1. End Of The Road
Fourteen days and five cities later, the longest road trip of the season for the Flames - and the team's 2025-26 away schedule - draws to a close Saturday in Seattle.
For those keeping score at home, the 9,000-plus kilometre journey would take about 84 hours to complete by car.
And the make-up of the team has changed a bit, too, since the Flames took off from Calgary Mar. 29. Defenceman Kevin Bahl and forward Blake Coleman both departed: the former due to injury, the latter because of a family addition, but the team has forged on, and battled, most recently Thursday night in a 3-1 setback in Denver that was a toe or two away from requiring extra time.
And even without Bahl, Coleman, and fellow veteran Ryan Strome (who missed Thursday's game due to illness), opportunity knocked, and players answered the door.
"I think it's just the opportunity that we talked about before the game," Head Coach Ryan Huska discussed post-game at Ball Arena in Denver. "You know, there's some people out of the lineup, but it also gives someone a chance to play, and I think some of our players did a good job of stepping up tonight."
One of those players was Tyson Gross, who notched his first NHL marker against the Avalanche and thought he'd scored an equalizer minutes later only to have it called back on a coach's challenge for offside.
Another might well be defenceman Abram Wiebe. The 22-year-old blueliner was acquired in January and signed Friday out of the University of North Dakota after a solid, three-year collegiate career.
With only four games left on the 2025-26 schedule, opportunities are limited for veterans and newcomers alike to finish the campaign on a high. To make one (or four) final impressions on coaches and management with an off-season looming.
And tonight as well, an opportunity exists for everyone to get back on Air Flames Saturday evening for the final leg home with smiles on their faces.
To end this long, strange journey on a positive note.
