5 Things - Flames vs. Wild

1. 'Flip The Script'

The intoxicating late-game comebacks have made for great fodder.

Five of them, alone, this season have given the fans reason to cheer, to believe, to feel deep down that whatever the scoreline reads, their team has a chance, no matter how stacked the odds.

Most importantly, these crucial, third-period performances have kept the Flames firmly in the race.

However, on Saturday, their luck ran dry - with 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to the Vancouver Canucks proving too steep a climb.

“We want to try and get ourselves to a point where we're playing with leads,” Head Coach Ryan Huska said following Monday’s practice. “We like the way we're starting games, but we have to play with the team, and I think it's 10 of 12 (games) where we've given up the first goal. We want to flip that script – that's one big thing for us.

“And I think the other thing is handling pressure and executing under it.

“That's something that with the teams that we're playing here coming up, they're all high-pressure teams. They'll make you have to make plays with someone in your face. I don't think in the first period against Vancouver, we handled that well.

“So, that's something we have to improve on.”

The Flames have allowed the first goal in 15 of their 24 games, including Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at the hands at their Pacific rivals, who struck twice in the opening 8:38.

Mikael Backlund trimmed the two-goal deficit with his fifth of the season in the back half of the period, but they never could get any closer, despite Elias Lindholm coming to life and scoring twice in the final five minutes of the third.

The Flames have trailed for a total of 731:35 this year, compared to the 272:03 they’ve enjoyed leading, and another 460:46 where they were tied.

Now is as good a time as any to turn that stat around.

2. Know Your Enemy

The Wild have posted three straight wins while outscoring their opponents 13-3 since replacing Dean Evason with John Hynes behind the bench.

Mats Zuccarello has been the hottest Minnesota skater during this stretch, recording a goal and four helpers as part of a nine-game point streak, while Connor Dewar (four points), along with Marco Rossi, Kirill Kaprizov, Frederick Gaudreau and captain Jared Spurgeon (three points each) aren’t far behind.

The Wild lost seven straight (0-5-2) before turning things around last week, and after their latest triumph – a 4-1 victory over Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday – there’s a growing confidence inside the Minnesota locker-room as they look to climb back in the playoff race.

“It’s really been a good week and I think today, it was just continuing to hammer home the way we want to play," said Hynes, whose team trails the Flames by a mere three points in the wild-card race.

“It was nice that we could put, for the most part, three pretty complete games together.”

Rossi tallied twice in the win over the Blackhawks, while Zuccarello authored his 15th-career three-point outing with a goal and two apples. Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves as he picked up his first win since Nov. 7. The victory was Fleury's 548th of his career as he continues to hunt down the great Patrick Roy (551) for second on the NHL's all-time wins list.

“It was a good game,” Fleury told NHL.com. “Good, all parts of it. I thought we settled in and played the way we want to, with some speed, some pace. We had the puck a lot. We’re not giving them too much the second and third. PP looked good. So, yeah, fun win.”

This is the first of a four-game road trip for the Wild, who will face the Canucks, Oilers and Kraken before hosting the Flames at the Xcel Energy Center on Dec. 14.

3. Fast Facts

This 'Lund Is Your 'Lund

With his goal on Saturday, Mikael Backlund now has 190 in his NHL career, tying Joe Mullen for 13th-most in franchise history. Backlund is just three goals away from tying Guy Chouinard and Hakan Loob for 12th-most(193), and is only 10 away from becoming one of just 10 skaters to eclipse 200 goals in a Flames uniform; Jarome Iginla (525), Theo Fleury (364), Joe Nieuwendyk (314), Gary Roberts (257), Kent Nilsson (229), Lanny McDonald (215), Al MacInnis (213), Sean Monahan (212), Johnny Gaudreau (210), Eric Vail (206).

Did You Know?

Jonathan Huberdeau has recorded 98 multi-assist games in his NHL career and needs just two more to become the 20th active player with 100 or more.

Stick tap to Flames PR Coordinator Jordan Bay for compiling our Fast Facts. For more, download the Game Notes at the link below.

4. Friendly Fire

As the C of Red knows well, Jacob Markstrom never gives up on a puck.

Unfortunately, it came at a cost this time.

During Monday’s practice, the Flames’ No.-1 puck-stopper reached out and made a spectacular save with the inside of his blocker hand – but as gear aficionados know well, there’s virtually no padding in that area.

Markstrom left the ice shaking off his blocker and has been diagnosed with a fractured finger. No surgery is required, but he's officially out "week-to-week."

Markstrom has arguably been the Flames’ MVP to this point and his absence is a tough blow for a team looking to charge back in the standings.

“He set a bit of a tone or the mood for our team in regards to how he came back over the summer – and I think a lot of people look to him to see how he would respond,” Huska said. “When his teammates came back to see the mentality or the shape that he was in, and the edginess that he had, I think it rubbed off on a lot of people. He carried that over with his play in games. We know early in the year the games could have been much worse if it wasn't for his play early on for us.

“He's been excellent. He really has, in a lot of different ways.”

Fortunately for the Flames, depth in goal is an organizational strength.

And the AHL’s top showman – reigning MVP Dustin Wolf – has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers.

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Elias Lindholm

Happy birthday, indeed.

Lindholm celebrated the big two-nine with a pair of goals on Saturday, snapping a three-game point drought.

The Flames’ top-line pivot is now two goals (and two points) clear of Nazem Kadri for the team lead in both categories, and enters tonight’s clash with five strikes and 16 points in 20 career games against the Wild.

Lindholm missed Monday's practice due to illness, but was a full particpant at today's optional morning skate.

Wild - Kirill Kaprizov

With 40-plus goals in each of his last two goals, Kaprizov is well off the pace this year with only seven in his first 22 games. But make no mistake – he remains Minnesota’s most dangerous offensive weapon.

The 26-year-old is beginning to heat up with points in four of his last five games (2G, 4A).