5 Things - Flames @ Blackhawks

1. On The Road Again

The Flames got three of four points in their recent two-game homestand, beating the Sharks 2-0 on Nov. 13 and falling 4-3 to the Jets in a shootout Saturday night.

Now they head out on the road for a two-game, back-to-back set against the Blackhawks Tuesday night and Sabres Wednesday before returning to Calgary when they host the Stars on Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Blake Coleman, who leads the Flames in scoring with seven goals - including one against the Sharks (see the goal below), said there was a lot of positives to take away from the pair of home tilts they want to pack with them and take on the road.

"I think our five-on-five game's been really good," Coleman told CalgaryFlames.com after practice Sunday, before the team boarded a flight to the Windy City Monday morning. "I think we've been good defensively, starting to get a lot of pucks on the net - some starting to go in. So, for us, it's finding a way to make special teams be a difference-maker for us and keep the rest the same."

Head Coach Ryan Huska echoed those points in his media availability Sunday.

"Our five-on-five game is coming along," said Huska. "That is one thing you can see from the eye test. We are not giving up nearly the chances we were before. I think we're doing a much better job of denying shot attempts right now.

"The areas we have to get better for this road trip are both sides of special teams. Of course, we scored a great powerplay goal last night (against the Jets), one that we really needed, one that allowed us to get the point last night, but we need to make sure we build off that and our penalty-kill has to raise its level as well."

First up: Chicago.

This is the second of three meetings this season between the Flames and Blackhawks. Connor Bedard had a goal and three helpers, while Spencer Knight recorded the shutout in a 4-0 win by the visiting 'Hawks on Nov. 8 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

"I think we left a lot to be desired from that game, wasn't our best, but it's nice we get another crack at it pretty quick here," said Coleman. "We know they'll be ready for us on home ice. But sometimes you can simplify your game on the road and get to the way you need to play."

Of note, forward Sam Honzek left the game against the Jets with an upper-body injury after a collision with linemate Mikael Backlund and is out week-to-week. The team announced Monday morning that Dryden Hunt and Sam Morton had been recalled from the Wranglers and forward Rory Kerins had been assigned to the AHL club after his recall where he played against both San Jose and Winnipeg.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON MORTON: 'IT'S AWESOME'

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2. Know Your Enemy

Chicago got the win in their last outing, but lost captain Nick Foligno to an injury in the process.

The Blackhawks rallied from a 2-1 deficit after 40 minutes against the Leafs at home on Nov. 15, with Teuvo Teravainen and Colton Dach scoring in the final frame to give Chicago a big two points as they improved to 5-3-2 in their last 10 outings and are sitting in a Wild Card playoff berth.

They are also 4-2-2 at the United Center this season.

The upstart 'Hawks - led by Bedard, among the league leaders in scoring this campaign with 10 goals and 26 points - have been impressive to begin this season, the victory over the Leafs their ninth 'W' already.

“I started the year without any expectations,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill told media after the Toronto win. “I just didn’t know what to expect. We had a group of guys who I knew were talented, and I thought if we could mature our game, we could become a really good team. If you have talent and you play mature, that equals a lot of success.

"As we’ve grown, I’ve continued to say, we can be a really good team.”

Blashill also told media after the game that Foligno would be out an 'extended period of time,' the forward placed on Injured Reserve Monday, retroactive to Nov. 15. Chicago was also without Tyler Bertuzzi in the victory who did not play due to injury. He had two goals against the Flames in the Nov. 8 tilt.

3. Fast Facts

Frost Bite

With his two-assist effort on Saturday night against Winnipeg, Morgan Frost recorded the 100th and 101st assists of his career. Frost has become the 11th player from the 2017 NHL Draft class to reach the 100-assist plateau. The Aurora, Ont. product collected his first career assist in his second NHL game on Nov. 21, 2019, in Carolina, setting up the game-winning goal as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Back-to-Backs

This will be the Flames' fourth back-to-back set of the season. Calgary’s last back-to-back set came on Nov. 1 when they faced the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena before heading to Philadelphia the following night. The Flames have five more back-to-back sets remaining this season after tonight and tomorrow, with their next coming on Nov. 22 when they welcome the Dallas Stars to the Scotiabank Saddledome before heading to Rogers Arena for their second meeting with the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 23.

Stick tap to Flames PR guru Jordan Bay for these tidbits

4. Did You Know

Blake Coleman opened the scoring on Thursday against San Jose, recording his 14th game-opening goal since joining Calgary in 2021–22. Only Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau have more over that span (both with 15). His tally also stood as the game-winner, giving him 17 GWGs during his Flames tenure — the most by any Calgary skater in that time frame. Coleman currently has 298 points through his career and with two more can become the fourth Texas-born skater in NHL history to reach the 300-point milestone.

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Matt Coronato

The winger scored on the PP with 1:14 left to force OT and the eventual shootout against the Jets Saturday night. He has two goals in his last five games, and a staggering 30 shots over that same span, leading the NHL in that department. To say he's been 'all around it' of late would be an understatement. He had a game-high 11 shots against Chicago the last time the teams played.

Blackhawks - Connor Bedard

Bedard had scored in four straight games and had a nine-game point streak (8G, 11A) that both came to a close in the loss to Toronto. He's on pace to shatter his previous career highs of 23 goals and 67 points he tallied last season. He's clipping along at a 16.9 scoring percentage and is 46.4% at the faceoff dot.