5 Things - Flames @ Golden Knights

1. Keep Building

Winning sure feels good.

To a man, these Flames would wholeheartedly agree. 

The team landed in Vegas shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, hours after earning their first victory of the season at Honda Center in Anaheim and Wednesday afternoon at practice, the discussion focused solely on continuing to find ways to improve.

There's been a steady progression on the ice from Day One of the regular season and finally, Calgary was rewarded in the form of a 4-2 triumph Tuesday over the Ducks in a contest that offered the type of determination captain Mikael Backlund would like to see night in, night out going forward.

"I think we just kept going," he said Wednesday. "I felt like the group was ready not to lose and it was like, 'We're not gonna be denied in here, we're gonna keep pushing, and we're gonna turn this around.'

"I really liked the effort, and yeah, there were some dips in the game, but most of the night I thought we played with a lot of pace and energy, and I really liked that. I felt like the group was ready to win, and we weren't gonna lose.

Tonight's challenge, against a Vegas side that reached the Stanley Cup Final last spring and has shot out of the gate with six wins in eight games, will be daunting. But six games in, it's starting to become clearer that when these Flames strap on their work boots, they'll make life difficult for opposing sides.

As always, the key is to do so consistently, but those happy totals Tuesday night helped reinforce the reward for putting in the work.

"We've got to stick to what works for us," said Backlund. "We had a good meeting this morning, coaches showing us what we did well and why we were winning.

"We've got to keep doing that, keep playing that solid game and making it hard on the teams and (making) it frustrating for them."

2. Know Your Enemy

The Golden Knights wake up in first place in the Pacific Division with a 6-2-0 record, and return to T-Mobile Arena to kick off a three-game homestand this evening.

Tuesday evening, Vegas dispatched the Predators 5-2 in Nashville, getting goals from five different skaters including Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel, who both joined former Flame Victor Olofsson for the team lead with four tallies apiece to start the season.

"We talk a lot about how much our depth means to our team, and how effective it is," forward Brett Howden, who had a goal and an assist in the contest, told reporters post-game. "It goes to show that we can count on anyone on any given night."

The Flames won't see Olofsson this evening, though. The Swedish winger had six points in 18 games with Calgary at the end of last season, and was off to a flying start in his second stint with Vegas this fall before being placed on injured reserve following a game in Seattle Oct. 6.

Eichel leads the team with 13 points; he and captain Mark Stone have combined for nine powerplay assists to date, too.

3. Fast Facts

2026-27 Season Series

This evening's game marks the first of four meetings in 2026-27 between Calgary and Vegas but after tonight, the two sides won't square off again until Feb. 1 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames will visit Las Vegas again Feb. 13 before the Golden Knights become the third-from-final regular-season visitor to the 'Dome March 27.

Vegas took three of the four meetings last season, with Calgary's lone win in the season set coming via a 6-3 triumph on home ice Dec. 20. Mikael Backlund scored twice - including the game-winner - that evening, while Joel Farabee and Adam Klapka were also among the Flames' goal-getters.

Did You Know?

Aydar Suniev registered the first multi-point effort (1G, 1A) of his young NHL career Tuesday in Anaheim, factoring into the game-tying and game-winning goals in that 4-2 Flames triumph.

Mikael Backlund registered career point No. 608 on Yegor Sharangovich's empty-net marker, moving him to within a point of Johnny Gaudreau for a share of fifth place among the franchise scoring leaders.

Joel Farabee made his NHL debut against the Golden Knights Oct. 21, 2019.

Simon Nemec recorded his first multi-point game as a Flame (two assists) against the Ducks Tuesday evening.

4. Tools of the Trade

Tuesday night in Anaheim, we got our first peek at the 2026-27 answer to the Red Blazer, which was awarded inside the dressing room after each Flames win last season.

And what better homage to the work being conducted adjacent to the Scotiabank Saddledome than for the team to dole out a hard hat and hi-visibility vest from the Scotia Place construction site!

Joel Farabee was this year's first recipient of the Hardest Working/Player of the Game award after that 4-2 win over the Ducks and Wednesday after practice at T-Mobile Arena, Flames captain Mikael Backlund explained the reasoning behind choosing safety gear from the Scotia Place project.

"We went to tour the new arena (earlier this month), and I talked to Huby (Jonathan Huberdeau) right away, and I thought it'd be a great idea," Backlund said. "Felt good to put it on, and I thought we looked good in the gear, and I thought it'd be a great way to show respect and appreciation for all the people behind the scenes working hard to get that building up for us, the city of Calgary and the organization. 

"Right away when I saw it, I asked Huby what he thought and he was pumped right away. Then (we) brought it to the other leaders and they all liked the idea. This year being the last year of the 'Dome, going into the new arena, (we're) just showing a lot of appreciation to everyone working hard for the building to be ready on time."

5. Players To Watch