5 Things - Flames vs. Canucks

1. Saturday Night's Alright

All of a sudden, the Flames have just one Saturday home game left on the regular season calendar.

And what better way to spend the final weekend of March than with a showdown against a bitter, B.C. rival as we celebrate South Asian night GET TICKETS

Calgary and Vancouver haven't faced each other for over four months - heck, the Canucks haven't been to the Scotiabank Saddledome since the pre-season - but that all changes on the Hockey Night in Canada stage as the Flames close out their season-long six-game homestand.

There's been a lot to like over the past two weeks beneath the Saddle. Exciting games, emergent young players, and a plucky group effort that has seen the Flames claim nine of the 10 points available to them in their previous five outings. 

But after Thursday's 3-2 overtime setback to the Ducks, Head Coach Ryan Huska spoke to the importance of simplicity as his group looks to close out this run of home dates on a positive note.

"I think there were certain times where we over-passed the puck," the bench boss commented post-game Thursday. "We’re a team that has to put pucks to the net, and then find a way to then generate off of a rebound at times.

"You’re all for creativity and skill, but at some point, someone’s gotta shoot it in the net. You can’t pass it in there."

The homestand has brought balance, too. Calgary has scored 13 goals over these last five games, with 11 different players lighting the lamp.

More encouraging, too, the fact both forward Connor Zary and defenceman Yan Kuznetsov skated Friday with a small group of players, suggesting that if neither are available for selection Saturday, they could each be options when the Flames start a season-long six-game road trip Monday in Denver.

And with that two-week trip looming, there's no doubt this group would love nothing more than to head South feeling good, and continuing to play well.

2. Know Your Enemy

It's been a trying year in Vancouver, and the Canucks landed in Calgary to start a four-game road trip Friday afternoon having collected only five wins from their last 33 games.

Thursday on home ice, Vancouver suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper stopped all 19 shots he faced to record the clean sheet, while Kevin Lankinen made 34 stops in goal for the Canucks.

Vancouver was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend, but defenceman Filip Hronek stressed that each night out, he and his teammates can take away learning lessons.

“It’s hard on everybody right now and it's not easy, but we have to learn from this,” Hronek told reporters post-game. “No one else is going to help us. We have to keep grinding.

"We have to be better everywhere. We have to win more edge battles, like on the face-offs, we have to win more battles in the D-zone, we have to execute the plays. Everything.” 

Forward Elias Pettersson leads the team with 43 points this season, with Hronek following closely behind with 41. 

Like the Flames, the Canucks have had to deal with veteran departures this season, too. Captain Quinn Hughes was dealt to Minnesota for a package that included promising, young talents Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium, while veteran d-man Tyler Myers was among the Vancouver players shipped out at the Trade Deadline, landing in Dallas earlier this month.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

This evening's game marks the rubber match in the season set between Calgary and Vancouver, and it's the first and only visit by the Canucks to the Scotiabank Saddledome during the 2025-26 regular season.

Vancouver won their home opener against Calgary by a 5-1 final score Oct. 9, but the Flames returned the favour with a 5-2 triumph at Rogers Arena Nov. 23.

Morgan Frost has scored in each of the two prior meetings between Calgary and Vancouver this season, while Kevin Bahl's second-period marker stood up as the game-winner in that November Flames victory.

Did You Know?

Olli Määttä recorded his first multi-point game as a member of the Flames Thursday against Anaheim, registering two assists. 

And interestingly enough, it was the Finnish blueliner's second straight multi-point contest at the Scotiabank Saddledome. His last multi-point effort came Jan. 2, 2025 as a member of the Utah Hockey Club.

4. They Said It

Check this space for all the buzz from Saturday's morning skate!

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Matvei Gridin

The Calgary rookie enters Saturday's game riding a four-game point streak, and in 28 NHL contests this season, the 20-year-old has compiled five goals and 14 points. 

Gridin is the first Flames rookie with a point streak of four games or longer since Connor Zary went on a similar run in December of 2023.

His 0.50 points per game is the seventh-highest rate among NHL rookies with 20 or more games played this season.

Canucks - Marco Rossi

The Austrian centre was one of the key pieces landed by Vancouver in the trade that saw Quinn Hughes dealt to the Minnesota Wild, and in 39 games split between the Canucks and Wild, he's collected nine goals and 28 points. 

The 24-year-old comes into tonight's game with six points from his last five games, a run that includes a three-point effort Mar. 17 versus Florida.