Things are not looking good.
Ten games remain on the Calgary Flames’ 2024-2025 regular season schedule and Ryan Huska’s crew currently sits eight points out of a playoff spot.
Sure, they have three games in hand. They could cut the deficit to two points if they won all of them, but that would be dangerously wishful thinking.
Let’s look at some positives. First, the Flames are somehow improved upon the talent-laden roster they deployed last season.
Jump back to this day last year and Calgary was an agonizing .500 with a 34-34-5 record. The team was amidst a 3-8-0 freefall following the March 8 trade deadline and Andrei Kuzmenko was just beginning a hot streak that saw him record nine goals and eight assists for 17 points in his final 11 games.
Oddly enough, the Flames went only 5-6-0 during that streak, but we digress, the team has gotten better season over season. The Flames are a much better 34-26-12 this season and are 5-3-2 since the trade deadline.
Another reason? The games are still exciting. As painful as the 5-2 loss to Dallas was; it’s hard to deny that the game was exciting.
The Battle of Alberta could have been better, but what do you expect after losing in the style that they did on Thursday? Calgary put everything but the kitchen sink on net and the puck simply wouldn’t go in—or the goal would be taken away.
Courtesy of MoneyPuck.
And tonight? Well, they get to take on the Colorado Avalanche, who they haven't beat since Oct. 13, 2022. Nazem Kadri has beaten his most recent former team only once since joining the Flames, and that was game one of a seven-year contract signed over the summer.
Should be fun.
At a Glance
Calgary Flames (34-26-12, 80 pts) vs. Colorado Avalanche (45-26-3, 93 pts)
Last Ten: Calgary (5-3-2) Colorado (7-2-1)
Time: 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
TV: Prime
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Morning skate lines courtesy of Derek Wills.
@Fan960Wills
Sharangovich-Kadri-Hunt*
Huberdeau-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Coleman
Lomberg-Rooney-Klapka
Hanley-Weegar
Bahl-Miromanov*
Bean-Pachal
Vladar (Starter)
Wolf
*Placeholders for Pospisil and Andersson
Colorado Avalanche Projected Lineup
Courtesy of nhl.com writing staff.
Artturi Lehkonen -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Jonathan Drouin
Valeri Nichushkin -- Brock Nelson -- Martin Necas
Jimmy Vesey -- Charlie Coyle -- Ross Colton
Parker Kelly -- Jack Drury -- Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Ryan Lindgren -- Sam Malinski
Erik Johnson -- Samuel Girard
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Statement Game
It is likely that we see the Colorado Avalanche start the game with a chip on their shoulder. The team most recently lost 2-1 to the red-hot St. Louis Blues. The Calgary Flames seem like the perfect springboard to rebound off after ending a four-game winning streak.
The Flames, meanwhile, are coming off of two demoralizing losses in a row. Tonight will be an interesting test in resolve for Calgary. How much fight is still left in that group?
Puck drop is around 6:40 p.m. MST. A reminder that the broadcast is on Amazon Prime.
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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