1. Golden State Getaway
Three games, four nights.
And the start of a six-week stretch with plenty of travel for these Flames. In all, 14 of Calgary's next 19 contests will take place away from the friendly confines of the Scotiabank Saddledome.
First up, a date with the Kings at Crypto.com Arena, and a chance to start this road stretch on the right foot.
Elevating their game, even.
One player that stands to get an elevated role Saturday is forward Adam Klapka, who skated alongside Morgan Frost and Yegor Sharangovich Friday at practice after being moved up from the fourth line.
Klapka's skill set complements his ability to cause chaos on the ice, and after he played a season-high 16:07 Wednesday against the Rangers - scoring a powerplay goal in the third period - the time is right for Head Coach Ryan Huska to give the 6'8" winger a more prominent assignment at even strength.
" I think Adam, when you look at the whole body of work over the course of the year, has probably been one of our more consistent forwards," Huska noted Friday. "He's getting some powerplay time 'cause he's doing things the right way, and I think he deserves an opportunity to move up the lineup with how he's played,
"The challenge is to make sure he stays with the style that he's been playing, and not getting away from it because his linemates have changed. And I think he's at the point with the way his season's gone so far that he recognizes how he has to play each and every game to be successful, and that shouldn't change, no matter what line you're on."
Klapka pointed to his own consistency as a focal point prior to the season, and so far, the Czech forward has delivered. He's up to seven points (4G, 3A) as we draw nearer to the quarter-pole of the campaign and appears poised to shatter his personal best of 18 points registered on the fourth line a year ago.
Huska, too, is searching for consistency. At times during the Flames' recent three-game homestand, momentum swung in the opponent's favour. And as the bench boss goes in search of a full 60-minute effort from his squad in Tinseltown, he has an inkling that Klapka's promotion - especially against a physical Kings side - might help to keep tides turned in Calgary's favour.
"You want every line to be able to go out and flip momentum if they have the opportunity to do that. And I think by putting Adam with Morgan and Sharky, gives that line more of an opportunity to have impact when we need a line to switch momentum in a game," Huska said. "So, we'll see how it does.
"I thought they looked fine on the ice this morning and we'll see how they do tomorrow."
