5 Things - Flames @ Red Wings

1. Motor City Sunday

The most important game of the season is almost always the next one up in the schedule.

And for the Calgary Flames, Sunday's contest in Detroit represents a 60-minute exercise in feeling good about the present as well as setting the tone for the games to come.

With a win, the Flames can come home above the .500 mark.

To do so, they'll need to capitalize on those periods of offensive domination that have become regular occurrences over the past nine days away from home.

After a frustrating loss Friday, the smart money would suggest that things are about to click offensively. Calgary has averaged over 37 shots on goal per game on the trip, generating chances on the powerplay, penalty kill and at even strength.

“We’re getting some chances,” Head Coach Ryan Huska said Saturday, “but I think we can be a little more dangerous with how we’re playing the game. It’s not about just getting the chances, it’s the quality of chances and really, when you look back at our games, they’ve steadily increased, the grade-A chances that we’ve been able to get.”

Elias Lindholm scored Calgary’s lone goal Friday in Columbus, he and Nazem Kadri led the Flames with six shots on goal apiece two nights ago, with Lindholm’s marker coming as Calgary was killing a third-period penalty.

A forward-thinking Huska knows the matchup with the Red Wings isn’t as much about avenging past defeats, though, as it is about getting his club in a winning mindset with a pair of home games (and the Heritage Classic) on the horizon.

“We have a chance to come home above .500 and that’s an important thing when you go on a five-game road trip,” Huska said.

“We want to go home with that record, and feeling good about our game.”

The Flames skated in Michigan Saturday, marking a chance to get on the ice before an earlier than usual start at Little Caesars Arena.

While Huska noted he wants his team to remain fresh facing a three-in-four situation away from home, Saturday’s practice session offered an opportunity to fine-tune some details.

“It still gives us an opportunity to touch on a few things that we can do better,” Huska commented.

“The big part of it is making sure we’re connected, forwards and defencemen, and (doing) our best to not give up the middle of the ice as much as possible.”

Facing a Detroit team that’s on a roll after a win in Ottawa Saturday afternoon, there's no doubt the Flames have eyes on putting the pedal to the metal in order to wrap this road trip up on a winning note.

2. Know Your Enemy

The Red Wings return home with a 4-1-0 record after seeing aside the Ottawa Senators Saturday.

Joe Veleno scored twice to record the first multi-goal game of his NHL career, while Ville Husso stopped a season-high 35 shots between the pipes.

“All in all, a really good road win against a top team,” head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters after the contest.

“You watch (Ottawa), I think they’re going to be towards the top of the standings all year, so I think that was a really good win for us.”

These aren’t the Red Wings of yesteryear, either. General manager Steve Yzerman has reshaped the roster, headlined by the acquisition of Michigan product Alex DeBrincat in an off-season deal with the aforementioned Senators.

So far, the move home has paid off for DeBrincat. With five goals and eight points on the young season, the 25-year-old is among the league’s leading point-getters along with captain Dylan Larkin, who has notched two goals and nine points through his first two weeks of action.

All but one of Detroit’s top six scorers from a season ago are back in the fold including defenceman Moritz Seider, whose 42 points were the most among Red Wings rearguards in 2022-23.

Lalonde, who served on Jon Cooper’s staff for a pair of Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning, knows full well the Flames will present a challenge as his team navigates a back-to-back scenario.

“If we want to continue to get where we want to be,” he said, “we’ve got to take a little step in our maturity, put this (Ottawa win) behind us, and play a really good game (Sunday).”

3. Fast Facts

2022-23 Season Series:

The two sides met twice over a seven-day span this past February, with Detroit taking both meetings to sweep the season set. The Red Wings scored a 2-1 win on home ice Feb. 9 before defeating the Flames 5-2 at the ‘Dome Feb. 16.

Calgary won both meetings in 2021-22, however, by identical 3-0 scorelines.

Did You Know?

Mikael Backlund’s shorthanded assist Friday at Columbus was the 13th of his NHL career, tying him with Theo Fleury for the most shorthanded helpers in franchise history.

4. Homecoming, Part II

Today's contest in Detroit marks the second time on the Flames' current five-game sojourn that one of the team's defencemen has gotten to return to their hometown.

First, Dennis Gilbert got to celebrate an assist and two points in front of familiar faces in Buffalo. This evening, Jordan Oesterle returns to his hometown to face the team with whom he spent the past two NHL seasons before signing in Calgary this past July.

Oesterle grew up in nearby Dearborn Heights, Mich., about 15 miles west of downtown Detroit, and as a kid he got to see four hometown Stanley Cup championships before turning 16 years of age while attending games at Joe Louis Arena.

As an adult, he played 97 games in a Red Wings sweater, totalling 19 points from the blue line after previous stops in Edmonton, Chicago and Arizona.

"It was pretty cool, something you dream about," the 31-year-old told Brendan Parker Saturday.

"I'm happy I was able to do it, but that's in the past and I'm looking forward to now."

5. Players to Watch

Flames - Mikael Backlund

Backlund earned his first point as Flames captain (an assist) in Friday’s setback in Columbus but through five games of the season, you could make the argument that he’s deserved a better fate on the scoresheet.

The Swedish centreman was foiled on a pair of breakaways Thursday in Buffalo and over his past three games, he’s directed 12 shots on goal. His 16 shots on target this season are good for a share of the team lead.

Tonight’s game offers an opportunity for Backlund to showcase his leadership skills too, as the Flames look to bounce back from Friday’s frustration and end the trip on a winning note.

Red Wings - David Perron

The 17-year vet scored a powerplay marker in the Red Wings’ 5-2 win at Ottawa Saturday, his second of the season (Detroit by the way, is 50% on the man-advantage to start the season).

Perron has scored 20 or more goals seven times over the course of his career, including a 24-goal campaign last season, his first with the Red Wings.

In 44 career games against the Flames, he’s totalled 37 points (17G, 20A).