CALGARY, AB -- A familiar face is always comforting. 

And at this stage, there's probably none more comforting to Alex Chiasson than Calgary Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. 

It's under the man affectionately referred to as 'Gully' that the man affectionately known as 'Chaser' had the most promising stretch of the 25-year-old's young career. 

"It's huge," Chiasson started.

"At the same time I know from talking to him that things aren't going to be handed to me, also. He knows I'm capable of being successful and in what position, whether it's 5-on-5 or power play … in those types of positions. 

"I think it's going to be up to me, when that opportunity comes, to show what I'm capable of doing. I know it's really important for a player to gain the trust of the coaching staff, and also the coaching staff to trust the player."

WINNIPEG, MB -- Brett Kulak scored twice and Chad Johnson and David Rittich combined for the shutout to help the Calgary Flames to a 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre in pre-season action Tuesday.
 
Freddie Hamilton also scored for the Flames (1-2-0). 
 
Johnson made 21 saves; Rittich stopped all six shots faced in the win.
 
Eric Comrie made 24 saves for the Jets (0-1-0). 
 
Hamilton scored his second goal in as many preseason games to put the Flames up 1-0 at 3:13 of the second period. After winning a faceoff back to Kulak in Winnipeg's end, Hamilton drove to the net to put back Comrie's rebound off the initial shot.

WINNIPEG, MB -- Garnet Hathaway doesn't ease himself into anything.

The 24-year-old Kennebunkport, ME product regularly operates on a high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal level that would leave most people breathless. There is no testing the waters. There is no getting acclimatized to situations. It's full-throttle, right from the get-go.

He showed that when he stepped into the lineup late last season and didn't tip-toe around any opponent. He threw himself into every shift, even getting under the skin of San Jose Sharks defenceman Brent Burns and pushing the hulking rearguard to drop the gloves to the delight of the 19,000+ at the Scotiabank Saddledome that evening.

And the 2016 pre-season? He is approaching it no differently than anything else he tackles.

WINNIPEG, MB -- If it were possible, Lance Bouma would wipe the 2015-16 season from his memory.

Expectations for the winger were high after he posted a career-high 16 goals and 34 points the year prior but his season was derailed by a multitude of injuries throughout the course of the 2015-16 campaign.

In total, he would dress for 44 games last year, scoring just two goals and seven points.

"Last year, was a disappointing year. A frustrating year all around," the 26-year-old said. "It's nice to put it behind me and have a fresh start. I'm looking forward to the start of this season for sure."

That fresh start begins tonight when suits up for the Flames pre-season tilt with the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre (6:00 PM MT, Sportsnet 960 The FAN).

WINNIPEG, MB -- The Calgary Flames will split the goaltending duties this evening when they face the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre (6:00 PM, Sportsnet 960 The FAN).

Chad Johnson will get the start tonight and Czech netminder David Rittich will play the back half of the contest.

It will be both goaltenders' Flames debut and their first pre-season action this fall.

"For me, my focus is just trying to get back in the rhythm of things," Johnson said after the Flames morning skate. "Get in that routine, get in the feel of the game, (feel) the speed again. As much as it's so early on in training camp, you want to try and get the feel right away.

"I'm going to try to get my feet back into it. It's been awhile ... the game situation stuff is a little different than practice. It's going to be fun."

FLAMES @ JETS - 6:00 PM MT - SPORTSNET 960 THE FAN (RADIO)

The Calgary Flames take on the Winnipeg Jets in their third pre-season game of the 2016-17 season. The group that played in Edmonton on Monday night traveled to Winnipeg but there will be roster changes this evening.

Here is the projected lineup for the Flames in Winnipeg:

FLAMES (0-2-0) @ JETS (0-0-0)
 
BROADCAST: 6:00 PM MT; TSN3 (TV), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (radio)
 
Season series: The Calgary Flames make a stop in Winnipeg on Tuesday for their third pre-season game of the year. The Flames dropped two games to the Edmonton Oilers in split squad action on Monday night, with the team in Calgary being edged 2-1 and the group in Edmonton falling 4-2. Tuesday's match-up will be Winnipeg's first exhibition game of the season. Mark Giordano scored in Calgary while Kenney Morrison and Freddie Hamilton netted the Flames goals in Edmonton.

CALGARY, AB -- They might not hit and hold the high C's like Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras quite yet but, hey, Monday was their first rehearsal with something resembling the full orchestra.

The Three Tremors line -- left to right: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer -- is already showing signs of being able to set shifts, periods and whole games to their particular brand of push-the-boundaries music.

"I lost count of the chances,'' lamented Bennett of one of those everything-but full-on assault third periods in the split-squad exhibition opener at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

CALGARY, AB -- Mark Giordano scored, but the Edmonton Oilers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 in pre-season split-squad action at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.
 
Brian Elliott and Mason McDonald combined to make 19 saves for the Flames (0-2-0), who also lost 4-2 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. 
 
Anton Slepyshev and Jere Sallinen scored for the Oilers (0-2-0).
 
Trailing 2-0, Giordano one-timed a Dennis Wideman pass by Oilers reliever Laurent Brossoit with nine seconds remaining in regulation. The goal game after Sallinen hit the back of the empty net at 18:57 with McDonald on the bench for the extra attacker.

EDMONTON, AB -- Three third period Edmonton Oilers goals sunk the Calgary Flames on Monday night, with the visitors dropping a 4-2 decision in Edmonton.

"We tried forcing things, we couldn't get through the neutral zone and we couldn't get pucks behind their (defence)," was assistant coach Dave Cameron's assessment of the final period. "They just stood up on us and they just kept coming back and attacking. We didn't manage the neutral zone well enough."

Goaltender Jon Gillies went the distance at Rogers Place, turning aside 35 shots in 60:00 of action. Due to injury issues last season, Monday's game was just Gillies' second in the last 11 months.

"I thought he was exceptional," Cameron said. "I think he battled, battled, battled. We turned over way too many pucks tonight and the Oilers took advantage of it. He bailed us out.

"I thought for a guy who has been off as long as he's been, coming back and facing what he faced tonight, I don't know if he could have played any better."