5 Things - Flames vs. Golden Knights

1. Class In Session

For the new-look Flames, the past three games have been more of a baptism in fire.

And they’ve got no choice but to get right back on the Blasty tonight with the Golden Knights in town. Get tickets

With new faces in the lineup, especially on a revamped blue line, head coach Ryan Huska and his staff have had their work cut out for them, instilling systems and best practices on the fly as the team navigates a run of games against opponents firmly planted in the playoff picture.

“I think you teach over the course of the whole year, all the time,” Huska said Wednesday. “There’s always things that creep into your game that the players forget, or they’re starting to get a little (confused) as to what they’re going to do in certain situations, so I think that’s an ongoing process.

“Now, with some new bodies in the lineup, you have to find different spaces, whether it’s individual or like let’s say the defence as a whole, do a little bit more but not too much, because the danger that you come into here is getting them into a position where they start overthinking.”

Defenceman Joel Hanley is one of those newcomers; he’s had only a few days to settle into life in a new city, with a new team - all while awaiting the arrival of his family from his former home in Dallas.

But he knows the biggest ingredient in any successful performance is a healthy serving of hard work, with a touch of elbow grease.

“The team’s been grinding, playing well before I got here,” Hanley said Wednesday. “We’ve had a tough schedule, but at the same time we have to bear down.

“You have to be prepared to play every shift, at this time of the year every team is playing well, you just have to bring your best every game.”

And that’s where the team’s leadership can lead the way, according to the head coach.

“They’ve been around and they’re all understanding of where we’re at right now,” Huska said, “and the importance of making sure that we dig in and put our best product on the ice.

“The way Mikael and Blake and the rest of our leadership group is, they will accept nothing other than the Calgary Flames way from their teammates.”

2. Know Your Enemy

Vegas lands in Calgary on the heels of back-to-back victories, including a 5-4 comeback win in Seattle Tuesday night.The Golden Knights tied the game in the final minute of regulation time before Jack Eichel played OT hero with his 200th career goal.

The Vegas forward said post-game his team kicked things into high gear once they found themselves trailing in the third period.

“The desperation was for sure there, and that’s what our team needs for the remainder of our year,” Eichel told reporters. “We need to be desperate every night, points are at a premium. It was important to get two (Tuesday), credit to the guys all the way through the lineup.

“We’ll try and build on this going into Calgary.”

According to head coach Bruce Cassidy, that sense of urgency took a while to percolate in Tuesday’s win.

“The urgency comes into your game,” he said of the comeback, “and the guys kinda see what they can do once they start supporting one another and winning pucks.”

Tonight’s two points should also invoke a sense of urgency from Vegas; they’ll enter play tied on points with Los Angeles for third place in the Pacific Division, though the Kings have one game in hand.

Scoring by committee has been the Golden Knights M.O. this season.

Vegas has 11 players on the roster with 11 or more goals in 2023-24, with Jonathan Marchessault leading the team with a career-high 37 tallies.

Newcomers Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, acquired from the Capitals and Flames, respectively, also figure in that list, though both players come into tonight’s game in search of their first goals as Golden Knights.

Hanifin is set to return to the Scotiabank Saddledome as a visitor just eight days after he was dealt to Vegas; the 27-year-old defenceman spent the better part of six seasons in Calgary, scoring 42 goals and 191 points for the club over 420 regular season appearances.

3. Fast Facts

2023-24 Season Series

Tonight’s matchup marks the fourth and final meeting of the 2023-24 regular season between Calgary and Vegas, with the Flames having won two of the previous three encounters.

MacKenzie Weegar played OT hero for Calgary in a 2-1 victory at the ‘Dome Nov. 27.

The Golden Knights then returned the favour with a 5-4 overtime triumph in the Desert Dec. 12.

The most recent meeting, a 3-1 Flames win at T-Mobile Arena Jan. 13, saw Calgary get goals from Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund, to go along with a 31-save performance from Jacob Markstrom between the pipes.

Weegar, Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich have each scored a pair of goals in the season series, while Markstrom and Dan Vladar have a win apiece against the Golden Knights in 2023-24.

Did You Know?

Daniil Miromanov became the latest Flames newcomer to make an instant impact on home ice when he scored 3:24 into Tuesday night’s contest against the Avalanche.

Miromanov is the third Flames player to score in their ‘Dome debut this season, joining Connor Zary (Nov. 1) and Andrei Kuzmenko (Feb. 15).

4. Quotable

Ryan Huska on process versus results:

"Your results will never be there if your process isn’t there, so that’s first and foremost; if you look to results, you’re in the wrong business, right now. I know we’re gauged as coaches on wins and losses, and that’s what it comes down to, but if you focus your team on wins and losses, then you’re in for a long year, or a long couple years, or whatever the case may be. It’s always about process, and always will be."

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Daniil Miromanov

Miromanov faces his former team for the first time tonight after joining the Flames last week - he scored his first goal in a Calgary sweater Tuesday against Colorado, a point blast that rocketed into the top corner of the net.

In fact, he led the Flames with eight shots on goal in that match versus the Avalanche, all while earning 19:50 of ice-time, a total which included three-and-a-half minutes of powerplay time.

The 26-year-old suited up in 29 regular season games for the Golden Knights between 2021 and 2024.

Golden Knights - Jonathan Marchessault

He scored twice in Vegas’ comeback win in Seattle Tuesday night, including the game-tying goal at the 19:43 mark of the third period.

Marchessault’s 37 goals represent a career best, and he comes into tonight’s game with five tallies over his last two games, including a hat-trick Mar. 9 versus Detroit.

A total of 44 of Marchessault’s 58 points this season have been recorded at even strength.