Flames kick off road swing in Edmonton (8 p.m. MT/Sportsnet)
You couldn’t draw up a better gameplan.
The only thing missing was the result.
Calgary dropped a 5-2 decision to Dallas Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, despite heavily controlling the game and outshooting the visitors 48-19.
Nazem Kadri continued his hot streak, scoring both Flames markers, while Dustin Wolf made 14 stops in the setback. A couple of overturned goal calls and a stellar performance from Casey DeSmith at the other end was the story on a night the Flames arguably deserved a better fate.
But with the regular season winding down, there’s no time to dwell on what could have been.
“The result sucks, but honestly I thought we dominated that game,” Joel Farabee said after the setback. “We were all over them, almost 50 shots, I mean that game probably should have been 3-1 us to start, could go either way.
“Can’t really mope and dwell on it, we’ve just got to get back. If we can play that intense and that style the rest of the year, I think we’re gonna get in.”
After splitting a two-game homestand, its off on the road for yet another massive stretch with the first stop in Edmonton.
Battle of Alberta: Round Three.
It feels like ages that the provincial rivals have clashed, with two of the prior meetings occurring in the early months of the season. The visiting team has won both meetings with the Flames picking up a 4-1 victory at Rogers Place on Oct. 13 and Edmonton getting one back on Nov. 3 with a 4-2 decision at the ‘Dome.
But regardless of when or how many times these rivals clash, it’s a game that’s always marked on the calendar.
And if they bring the same effort they brought against Dallas, they like their chances.
“We have to take a lot of the good that we did in tonight’s (Thursday’s) game, and make sure we bring that to the next game in Edmonton and that’s the most important thing,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said. We deserved better, we didn’t get it, it happens some nights, you win games that you shouldn’t, it goes both ways over the course of the year.
“Our challenge is to make sure that our game in Edmonton mirrors this one, so we get ourselves back into the winning column again.”
Natasha Staniszewski gets you set for tonight’s Battle of Alberta
Tune into the Flames YouTube channel on Monday, March 31
Edmonton enters tonight’s contest with just one win in their last four skates following a 6-1 loss to the Kraken Thursday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Kraken offence exploded for five goals in the second period, led by a pair from Jaden Schwartz, that proved to be too much to recover from.
Zach Hyman provided the lone marker with Calvin Pickard allowing five goals on 29 shots before being replaced by Olivier Rodrigue who made seven saves in his NHL debut.
“We just stopped working, made too many mistakes, and they capitalized on a bunch of them,” Hyman told NHL.com after the loss. “Our game, the foundation is work, and if we’re not working, especially with guys out of the lineup, then we don’t have a chance.”
The contest marked the third straight game Edmonton were without both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, with the duo missing time due to injury.
But that could change for Saturday’s Battle of Alberta, with Draisaitl set to take morning skate with a chance to return to the lineup.
It’ll be a shot in the arm for the Oilers, with the 29-year-old having been on a tear prior to the injury, leading the league in goals with 49 and third in overall scoring with 101 points.
McDavid is expected to be out for a bit longer while starter Stuart Skinner is expected back any moment after leaving Wednesday’s loss to the Stars, listed as day-to-day.
This time of year, everyone is scoreboard watching.
The Canucks were in action last night in Ohio, falling 7-6 in a shootout to the Blue Jackets despite holding leads of 3-0 and 5-3. With the point, Vancouver now have 81 points in 73 games, two ahead of the Flames who own two games in hand.
The Flames continue to chase down the Blues who occupy the final playoff spot in the West with 85 points, with Calgary owning three games in hand.
The Blues are in action today in Denver, taking on the Avalanche for a matinee clash while the Canucks visit the West leading Jets Sunday.
Frost 300
Morgan Frost is set to play in his 300th NHL game tonight in Edmonton. The 25-year-old has recorded 143 points (52 goals, 91 assists) and is looking to become the 22nd skater from the 2017 NHL Draft to hit 300. Since joining the Flames, Frost has recorded eight points (2G, 6A) in 21 skates.
Did You Know?
Thursday’s clash against Dallas saw the Flames set a franchise record for shot attempts in a game with 102. 87 of the shot attempts came during 5-on-5 play, which is also a single-game franchise record.
Flames – Nazem Kadri
He can’t be stopped.
With his two goal performance against the Stars, Kadri has reached the 30-goal mark for the third time in his career and first time as a Flame. Since March. 1, Kadri has lit the lamp 10 times which is tied for second among all skaters in the league for the month, with Toronto’s John Tavares’ 11 leading the way.
The centre sits one point shy from 700 in his career and notched another milestone earlier in the week when he scored his 300th career goal against Seattle.
Kadri roofs one from tight angle
Oilers – Zach Hyman
With McDavid and Draisaitl out of the lineup, the Oilers offence has had a different look but one thing remains constant: Hyman lightning the lamp.
The winger is riding a five-game point streak (5G, 2A) and sits three goals shy from hitting the 30-goal mark, with his current total of 27 good for second on the squad.
