Game Day Notebook - 10.12.25

It's the final chapter in this Flames four-game homestand, with Calgary seeking a fourth consecutive win at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as they host the Red Wings at 6:30 p.m. MT. GET TICKETS

To get you set for tonight's matchup, check out our Game Day Notebook!

Calling On Cooley

Devin Cooley was in the starter's crease at Wednesday's morning skate, preparing for his first home action since a 3-2 shootout win over the Stars Nov. 22.

The 28-year-old is 3-1-1 over his last five starts overall - a run dating back to Nov. 19 - and his .920 save percentage is good for fourth-best in the NHL.

Cooley has never faced Detroit in his career, but entering play this evening, he holds a 2-0-1 career record in four outings against Atlantic Division clubs.

Shoot the Brz

Washington, Mich. native Hunter Brzustewicz was all smiles Wednesday morning, as he gears up for his second career NHL contest.

Brzustewicz - recalled from the AHL's Wranglers Monday - skated on a pairing with veteran Joel Hanley at the morning session, but also spent a good chunk of the skate in conversation with Assistant Coach Trent Cull to prepare himself for his Flames season debut.

And for the 21-year-old, tonight's opponent makes the occasion even more special, too.

"Yeah, of course, watching them when I was growing up, my whole life, it was pretty cool," he said. "We had season tickets up until the Joe (Louis Arena) went down.

"I mean, any game would be cool, but Red Wings for sure."

Brzustewicz leads all Wranglers defencemen this season with 12 points, and Head Coach Ryan Huska is eager to see how the young blueliner shows out against NHL opponents.

"I'm sure he's excited, and he’s just got to go play his game," the bench boss said. "At the end of the day, take a lot of pride in checking hard, moving the puck quick, which is his strength. And then enjoy it.

"I know he's a Detroit guy, that's kind of a hometown thing for him. So it'll be a neat experience for him. But we need him to be at his best tonight."

'Dome Sweet 'Dome

The Scotiabank Saddledome is getting a reputation as a tough place for visiting teams to play this season.

And not just over the past week. Calgary is 5-0-1 in their last six outings under the Saddle, a trend that Huska would like to see continue tonight against Detroit.

"I'd like to say you want to play the same way both at home on the road, the reality is sometimes, for whatever reason, teams have better home records than they do on the road," he explained. There's a lot of comforts at home, but I think for our situation, we have a building that is harder to play in for sure.

"I think our fans are the best in the league, and they get behind us when our team's playing the right way. So we have to we have to find a way, as a team, to play the right way to get the building going, and that's always important."

For Mikael Backlund, the recent home form is a carryover from last season, a year that saw the Flames finish 23-12-6 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

"It’s something you talk about every year. I'm sure every team does, they want to make home ice, their home building, a hard place to play," he said. "It was our mindset every year, and last year we were really good at home, and we want to keep building that this year.

"We always want to make it hard on teams coming in here, and make them think (beforehand) that it's going to be a tough night."