As the Calgary Flames gear up for Thursday night's clash with the Vegas Golden Knights, they're looking to shake off the sting of their recent drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche. Monday's defeat was their worst since 2018, and now, facing a formidable Vegas squad, the Flames need to regroup quickly on this six-game road trip.
Tonight’s action kicks off at 8 p.m. MT on Sportsnet One, Ontario, East, and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
Calgary Flames Outlook
Here's how the Flames are projected to line up:
- Forwards: Blake Coleman, Mikael Backlund, Joel Farabee; Matvei Gridin, Morgan Frost, Matt Coronato; Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Strome, Victor Olofsson; Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, Adam Klapka.
- Defense: Kevin Bahl, Zach Whitecloud; Olli Maatta, Brayden Pachal; Yan Kuznetsov, Zayne Parekh.
Dustin Wolf is expected to guard the net, with Devin Cooley as backup. Healthy scratches might include Hunter Brzustewicz, Tyson Gross, Ryan Lomberg, John Beecher, and Brennan Othmann. Good news for Calgary: Connor Zary and Yan Kuznetsov are anticipated to return from injuries.
Against Colorado, the Flames struggled defensively, often losing their structure. To compete with Vegas, they must tighten up their defensive play. Historically, Calgary has only managed two wins in Vegas since the Golden Knights joined the league in 2017.
Vegas Golden Knights Preview
Vegas is expected to roll out these lines:
- Forwards: Ivan Barbashev, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone; Brett Howden, Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev; Reilly Smith, Tomas Hertl, Colton Sissons; Cole Smith, Nic Dowd, Keegan Kolesar.
- Defense: Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore; Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson; Jeremy Lauzon, Kaedan Korczak.
Carter Hart will make his return in goal after an injury, with Adin Hill ready to step in if needed. Extras are likely to include Akira Schmid, Brandon Saad, and Ben Hutton.
This matchup is particularly intriguing for Rasmus Andersson, who faces the Flames for the first time since his mid-January trade to Vegas. Having spent a decade with Calgary, Andersson will be a player to watch as he faces his former team.
Adding another layer of excitement, John Tortorella is behind the Vegas bench for just his second game after taking over from Bruce Cassidy.
Unavailable Players
The Flames are missing Sam Honzek, Jake Bean, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Joel Hanley. For the Golden Knights, Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson, and Alexander Holtz are out.
By the Numbers
- Wins: Flames 31, Golden Knights 33
- Points (%): Flames 70 (.473), Golden Knights 82 (.547)
- Expected Goals For % (xGF%): Flames 48.1% (25th), Golden Knights 53.4% (5th)
- Power Play % (PP%): Flames 16.6% (31st), Golden Knights 24.4% (7th)
- Penalty Kill % (PK%): Flames 79.6% (14th), Golden Knights 81.4% (8th)
Head to Head
This marks the final meeting between these Pacific Division rivals this season. Vegas has taken two of the three previous matchups, winning 4-2 and 6-1, while Calgary snagged a victory at home, 6-3, back in December.
As the Flames and Golden Knights face off, both teams have plenty to prove. Calgary aims to bounce back, while Vegas looks to continue its strong play. Fans are in for a thrilling contest as these teams battle it out on the ice.