5 Things - Flames vs. Maple Leafs

1. Fire Up February!

It's the shortest month of the year, and thanks to the Winter Games in Italy, it's the lightest month on the Flames schedule, too.

Calgary will contest just four fixtures this month, beginning with tonight's all-Canadian clash with the Maple Leafs at the Scotiabank Saddledome. GET TICKETS

And they'll come into this evening's contest feeling a bit better about their game, too. Saturday's matinee triumph over the Sharks snapped a five-game skid, and the Flames got two special teams goals (and some special goaltending) to boot.

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2. Know Your Enemy

It's the start of an all-Alberta, back-to-back set this evening for Toronto, who arrive at the Scotiabank Saddledome on the heels of a 3-2 shootout victory Saturday in Vancouver. Nicolas Roy and Max Domi counted the regulation-time goals before William Nylander notched the shootout decider in his return to the Maple Leafs lineup, as Toronto snapped a six-game skid at the expense of the Canucks.

"A great effort by our team, great to have Willy back," Head Coach Craig Berube told reporters post-game. "We got it done … it took a bit."

"I thought (Nylander) was really good tonight, skated extremely well, competed, created offence. I thought he elevated everybody on our team, to be honest with you."

Nylander had five shots on goal in his return following a seven-game absence; the Calgary-born winger played a shade over 20 minutes Saturday, and even though he's skated in only 38 of Toronto's 55 games, he still holds a two-point lead over Auston Matthews in the Leafs' scoring race, with 48 points on the campaign.

Matthews finished tied for third among the NHL's goal-getters in the month of January, scoring 11 times in 16 games.

The Leafs start the month of February eight points back of the final Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference, and they'll play just once at home this month - Feb. 28 versus their provincial rivals from Ottawa.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

Tonight's game is the second and final meeting of the regular season between Calgary and Toronto, with the Maple Leafs holding the edge by virtue of a 4-3 victory at Scotiabank Arena Oct. 28. Matthew Knies and Max Domi each had two goals for the home side, with Domi's second marker at 17:56 of the third period denying the Flames at least a point.

Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee and Sam Honzek had the Calgary goals that evening; Honzek's tally was his first in the NHL.

Did You Know?

Joel Farabee's goal Saturday against San Jose wasn't just the game-winner, it was a League leader.

Farabee notched his fourth short-handed goal of the season against the Sharks, moving him into a three-way tie for top spot among NHL skaters in the category this season, joining Buffalo's Ryan McLeod and Joel Armia of the Kings.

Only one Flames player has scored more shorties in a single season since Y2K was a thing: Mark Jankowski had five during the 2018-19 campaign.

4. Zayne Train

Defenceman Zayne Parekh was back in a Flames practice uniform Sunday, taking reps with a handful of players at WinSport after being recalled from his AHL conditioning stint Saturday.

In four games with the Wranglers, Parekh put up five points (2G, 3A) including a highlight-reel marker last Monday versus Laval.

"It was great. I loved it," Parekh said Sunday of his sojourn in the AHL. "I had a lot of fun, and, you know, those guys treated me like I was there all year.

"I had a great time, and I thought I played some really good hockey, hopefully I can bring that here."

And despite the fact Parekh has not appeared in an NHL game since Nov. 7 - when he suffered an injury in a contest against the Blackhawks - he's been busy. Not just on the practice ice or in the American League, but internationally, too. It was less than a month ago that the 19-year-old set a new Canadian World Juniors record for points by a defenceman, notching 13 over his team's bronze-medal effort in Minnesota.

That tournament was tailor-made as a confidence booster, and for Parekh, it's done exactly that as he ramped his way back up to the big club, and a possible return to the lineup Monday against his hometown team.

"I felt like my touches, especially last game offensively, were really good and I created a lot," he said. "I'm feeling good at where I am with the puck.

"I'm trying to be more urgent when I'm away from the puck and I think I did a good job with that."

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Morgan Frost

It's not a stretch to say Frost was the best player on the ice Saturday against the Sharks. A goal, a highlight-reel assist, and 15 face-off victories in 18 tries.

His Head Coach even commented post-game that Frost's showing against San Jose was his best 60 minutes in a Flames uniform. A performance, coincidentally, that occurred on the one-year anniversary of his trade to Calgary.

Ahead of a matchup against the team he grew up watching - and listening to his father Andy call goals and assists for - Frost is heating up, too.

He comes into Monday's tilt with Toronto with three goals in his last four games.

And his line - featuring veteran Jonathan Huberdeau and rookie Matvei Gridin - is starting to build some real, tangible chemistry.

Take Gridin's goal Saturday, for instance. A three-way passing play that started with defenceman MacKenzie Weegar and went through Frost. A tic-tac-toe type of play that comes with knowing where each other is on the ice.

And for Head Coach Ryan Huska, Gridin might just hold the key to unlocking that dynamism.

"Morgan likes to distribute, I think that’s probably the number-one thing. And I think what Matvei’s done is helped with the speed of that line," Huska said following Saturday's 3-2 win. "I think they know that if they have to put a puck in, he’ll be a guy that can go in and get it, and number two, he can be heavier on the puck.

"Even though he’s 19 years old, he can be strong in the battle and he can win pucks back for those two guys, Huberdeau and Frost. Right now I think they’ve gotten better every game they’ve played together. I feel like they’re giving us more dynamic of an offensive threat, and we need it. Hopefully they can continue that for us."

To dwell on the superlatives, Gridin became just the third Flames teenager over the past decade to record multiple goals in an NHL season, too. That list previously included only Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

The trio - and Gridin's future potential - provides something to be excited about.

And even though it's a 10 p.m. local spot for those Easterners bound to tune in tonight, you can bet the Centre of the Universe will be watching.

Maple Leafs - Bobby McMann

The Wainwright product is on the cusp of his second straight 20-goal season - he's at 17 tallies right now - and McMann comes into Monday's game with five points in his last five outings for the Leafs.

And he's feasted against teams from his home province of Alberta, too.

In nine career games against the Flames and Oilers, McMann has seven goals and nine points (five of those tallies, by the way, have come against Edmonton).