5 Things - Flames @ Senators

1. On To Ottawa

The Flames head into our nation’s capital riding a three-game point streak after rallying from a three-goal deficit to earn a point on Friday night in Toronto.

On one hand, it certainly stings to drop an extra point after battling back.

On the other, the clash with the Leafs is evidence of this team’s never-say-die attitude manifesting itself both at home, and on the road.

Calgary has put home 17 pucks in the last four games, signs of an offence that’s coming to life.

And over the last two games, the team has clawed back from two- and three-goal gulfs to earn three of a possible four points.

Head Coach Ryan Huska was concerned postgame with the amount of chances given up by his group against the Maple Leafs, but acknowledged his group is showing signs of playing a successful brand of hockey.

“That’s an area that we’ve got to challenge each other, not to be that leaky,” Huska said following Friday’s contest. “When you see us do it the right way, we do a lot of good things.

“Portions of the end of the first period and the second period, we got a lot of zone time and we were playing the right way; it’s just a matter of sticking with it.”

While he didn’t hit the scoresheet in Toronto, Elias Lindholm made his presence felt in the offensive zone, leading the Flames with seven shots.

Linemate Jonathan Huberdeau had an assist; he also notably snuffed out a clear-cut scoring opportunity by diving to break up an odd-man rush in overtime.

We could see the NHL road debut of goaltender Dustin Wolf tonight at Canadian Tire Centre.

Huska hinted at the possibility Friday morning; Wolf backed up Dan Vladar on Friday with No. 1 netminder Jacob Markstrom listed as day-to-day.

But like Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and others who have stepped in to the Flames lineup, Wolf is certainly eager to show the Flames what he can do at the NHL level.

In each of the past four seasons, the product of Gilroy, Calif. has been named the top goaltender in the league he’s played in (twice in the WHL, twice in the AHL).

The reigning AHL Most Valuable Player has picked up where he left off in 2022-23, too, winning five of six starts with the Calgary Wranglers, while posting a .924 save percentage along the way.

“We’re in a situation where we’re in a back-to-back,” Huska said of his goaltenders Friday morning.

“We’ll see how things go for (Saturday).”

2. Know Your Enemy

The Senators last played on Thursday night on home ice, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks despite outshooting the visitors 30-16.

Ottawa found themselves on the back foot early in the contest, when Canucks forward Brock Boeser scored 15 seconds into the opening frame.

Ultimately, the Senators suffered a fifth straight home loss, with that slow start drawing the attention of head coach D.J. Smith in his postgame media session.

“What I don’t like is getting scored on 15 seconds into a game,” Smith told reporters. “When you have the opportunity to start, you have to be on your toes and the first time you touch the puck, you’ve got to know what you’re doing with it, you’ve got to be above, you’ve got to give them nothing.”

Captain Brady Tkachuk is off to a hot start for Ottawa, leading the team with eight goals to this point in the campaign.

German forward Tim Stutzle leads the club with 15 points (3G, 12A), after posting a career year with 39 goals and 90 points in 2022-23.

At 5-7-0, Ottawa is a game ahead of last year’s pace through 12 games of the regular season.

Like his Calgary counterpart, Smith figures his club’s success rate boils down to making the right decisions when in possession of the puck.

“We did a lot of good things,” Smith said of his team’s effort Thursday.

“Ultimately, you have to take care of the puck in this league.”

3. Fast Facts

2022-23 Season Series:

The Flames collected three of a possible four points against the Senators last season, earning a point on the road before scoring a 5-1 home win in the return engagement.

Tim Stutzle played overtime hero for Ottawa, scoring 1:55 into the extra frame Feb. 13 in a 4-3 Senators victory; Dillon Dube scored twice for the visitors.

Calgary returned the favour with a 5-1 win at the ‘Dome on Mar. 12 thanks to goals from five different skaters. Elias Lindholm’s powerplay marker late in the first period stood up as the decider, while at the other end of the ice, Jacob Markstrom turned aside 30 shots to earn the win in goal.

Did You Know?

Friday’s contest in Toronto included a Flames franchise first.

Never before had two Calgary skaters with surnames beginning with ‘Z” scored in the same game, before Connor Zary and Nikita Zadorov both lit the lamp against the Maple Leafs.

4. Roster Notes

Here’s how the Flames lined up Friday night in Toronto:

Forwards

Jonathan Huberdeau - Elias Lindholm - Andrew Mangiapane
Connor Zary - Nazem Kadri - Yegor Sharangovich
Martin Pospisil - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman
A.J. Greer - Adam Ruzicka - Dillon Dube

Walker Duehr

Defence

MacKenzie Weegar - Rasmus Andersson
Noah Hanifin - Chris Tanev
Nikita Zadorov - Nick DeSimone

Dennis Gilbert

Goaltenders

Dan Vladar
Dustin Wolf

5. Players to Watch

Flames - Connor Zary

You can’t not watch this kid.

Zary became just the sixth Flame ever to record a point in his first four NHL contests when he scored a first-period goal last night in Toronto, but his poise and patience with the puck is also worthy of attention.

The 22-year-old has earned at least a point in each of his 10 games played this season (six AHL, four NHL).

He was fifth among Flames forwards with 18:23 of ice time last night.

Senators - Jakob Chychrun

A second-generation NHL defenceman, Chychrun has been a big part of the Senators’ offence to start the 2023-24 season, scoring five goals and totalling 11 points over his first dozen games in this, his first full season in Ottawa.

It’s a welcome return for the Senators, who acquired Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes last season. The 25-year-old was limited to 48 games a season ago, but is on pace to smash his career-best totals of 18 goals and 41 points, set with the Coyotes during the 2020-21 campaign.