The Flames are settling in for a serious test at home, and Sunday night’s matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champs is the latest exam on a brutal run through the schedule.
Calgary is in the middle of four straight games at the Scotiabank Saddledome, with five of the next six also coming on home ice. That offers some comfort, but the opponent hardly does. Carolina is the fifth consecutive team on the Flames’ schedule to have reached at least the second round of last year’s playoffs, and for the second game in a row, Calgary is facing one of last spring’s two Conference champions.
It has been a tough stretch, but it is also the kind of stretch players talk about wanting. These are the games against the league’s elite, the ones that show exactly where a team stands.
Adam Klapka is leaning into that challenge. The towering Czech winger has two goals this season and, as of Saturday evening, leads the league with 32 penalty minutes. Still, when he talked Saturday about his start, he kept coming back to the same point: doing it every night.
"The big thing for me coming into the season was to play (consistently). That was the number-one thing," Klapka said. "Last year, there was a stretch of games where I was playing well, but there was a stretch of games where I didn’t really do anything.
"That was a big thing for me, and that was the message from the coach too. That’s my focus right now."
Klapka is also working on the finer details of his game - reading situations, knowing when to attack, and understanding when to keep things simple. That balance showed up in last week’s toe-drag goal against the Avalanche, a move that highlighted what he can do when the moment is right. At 6-foot-8, he brings plenty of force too, and that physical edge remains part of the package.
He says the key is not carrying anything with him from shift to shift, or game to game.
"When the game is done, I just sweep it (aside), just focus for the next one," Klapka explained. "During the game, I just go shift by shift, and don’t really think about what was in the past, or what is going to be in the future.
"Just live (in) the moment."
That approach matters even more during a difficult start to the 2026-27 season. And if the Flames need someone to inject energy as this homestand opens, Klapka may be the one who can do it.
In Other News...
Flames Get An Early Test That Could Reveal Plenty At Home
A fresh home test is on deck for the Flames, and it comes against one of the leagues more demanding visitors in Carolina. Calgary will get its first look at the Hurricanes this season at the Saddledome, with projected lineups, availability updates and broadcast details all part of the buildup to a game that should offer a useful early read on where the group stands in its own building.
There is also a bit of added texture here, since this is the Hurricanes final trip to the Saddledome before their next visit to Calgary at Scotia Place. The Flames are still sorting through some personnel questions, which only adds to the interest in how this matchup unfolds, especially with the kind of pace and structure Carolina tends to bring into these meetings. [Read more 🡒]
Wranglers Face A Tough Chance To Seize Control In Bakersfield
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Ben Jones has been one of the names to watch for Calgary during this run, while Bakersfield brings plenty of threat on the other side in Quinn Hutson. The matchup will be available on AHLtv and Wranglers Radio, giving fans a chance to follow along as the clubs continue sorting out the series, but the bigger question for Calgary is whether this is the kind of road stop where it can grab control before the week gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Castagna Is Giving The Flames A Decision To Make
Jonathan Castagnas quick climb has given the Flames something useful to sort through. After appearing in four NHL games, he is settling into the lineup with a growing list of responsibilities, and coach Ryan Huska has liked what he has seen from the young forwards work ethic and defensive awareness. For a player still getting his footing at this level, that kind of trust matters, especially on a team trying to figure out which young pieces can be leaned on.
Castagnas recent run has also had a personal side, with his parents in the crowd for his latest game in Vegas as he continues to rack up experience. He is expected to keep getting opportunities in the games ahead, which only sharpens the question for Calgary: how much more can he handle now, and how soon does his steady play force a bigger conversation? [Read more 🡒]