5 Things - Flames vs. Red Wings

1. 'Dome Cookin'

Home's starting to feel pretty good for the Flames right now.

Winners of two straight games inside the Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary goes in search of a fourth victory in five tries Saturday, as the Red Wings become the first Original 6 squad to make their final regular-season appearance beneath the Saddle. GET TICKETS

Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Wild helped the Flames improve to 2-0-0 on this current four-game homestand but for Head Coach Ryan Huska, it was another night that instilled belief in the process.

Belief in following those structural elements that will help this team find ways to win games.

"We’re getting there," the bench boss said following Thursday's victory. "In a perfect world, in the third period we stay with it instead of being like ‘We don’t want to lose this game.’ Let’s continue to do what we’re doing and win the game, that’s the mentality that we have to get to.

"I think the players are understanding what they have to do night in, night out now."

Even to the layman, the improvement week over week is evident.

But so, too, the emergence of a pair of rookies that started the NHL regular season with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers.

Aydar Suniev has found a groove since being recalled; despite having played only six games, he's tied for the team lead in goals and is finding ways to release his rocket of a snap shot from dangerous positions in the offensive zone. 

Jonathan Castagna registered an assist in his NHL debut, but Thursday's game against Minnesota might have been the best on his short pro resume. He logged a career-high 18:28 of ice-time, 3:11 of which came while helping the Flames go 4-4 on the penalty-kill and for the second straight night, he was the middleman counted upon in crunch time as Calgary tried to protect its one-goal lead.

Some of those minutes would ordinarily go to captain Mikael Backlund - who missed Thursday's contest with an upper-body injury - but in addition to his duties in helping cause chaos on the Flames' new-look fourth line, Castagna passed that crunch time challenge with flying colours.

Only a handful of skaters took the ice for an optional practice Friday morning at the 'Dome, meaning the group didn't have the opportunity to give its powerplay units more reps ahead of Saturday's showdown.

But the man-advantage has been taking advantage, of late. 

Calgary went 2-4 against the Wild Thursday, a success rate Huska attributes to crisp puck movement, with both units finding the back of the net in their last outing.

"They’re getting in the zone clean, but I think it’s their puck movement overall," Huska said Thursday evening when asked about what's made the PP click. "We’ve had a few penalty kills that have been very aggressive over the last little while, and in order to beat an aggressive penalty kill, you have to move the puck typically three clean passes, in order to break them down.

"I think that started around the Anaheim (home-and-home), where they started to move it much quicker and as a result, they’re starting to score now."

For more on Castagna and the team, check out the second episode of The Chase that dropped last night.

2. Know Your Enemy

Saturday's game is stop No. 3 for the Red Wings on their four-game, Pacific Division swing. 

And so far, so good for the Motor City crew, who have collected three of a possible four points on this current sojourn. Thursday night in Vancouver, Detroit scored three times inside the opening nine minutes en route to a 5-2 victory. Lucas Raymond counted two of those markers, including the winner, while William Wallinder, Michael Rasmussen and Emmitt Finnie also lit the lamp. 

Veteran John Gibson earned the win between the pipes, although he left the contest after two periods with an upper-body injury; rookie Michal Postava turned aside seven shots in his NHL debut in relief.

"Well, that's not the way we planned it and even with ‘Gibby,’ I didn't find out until about 10 minutes left in the intermission,” Red Wings Head Coach Todd McLellan told reporters post-game. “He had something in his eye.

"They're still looking at it, and so the EBUG is dressing, Michal's told he's going to play, and away he goes. Did a real good job, happy for him, and congratulations, you're in the NHL now."

Alex DeBrincat is the high man on Detroit's scoring ledger to begin the campaign with 12 points (6G, 6A) from his 10 outings to date. He's also 10 days removed from signing a massive seven-year, $91-million extension that will keep him in his home state of Michigan until the summer of 2034.

Watch out, too, for Norwegian forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. The young winger enters Saturday's action holding a share of the NHL rookie scoring lead with eight points to date. He became the first Norwegian player ever selected in the first round of an NHL Draft when he was taken at No. 15 by the Red Wings in 2024.

3. Turn Back The Clock

Those beautiful, 2004-era red Flames sweaters are back!

For four games this season, the squad will wear the same home kits they donned during that special run to the Stanley Cup Final - once against each of their four 2004 post-season opponents - and tonight's matchup against the Red Wings is the first of those four occasions.

It's all part of Calgary's '04 Run Celebration; replicas of the iconic green hard hat that went to the hardest working Flame that year will be available for 2,004 fans entering the building Saturday evening, and the club will have members of the '04 team on hand, too!

The Flames will also sport their 2004 look Dec. 26 against the Canucks, Dec. 29 versus the Sharks, and Jan. 9 when the Lightning pay their final regular-season visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome.

But you can get your hands on one of these sweaters now, by visiting the CGY Team Store!

4. Saddle Stories

We'd be remiss if we didn't recall a memorable evening in May of 2004.

May 3, at 19:13 of the first overtime, to be exact.

That's when Martin Gelinas banged home the only goal of the contest in Game 6 of the Western Conference semi-final, helping the upstart Flames knock off the top-seeded Red Wings and advance to their first Conference Final in 15 years.

Jarome Iginla grabbed the puck on the left half-wall, turning and firing a shot that was kicked out by Detroit netminder Curtis Joseph. The rebound fell to Craig Conroy, who pushed the puck at Joseph's pads, which spilled the rebound onto an unmarked Gelinas at the right post. 

Pandemonium ensued.

Gelinas scored eight goals that spring, and this tally against the Red Wings was his second straight series-winner (after he had played Game 7 overtime hero in Vancouver in the opening round). His clutch performances left his teammates in awe.

"It's unbelievable what he's done," forward Chris Clark told the Calgary Herald post-game. "In the past, tonight, a couple of weeks ago.

"He's our closer. We bring in the lefty."

"The Eliminator, The Closer, I'm not sure what I like best," Conroy added. "He's eliminated two teams, he's closed them out.

"It's baseball season, so maybe call him The Closer."

5. Players To Watch