The Flames have turned their own building into a business trip lately, and they get one more crack at keeping that streak alive against the Maple Leafs.
Calgary has already banked three straight home wins during the longest homestand of its young season, and Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Detroit fit the template perfectly: effort spread through the lineup, production coming from everywhere, and another night where the details added up. Now the Flames are trying to make it four-for-four.
That Detroit win also showed just how deep this group can be when it’s rolling. Joel Farabee posted three points.
The power play cashed in twice in two chances. Devin Cooley stopped 28 of 29 shots.
And yet the player who walked away with the hard hat and safety vest was fourth-line winger Adam Klapka.
Klapka picked up an assist on Calgary’s opening goal and made life miserable for the Red Wings in the neutral zone, stripping a couple of Detroit players and helping spark chances the other way. It was the kind of shift-by-shift impact that has become a theme for the Flames, where everyone in the lineup seems to have a turn making a difference.
Head coach Ryan Huska pointed directly to that spread-the-work model after the game, tying it to the emergence of Jonathan Castagna.
“We’re gonna play four lines,” Huska said. “It’s easier to say that now when you see the way George (Castagna) has impacted the team. He’s done a lot of good things in his minutes, and his line’s minutes are way up there and I think it allows us to be more of a four-line team.
"When everybody’s contributing, they feel a sense of value, that they’re helping the team win. And as a coach, that’s what you want to have in the dressing room."
The Flames have also had to manage this stretch without captain Mikael Backlund, who has missed the last two games. That has shifted face-off responsibility to Morgan Frost, Ben Jones and Castagna, while the rest of the roster has taken on more of the load on a penalty-kill unit that has been close to airtight at home. Even Farabee, who leads the club in scoring, has had to help cover that ground.
Huska sees Farabee’s game trending in the right direction.
"When Joel first came over, it took him a little while to find his footing," Huska explained. "But you can almost say every game, every week, every month, his game got better.
"I think he’s relishing the opportunity that he’s gotten here, and I think we’re seeing maybe the best that Joel’s played."
There’s also been a lift from Calgary’s younger players. Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin both scored on Saturday, and Gridin in particular looked at home against Detroit. He finished with two points and, alongside Martin Pospisil and Ryan Strome, helped drive one of Calgary’s most effective lines in the club’s retro reds.
The most encouraging part for Huska may be what’s happening away from the puck. Calgary has given up just four goals across the first three games of this homestand, and every one of them came at even strength. That defensive commitment has been just as important as the scoring burst, especially with another test coming against a hot Toronto team.
"Maybe the best thing for us over these last couple games is we’ve kept the stars off the scoreboard," said Huska. "Like both nights. Against Minnesota, that could be arguably one of the best lines in the league right now, and then again, (Detroit) has two really good lines, guys that can score.
"We were able to keep them off the sheet as well."
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