Game Day Notebook - 27.12.25

The Flames and Oilers meet for the second time inside a week, with this edition of the Battle of Alberta set for the Scotiabank Saddledome at 8 p.m. MT. GET TICKETS

To get you set for this Saturday night showdown, please peruse our Game Day Notebook!

Clap For The Wolfman

Dustin Wolf occupied the starter's crease at Saturday's full morning skate, offering a hint that he will indeed be between the pipes when the puck drops this evening.

If so, it'll be a milestone game for the 24-year-old Californian.

Wolf sits on 99 career NHL appearances entering play today, and when No. 100 comes along, he'll become only the second California-born NHL goaltender to reach that number, joining Canucks netminder Thatcher Demko.

The product of Gilroy, Calif. made 34 saves Tuesday night at Rogers Place and this season, he ranks in NHL Edge's 92nd and 97th percentile, respectively, in high-danger and mid-range stops.

At home this season, Wolf holds a 7-4-2 record, to go along with a 2.08 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and two shutouts.

And he comes into tonight's contests two wins shy of 50 for his career.

Kirkland Signature

Centre Justin Kirkland took reps this morning as the Flames' fourth-line centre, with Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka on his wings.

Kirkland's last NHL appearance was in Nashville Nov. 1, but in a 14-game stint with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, he put up five goals and seven points, a total that also included three man-advantage markers.

Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska figures Kirkland's ability to play with some jam will serve him - and the team - well, in tonight's Battle of Alberta.

"He's got the ability to play a hard game, and that's something that we're looking for out of him," Huska said Saturday morning. "I want that line to bring us a lot of energy when they're on the ice tonight. The face-off side of things, and he also is a guy that we feel fits into our penalty kill as well.

"So he brings a lot of different things into our lineup."

Owning Up

Defenceman MacKenzie Weegar admitted Saturday he addressed his teammates Tuesday night, after being thrown out of Calgary's 5-1 loss in Edmonton in the second period.

"You're embarrassed afterwards. You're letting your teammates down, you're leaving a big game, you kind of just feel like you're throwing your teammates under the bus," he explained. "I feel like I'm a key guy on the team, and, you know, when you get thrown out for for stuff like that, it doesn't feel good.

"I just wanted to address it to the teammates, just so they know what I felt about them. They were great about it."

But Weegar's 22 minutes in penalties at Rogers Place were emblematic of the Flames biggest issue Tuesday: discipline. Edmonton scored three powerplay goals - all off the stick of Leon Draisaitl - and Weegar and his teammates know they cannot afford tonight's guests that same opportunity.

"I'm expecting a better response from our team, way more engaged, more involved, and more discipline," he said. "You know, I'm looking forward to playing them again, because I just feel like it wasn't a great showing for our team.

"We get the opportunity to answer back tonight."