5 Things - Flames vs. Blackhawks

1. Seeking A Streak

More of the same, please!

The vibes were immaculate, and the Nazem Kadri celebration was on two nights ago in Calgary's 5-1 win over Columbus and tonight, the group will look for more of the same as they host Chicago at the Scotiabank Saddledome. GET TICKETS

The Flames have two wins on the spin, they've outscored their opponents 10-2 in their past 120 minutes of home-ice hockey, and Head Coach Ryan Huska figures his group is starting to show signs of the form that got them ever so close to a post-season berth last spring.

"They’re starting to do some things that are more indicative of a winning team," he said following Wednesday's win. "I still think we have a ways to go, but that’s a few areas, for sure, a huge step in the right direction.

"One penalty, tonight, again. You give yourself a chance to win games when you’re disciplined like that."

It's no secret that the team struggled to light the lamp over the first weeks of the campaign but things are sure trending upward, especially here at home.

And they're spreading the offence around at the 'Dome, too. Calgary's last 12 home goals have come off the sticks of eight different skaters, with Blake Coleman (three goals), Kadri and Adam Klapka (two each) all factoring in on multiple occasions during that span.

Coleman - a 30-goal man two seasons ago - leads the team with a half-dozen bingos, while at the other end of the rink, Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley have combined to surrender only two goals (plus a pesky empty-netter in Nashville) over their last 160 minutes of playing time.

But still, it's early November. And the Flames still find themselves propping up their Western Conference rivals in the standings.

Huska and his group are mindful of that, and aware as well that the short-term focus, that 'task at hand' mentality that they adopted last winter, will serve as the right mindset to have if indeed, they're to rattle off a few more victories over the coming days.

"We’re very much in a ‘Whatever our next game up is’ mentality right now," Huska said "We have to try to catch the team that’s in front of us.

"That’s our mindset. That’s the way we have to be right now."

2. Know Your Enemy

Chicago is in the midst of their longest road trip of the season; tonight's fixture the fifth in a six-game jaunt that wraps up in Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

And it hasn't been an easy journey, either. Wednesday's 5-2 win in Vancouver was the first victory of the trip for the Blackhawks, who come into tonight's game five points up on the Flames with a 6-5-3 record.

If you arrived late to Wednesday's win over the Canucks, you didn't miss much. All seven goals in the contest came in the third period, Chicago getting three off the stick of Tyler Bertuzzi, while former Canuck Ilya Mikheyev and North Vancouver native Connor Bedard chipping in with singles.

Ryan Donato helped out the offence with a pair of assists, while Spencer Knight turned in a 43-save performance between the pipes as the Blackhawks snapped a three-game skid.

But Bertuzzi was the hero of the night, earning the praises of Head Coach Jeff Blashill after the contest.

"He's a guy you appreciate more from ice level than you might from up top,” Blashill described to reporters after the game. "Skating doesn't always look great, but man, he wins pucks, and that's kind of who he's always been for me. He's great on that back post. He's really learned over the years how to build a wall on that back post and people shoot for it and they go in. It's a great way to score.

"'Bert,' for me, has been very good all season, and he had another good one tonight."

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

Tonight's game marks the first of three meetings between Calgary and Chicago, but it's the only time during this regular season that the two sides will meet at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

They'll face each other again Nov. 18 and Jan. 15 at the United Center.

Calgary swept the three-game set in 2024-25, starting with a 3-1 home win Oct. 15, 2024 - a game accented by two tallies from Matt Coronato.

The young Long Islander was one of six Flames to light the lamp in the second meeting Dec. 21, 2024 - a 6-4 Calgary win at the Scotiabank Saddledome - with Blake Coleman's late second-period marker standing up as the winner in a Saturday matinee.

Mikael Backlund recorded the decider in the series finale Jan. 13 in the Windy City in a 5-2 Flames win that also marked the NHL debut - and first NHL points - for prospect Rory Kerins.

Did You Know?

Wednesday night against Columbus, the Flames did something only one other NHL club has done so far this season: score twice inside the first two minutes of a contest.

Morgan Frost and Blake Coleman staked the home side to a 2-0 advantage 1:32 into that 5-1 victory.

Bryan Rust and former Flame Anthony Mantha scored at the 39-second and 55-second mark, respectively, in Pittsburgh's 6-3 win over St. Louis Oct. 27.

4. We Love Kuzy!

Yan Kuznetsov made the most of his second career NHL contest Wednesday.

His setup on Adam Klapka's second-period marker stood up as Kuznetsov's first career NHL point, and the young Russian tacked on two hits, a blocked shot and a +2 rating over his 13:56 of playing time against the Blue Jackets.

And from a wins and losses perspective, he's off to a flying start in the NHL, too.

Over his two career games, Calgary holds a 2-0-0 record and have outscored their opponents 11-4.

But that's not to say the 23-year-old is short on pro experience. He's got 226 career AHL games under his belt with Stockton and Calgary and last season, he finished tops on the Wranglers with a +21 rating, 13 points better than his next closest teammate.

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Sam Honzek

Honzek has fit in brilliantly on a line with veterans Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, and he's been playing short-handed minutes, too.

Wednesday against Columbus, the 20-year-old factored in on Coleman's game-winner - earning an assist - and he was named the game's Third Star for his efforts.

The young Slovak will turn 21 years of age in five days' time.

Blackhawks - Tyler Bertuzzi

As mentioned above, Bertuzzi was the hero for the 'Hawks in Vancouver on Wednesday night, recording a hat-trick to double his goals total on the young season to six.

He comes into tonight's contest with four tallies in his last three games, and celebrated his 500th NHL game on Monday night in Seattle.

Bertuzzi comes into the 2025-26 campaign with back-to-back 20-plus goal seasons, and has started the new campaign on pace to eclipse the career-best 30 tucks he registered in 2021-22 as a member of the Red Wings.