5 Things - Flames @ Panthers

1. Opportunity Knocks

You can’t help the Flames for having a sunny disposition.

That’s what trips to Florida are all about.

Calgary continues its three-game jaunt through the southeastern United States with a visit to the Florida Panthers this afternoon, with an eye on completing a four-game season series sweep of the Sunshine State’s two NHL clubs.

Two nights ago, the Flames broke open a contest in Tampa with three quick, second-period goals.

But according to defenceman Oliver Kylington, the offence wasn’t the only thing that was clicking over on the other side of the state.

“I thought we had a really good team effort (Thursday), everyone chipped in,” Kylington said after practice Friday. “We relied on what we’re good at, we stuck to our game plan and I think that helped us win, for sure.

“It was a complete 60, and we just have to build off this, and play like this against Florida.”

The winds of change have died down, too, with the passing of the NHL Trade Deadline Friday afternoon.

It’s both eyes forward for Kylington and his Calgary colleagues, too.

The departures of veterans Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin have undoubtedly shaken up the look and feel of the Flames blue line, and those high-octane, high-pressure minutes have been - so far - a welcome addition for Kylington.

He surpassed 20 minutes in ice time in each of his last two appearances - games which stood as his two busiest nights of the campaign thus far.

But Kylington’s remained affable, and easy-going about it all.

“For me, it’s normal,” he said. “I’m used to it, I like it, I just try to rely on what I’m good at, provide that to the team and trust my game.

“It doesn’t make a big difference to me, really, the only difference is you see me more on the ice.”

But when it comes to the newer members of Calgary’s defence corps, like Brayden Pachal, Joel Hanley and Daniil Miromanov (who could make his Flames debut today), Kylington realizes the final 20 games of the regular season offer everyone a chance to showcase themselves.

“They have a great opportunity to show what they’re made of,” Kylington said of his new mates. “I think Pickle (Pachal) has been really good for us since he came, I enjoy playing with him.

“There’s opportunity everywhere, everyone just has to grab it, trust what they’re good at and bring that to the table every night.”

2. Know Your Enemy

The Panthers enter today’s game at the top of the NHL table with 90 points, one better than their division rival Bruins as of the beginning of play Saturday.

It’s been a busy week, too, in South Florida, as Bill Zito swung deals for a pair of veteran forwards in ex-Senator Vladimir Tarasenko and former Sabres captain Kyle Okposo in advance of Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline, while also extending defenceman Gustav Forsling’s contract for another eight years.

Tarasenko made his debut in Florida’s last outing, a 2-1 home loss to Philadelphia Thursday night that saw former Flame Garnet Hathaway play hero for the visitors with a last-minute game-winning goal.

Offensively, the Panthers are deep, and Okposo’s former Buffalo teammate Sam Reinhart has enjoyed a career year - he comes into today’s action with a team-leading 45 goals and 75 points, while his 25 powerplay goals are 10 more than the next best skater in the NHL this season.

The aforementioned Forsling has been a rock on the blue line, his +44 rating leads the league, while his 32 points are the most among Florida d-men.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is enjoying arguably his best season as a Panther since joining the club in 2019, with 31 wins, four shutouts and a .918 save percentage.

Florida is a balanced, well-coached team, and as we draw closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there are plenty of reasons for hockey fans in the southern portion of the Sunshine State to feel optimistic.

3. Fast Facts

2023-24 Season Series

The two sides last met one week before Christmas at the Scotiabank Saddledome, a night that saw the Flames post a 3-1 victory.

Mikael Backlund broke a 1-1 tie with a short-handed marker early in the third period, while Martin Pospisil and Blake Coleman also scored for the hosts.

Sam Reinhart was the lone Florida player to beat Jacob Markstrom, who marked his return to the Flames lineup that night with a 33-save performance.

Did You Know?

The Flames could have as many as four players in today’s lineup who began their NHL careers with the Florida Panthers.

Jacob Markstrom tended twine for parts of four NHL seasons after being selected by the Panthers in the 2008 NHL Draft.

Jonathan Huberdeau was the third-overall selection by Florida three years later, and will skate at Amerant Bank Arena today for just the second time as a visitor.

MacKenzie Weegar and Dryden Hunt both made their NHL debuts with the Panthers: Weegar’s first game was in April of 2017, while Hunt laced up his skates for the first time with Florida the following season.

4. Russian Rearguards

The Flames welcomed new defenceman Daniil Miromanov to the fold at Friday’s practice in South Florida - and the 26-year-old was easy to spot on the ice!

Standing 6’4”, Miromanov took part in drills alongside Oliver Kylington, and the right-shot defender could well make his Flames debut today after being acquired mid-week from the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Flames also snagged blueliner Nikita Okhotiuk Friday in a deadline-day deal with the Sharks, though he is not expected to meet up with his new teammates until they return to Calgary at the end of the weekend.

Miromanov and Okhotiuk are the second and third Russian d-men acquired by the Flames organization in the past two weeks, joining Artem Grushnikov, who made his debut with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers last weekend.

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Matt Coronato

Coronato was impressive in his first game with the big club since late January, logging an assist and a +3 rating Thursday night in Tampa.

He didn’t get credit on the scoresheet, but his play along the wall in the defensive zone also helped jump-start the rush that led to Calgary’s second goal in that 6-3 win, a goal which at the time gave the Flames a lead they would not relinquish.

He put up two shots on goal in Thursday’s win while drawing an assignment alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich.

Panthers - Vladimir Tarasenko

The Russian forward made his Panthers debut Thursday against the Flyers and while he was held off the scoresheet, he comes into today’s game with goals in two of his last three games.

The six-time 30-goal man has 17 tallies and 41 points this season, accrued with the Ottawa Senators prior to Wednesday’s trade.

As a Senator, Tarasenko also stood +13 on the season, which was second-best among an Ottawa group which entered play Friday 18 points adrift from an Eastern Conference playoff berth.