Prospects Preview - Flames vs. Oilers

The Flames and Oilers prospects hit the Scotiabank Saddledome ice Sunday for the NextGen Showcase, as Calgary goes in search of a weekend sweep.

Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. MT, click HERE for tickets.

For those unable to attend, a free live stream will be available worldwide on CalgaryFlames.com and the Flames App. The feed will appear as the main story on the homepage closer to game time.

The scene shifted to the Scotiabank Saddledome Saturday, as the Flames prospects hit the ice for an up-tempo practice on the heels of their 6-5 victory in Edmonton Friday night.

Plenty of energy, plenty of anticipation ahead of Sunday's NextGen Showcase, which for some of the young Flames, will be their first opportunity to play in front of a Calgary crowd.

And there was a lot to like from Friday's win, too. The team spread out the offence, getting their half-dozen goals from a half-dozen different skaters.

Wranglers head coach Brett Sutter - serving as bench boss this weekend - figured his group found its stride in a middle stanza that saw them outscore Edmonton 3-0, and he's hoping to see his group work in a similar lock-step in the series finale.

"We got better and better as we went, I thought the second period, we really tried to play the way we wanted to, playing a faster pace, harder-checking, staying on the right side of pucks type of game, and that led to a lot more time in the offensive end, and being able to make plays," Sutter said following Saturday's practice. "For the whole, pretty good. Some young mistakes at the end, and then stuff we worked at today and fixed up.

"Looking forward to the challenge (Sunday)."

The line of Sam Honzek, Carter King and Aydar Suniev combined for four points Friday, and they were again grouped together in drills Saturday afternoon.

The Flames played much of Friday's game with 11 forwards, too, after David Silye left the contest early, but he was a full participant at Saturday's skate.

For Sutter - and the rest of the Flames brass - the goal is to see day-over-day improvement, especially with Training Camp, and another step up in speed and skill on the horizon.

And there's an acknowledgement that even in mid-September, the type of lapses that allowed Friday's 6-2 lead to turn into a 6-5 nail-biter, should be anomalies, rather than routine.

Sutter, though, was confident Saturday that his young charges took those late-game dramatics as a learning lesson, a bit of valuable experience amid an effort that saw Calgary's group showcase plenty of skill.

"For as much we want to see (them) making these high-end plays, scoring goals, it’s also about who can shut it down on the road in a tough rink, protect the lead, and do those little things," he said. "It’ll be a message again (Sunday), make sure to play a full 60 minutes and have a better start.

"I think they’re going to respond well to it."

The Other Side

St. Albert product Matt Savoie was the standout skater for Edmonton in Friday's 6-5 setback, scoring twice, including on a penalty shot in the third period.

So it's perhaps fitting that Savoie, fresh off a 54-point rookie AHL campaign in Bakersfield, was wearing the captain's 'C' on his sweater in front of the Oilers faithful two nights ago.

"It’s a tremendous honour to get to wear the ‘C’ in any game, any tournament, or anything like that," he told reporters after Friday's game. "I’m just trying to lead by example, be as welcoming to the new guys as I possibly can.

"We’ve got a really good group of guys, so it’s pretty easy."

The 21-year-old is proving to be a shrewd pickup. Selected ninth-overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft, Savoie was traded to Edmonton last summer and will be one of the pre-eminent young guns vying for a full-time NHL roster spot.

That's why this weekend's two-game series is important for Savoie, even if it's more of a prelude to bigger and better things when main camp begins next week.

"It was just nice to get my feet wet, get back in the mix of things," he said of Friday's contest. "You haven’t played a game for three months or so, it’s nice to feel some bodies, feel the puck on your stick and get to skate with it.

"When you’re playing real 5-on-5, it’s a different animal out there, it was good to get my feet wet."

Player To Watch

Matvei Gridin was electric Friday night in Edmonton, collecting three points (1G, 2A) in that 6-5 win at Rogers Place.

His goal came midway through period three, the result of a cross-seam pass gone wrong, but the reigning QMJHL Rookie of the Year reacted quickly, and snapped home the Flames' fifth goal of the night from a sharp angle, after nailing the crossbar with a lethal release earlier in the game.

He can shoot, and he can set up linemates, too, as evidenced by his crisp, cross-ice pass to Sam Honzek that allowed Calgary to convert on its first powerplay of the night Friday.

But for coach Sutter, perhaps more impressive, was the fact Gridin was doing his best to be a factor without the puck, too.

"I thought he was a completely different player out there, than we’ve seen last year in Penticton," Sutter said of Gridin following Friday's game. "I thought that top line, they did a lot of good things on both sides of the puck.

"As long as they’re committing to the other side - check first, play hard, and do all the things right - then we want to push to have that skill, and making plays."