Game Day Notebook - 29.01.26

SAINT PAUL — The Flames and Wild wrap up their three-game season series this evening at Grand Casino Arena, with puck drop slated for 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

To get you set for tonight's matchup, please peruse our Game Day Notebook!

Cools' Crease

Devin Cooley did not hit the ice for Thursday's optional morning skate, and Head Coach Ryan Huska confirmed that Cooley will indeed get the start in goal this evening.

Among NHL goalies with 16 or more games played, Cooley's .924 save percentage is top of the crop, while his 2.17 goals-against average is fourth among qualified netminders.

"He's just getting his body in the way," explained Huska. "You know, sometimes it's not always the prettiest with Devin, but he's finding a way to make saves, and, as we talked about earlier in the year, the game in Utah (in October) I think gave him a lot of belief in his ability to be an impact goaltender at this level.

"He seems to have been able to continue to build it along the way, and he's given us a chance to win every night. "He's done an excellent job, and we're looking for much the same out of him tonight."

Over his last five starts, Cooley has posted a 3-1-1 record. He turned aside 18 of 19 shots in Calgary's last visit to Saint Paul, a 2-0 setback Nov. 9.

Do The Griddy

Matvei Gridin believes in himself, and his abilities.

The 19-year-old will skate in his 10th career NHL contest this evening, his first south of the 49th parallel, and five games (and two assists) into his most recent NHL stint, Gridin's got an eye on staying here permanently.

"It feels great," Gridin said of his return to the big club. "I've kind of found my game in the last couple games, and, yeah, hopefully can keep doing that and stay as long as I can."

"He's a very confident young man, so I like his approach to the game," said Head Coach Ryan Huska. "I feel like you see more of the young players are a little bit of that mould nowadays. where he has a strong belief in his ability.

"He knows the areas that he wants to get better in, but he is not a guy that is gonna shy away or not want to be in that moment or play with the top players. That's what he's about. So I really like that about him."

Gridin's optimistic that he can make a difference on the powerplay, too. He helped create Matt Coronato's man-advantage marker Sunday against Anaheim with a quick, one-touch pass to the slot, showcasing both his playmaking ability and awareness of his teammate's time and space.

With a smile, Gridin admitted Thursday he knew where that pass was going before he even received the puck from linemate Nazem Kadri.

"When Naz had the puck (at the right point), I was, like, (if) he pass to me, I pass to Matty," Gridin explained. "I knew that before, before he passed to me."

Huska confirmed Thursday morning his four forward lines will stay unchanged from Sunday's contest against the Ducks, meaning Gridin will again skate alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Morgan Frost this evening.

"I love playing with them," Gridin said. "It was one game, but the first period, I think we played good. If we play like we did (in the) first period, we can score."

"That's a line that we expect to control some of the play," added Huska. "And Jonathan's a really big part of that. So the pace that that line has to play with, sometimes I don't think it's about foot speed with that line. I think it's about more the speed they move the puck that allows them to play quicker, and it allows them to have the puck longer.

"That's something that we're gonna look for out of them tonight."

Ready And Recharged

It's been a while since the Flames have had three full days between games.

In fact, you'd have to go back to the holiday break, a three-day gap that bisected a home-and-home set with the Oilers.

That's got the group eager to get back to work, according to the bench boss, who added the break between games offered a bit of a chance for rest and reflection, too.

"It gives coaches a chance to kind of revisit a few things that we wanted to with our players and all sorts of different aspects of our game for the players," noted Huska. "They had a full day off, and it just gives them a chance to get away from the rink a little bit.

"I think most guys are excited to be back at it today and ready to go tonight."

"These next four games, they're important for us," added forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who returned to practice Wednesday after being absent Tuesday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "The schedule has been pretty hard on us, and I think around the League.

"It's nice to get these three days."

It's worth noting, too, that breaks in the schedule have resulted in some happy totals for the Flames this season - as small as the sample size may be.

Calgary is 2-0-0 when playing on three or more days between games in 2025-26.