Game Day Notebook - 12.12.24

The Flames held a full skate Thursday morning ahead of their five-game homestand opener against the Lightning at 7 p.m. GET TICKETS

Get prepped for the game with another edition of the Game Day Notebook!

Dan's Den

Dan Vladar was in the starter's crease at morning skate, a strong hint the 27-year-old will draw in for his second straight start this evening.

Vladar pushed his record to 6-5-4 with a 17-save performance two nights ago in the Music City - seven of which came in a tense third period that saw Calgary try (successfully) to protect a one-goal lead.

His home save percentage this season checks in at a cool .917, a figure that includes clean sheets against a pair of Eastern Conference clubs, the Devils and Blue Jackets.

Dad Strength

Ryan Lomberg was back with the team this morning after missing the two-game Central trip for the birth of his daughter, and as usual, the vibes were high and the long hair was flowing.

Flames head coach Ryan Huska wouldn't confirm 100% that his energetic winger would draw in against Tampa Bay tonight, but hinted that it was a strong possibility.

"He was buzzin' this morning, I can tell you that much," Huska said with a wide smile. "Excited for him, there's another baby in our family, so we're happy that everybody's healthy and doing well.

"I know if everything checks out over the course of the day, and he's playing tonight, he'll be full of energy for us, and that's something that we'll need."

Hit Stick

Maybe it's the cooler weather at home.

Maybe it's a bit of truculence.

Either way, the Flames have been playing a heavier game over the past couple of weeks, with the numbers to back it up.

Calgary has dished out at least 20 hits in five of their last six games - topping out at 32 Sunday night in Dallas - and three Flames (Martin Pospisil, MacKenzie Weegar and Brayden Pachal) have hit double digits for body-checks in the month of December.

For Pachal, who chipped in with his first goal of the season two nights ago, the physicality is part of the job, and something he takes pride in.

"I think that’s a big role … to stay physical," he told Flames TV's Brendan Parker Thursday morning. "I think I’ve been pretty consistent with that all season.

"For me, it’s the same thing every night, try to play the same game with those hits, and take those goals when they come."

And it's all about making the Scotiabank Saddledome a difficult place to visit, which Pachal and his Flames teammates have done so far this season.

Calgary comes into tonight's game with a 10-3-1 home record.

"We’ve just been super-consistent with our game, we’ve stuck to our structure," Pachal said. "We’ve been a really hard team to play against at home.

"I think that’s really important, to get the points at home, secure them when you can."