's game is predicated on movement, which sounds obvious -- in basketball, you move, right? But he needs to be slashing to the basket or moving off a screen to hit jumpers.

The Spurs come to the United Center on Thursday night, and Deng will be there, slashing. And if the critics are slashing too?

"Those people don't know me personally," he said. "I just have to wait for the season. I'm really excited. I'm determined and I'm focused."

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