5 Things - Flames vs. Predators

1. Keep Rolling

Momentum is a funny thing.

When it's absent, adversity and malaise present themselves at nearly every turn.

But when it's present, it's infectious.

And that's the spot the Flames find themselves in Saturday, as they go in search of a sixth straight home-ice victory in a tilt with the Predators at the Scotiabank Saddledome. GET TICKETS

Seemingly all-of-a-sudden, this group is back to the .500 mark at 18-18-4, just six (or so) weeks removed from a loss in Chicago that put their record at 5-13-3 over the first quarter of the regular season.

Tonight, as Calgary hits the halfway mark, they have an opportunity to climb above that .500 standing for the first time since opening night.

Head Coach Ryan Huska has always preached a 'one day at a time' mindset.

And when asked about his team's change in fortunes Friday, he leaned on that attitude first and foremost.

"When we got off to that rough start result-wise, we changed it to make sure we're just focused on the day that was in front of us, and leave the day behind when we're done with it and not look forward," he explained, adding two facets of the Flames' game also turned the corner. "Our goaltending got much more … consistent than it was at the beginning part of the year, both guys, our penalty-kill started to get better, and because of those two things, we won a few games, and then it started to snowball again for us.

"I think once we started to see some results again, now the guys come to the rink - in particular here at the ‘Dome - knowing they're going to win. And I think that's a really big thing for us."

Calgary went 9-4-0 in December, with captain Mikael Backlund leading the way with six goals and 11 points last month.

And it's no secret that the 'Dome has been a tough place for visiting teams to claim two points, too. The Flames now hold a 10-1-1 record in home fixtures since Dustin Wolf blanked his hometown Sharks Nov. 13.

The turn of the calendar brings about new beginnings. New resolutions, even.

But for these Flames, the message is to keep building.

Especially in the building they call home.

2. Know Your Enemy

Tonight's game marks stop No. 6 in a run of seven straight road games for Nashville - a series of contests bi-sected by the holiday break.

But through it all, the Predators have enjoyed a nice little stretch of their own, winning six of nine to come into play Saturday even with the Flames at 18-18-4.

Nashville is coming off a 4-1 loss in Seattle on New Year's Day. The Kraken scored three times in the first period - including tallies from Jamie Oleksiak and Matty Beniers 10 seconds apart - while captain Roman Josi offered the lone Predators reply on a second-period powerplay.

Juuse Saros won eight games between the pipes in the month of December, but he was tagged with the loss Thursday, making 19 saves.

"It’s hard to keep coming back, especially on the road down a couple goals," Predators coach Andrew Brunette told reporters after the game. "The schedule got us a little bit, but for us, they were a little bit more desperate, which is sort of unacceptable this time of year."

Speaking of that schedule, tonight's game is Nashville's fourth over the past six days.

Ryan O'Reilly leads the club with 35 points, while Steven Stamkos' 18 goals (more on him below) are top of the crop for the Predators.

Defenceman Nick Blankenburg, who once patrolled the blue line for the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers, is enjoying a breakout season on the back end. He's already set a new career best with 17 points on the campaign while averaging a shade under 19 minutes of ice-time per night.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

Tonight's game is the third and final meeting of the season series, with Nashville having claimed both earlier contests on home ice. The Predators scored a 4-2 win over the Flames Nov. 1, then followed that up with a 5-1 triumph Dec. 2.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost scored the Calgary goals in those two meetings.

The Flames have won two of the three most recent home fixtures against Nashville dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season.

Did You Know?

Dustin Wolf had quite the December.

He recorded his 50th career win, he skated in his 100th career game, and he posted an 8-2-0 record last month to go along with a 2.22 goals-against average and .924 save percentage.

Only one NHL netminder - Detroit's John Gibson - recorded more wins last month than did Wolf, who sits 10-4-2 with a 1.94 GAA and .932 save percentage this season on home ice.

4. Keep On Chasin'

All season long, Flames TV is giving you exclusive, behind-the-scenes access at home and on the road with Season 2 of The Chase.

Friday evening, the latest episode dropped here at CalgaryFlames.com and on the Flames YouTube channel.

Among the highlights, an inside look at the team's recent Dad's Trip to California, which included a plucky overtime win in L.A. and sights and sounds from an NFL contest in the Bay Area!

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Rasmus Andersson

It's hard not to talk about Rasmus Andersson's play these days.

The defenceman scored his eighth goal of the season with a wicked one-timer Wednesday against the Flyers and since that watershed 6-2 win in Buffalo Nov. 19 - a victory that started to set the table for Calgary's turnaround - he sits tied for seventh among NHL blueliners with 17 points.

Add in Friday's news that Andersson will represent Sweden at the upcoming Winter Games in Italy, it's not out of the question to suggest this recent run of form has been the 29-year-old's finest stretch as a pro.

Predators - Steven Stamkos

Stamkos had a marvelous month of December, scoring 12 times and leading the Predators with 17 points.

His last goal - Dec. 31 at Vegas - was a milestone marker, too, as the former No. 1 pick reached 600 tallies for his NHL career.

He recorded his 1,200th career NHL point in the last meeting between Nashville and Calgary Dec. 2 at Bridgestone Arena.