5 Things - Flames @ Lightning

1. Bay Watch

Every year, the NHL schedule offers a quirk or two.

This week's run of games is one of them. A five-game trip that started in Vancouver and continues tonight in Tampa, as the Flames returned Monday to the eastern time zone after leaving Buffalo late Wednesday night.

But through it all, they've persevered, and land here in Hillsborough County on a three-game winning streak.

Even if they took Tuesday's brisk practice as an opportunity to shake off a bit of jet lag.

"That was a long day," Head Coach Ryan Huska said of Monday's five-hour, 20-minute flight from Vancouver to Tampa. "You leave Vancouver fairly early in the morning, and you land here at 7 o'clock at night, so it's nice that we had the day to get our feet underneath us today, and had a good practice here as well."

Amid the location changes, though, some consistency has started to form within the Flames lineup. The group skated Monday in the same lineup that manufactured wins at home against the Stars Saturday and Canucks Sunday, and for Huska, that familiarity - especially in his forward units - has helped create a bit of mid-season chemistry.

"We've been able to keep them together for a number of games, so I think the best thing to do is keep them together," he explained. "You start to build a little chemistry in connection with the guys that you're on the line with, and I most definitely see it with the (Morgan) Frost line (with Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato). They're starting to make some plays. They're starting to be creative, and they start starting to be a dangerous line like we're hoping they'll be.

"And now you're starting to see it with (Nazem) Kadri's line (with Joel Farabee and Yegor Sharangovich) and the (Mikael) Backlund line (featuring Blake Coleman and Connor Zary) as well. So, a lot of positives that are happening for sure."

It helps, too, that pucks are going in. Calgary has scored 13 goals (plus two more in Saturday's shootout) over the past three games, and those 13 tallies have come off the sticks of nine different players (Farabee leads the team with three markers over that span).

And it's Huska's hope that the aforementioned Frost line can continue to lead the way as this lengthy trip continues.

"I think they have another level in them, but the more they're around each other, they kind of have a better understanding of where the other likes to go, or where they like to play in the offensive zone, or like Huby's tendencies off the rush," he said. "The other two are now kind of able to read off of what he likes to do there.

"So, hopefully they're going to find some more chemistry. Hopefully they're going to find the back of the net a lot more often, and it's going to lead to some success for our team."

Coronato's hot streak has definitely helped. And he's shooting the puck a tonne, launching 42 discs on target over his last nine games.

But up and down the lineup, everyone is chipping in, everyone is starting to contribute.

From captain Mikael Backlund on down, there's a good energy in the room.

"It feels really good to win three straight, it’s helped the group feel better, but we’ve got to keep building on it," Backlund said. "It’s like Ras (Andersson) said after the last game, winning is fun.

"We’ve got to keep doing it."

2. Know Your Enemy

The Lightning have won four straight games and enter tonight's action holding a one-point lead on the Red Wings atop the Atlantic Division.

Last time out, the Bolts got two goals and an assist from former Red Deer Rebels star Brandon Hagel, while Andrei Vasilevskiy shut the door as part of a 3-0 home-ice win over the Flyers.

After the game, Hagel praised his team's defensive work, a mindset that's helped Tampa Bay surrender the sixth-fewest goals in the NHL to this point in the season.

"Your best defence is your best offence," Hagel told reporters. "The quicker and harder you can be in the D-zone and create loose pucks and battles, the O-zone is going to take care of itself, and that was it."

"We've defended, and defending is hard because you play without the puck. It's not as much fun. It takes a lot of work and it takes energy," head coach Jon Cooper added. "We're playing a pretty complete 200-foot game."

Jake Guentzel's 12 goals this season top the team, while Hagel (11) and Nikita Kucherov (10) are also in double-digits.

But the story in Tampa has been who hasn't been a lineup regular this season. Victor Hedman hasn't played since Nov. 8 and is on injured reserve, while the team was also without the services of forward Brayden Point and defenceman Erik Cernak Monday. Cooper told reporters Monday morning that Point is 'dicey' to dress against the Flames tonight.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

Tonight marks the first of two meetings this season between the Flames and Lightning, with the return fixture set for March 22 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Tampa Bay won both meetings in 2024-25, earning revenge after Calgary swept the two-game set with 4-2 and 6-3 wins in 2023-24. Jonathan Huberdeau led the way offensively for the Flames with a goal and an assist versus the Lightning last season, while Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary also had tallies.

Did You Know?

Blake Coleman made Texas hockey history Sunday night in Vancouver. His third-period short-handed goal stood up as the Plano product's 300th career point and in doing so, he became the first forward hailing from the Lone Star State to reach that milestone. He's the fourth Texan overall to get to 300 career NHL points; the previous three were all defencemen (Brian Leetch, Seth Jones, Tyler Myers).

Nazem Kadri recorded his third straight multi-assist game Sunday versus the Canucks, becoming just the second Flame to achieve that feat in the past 10 years. He joins the late Johnny Gaudreau, who had eight assists over a four-game run from Dec. 2-8, 2018.

4. Outst-AND-ing

Rasmus Andersson got some happy news Monday morning, as the Flames prepared to jet down to Florida. After putting up a league-best nine points (2G, 7A) over the previous seven days, the Calgary defenceman was named the NHL's First Star of the Week.

"Feels good," he said after a quick practice at Benchmark International Arena Tuesday. "Obviously, when you win three in a row, it’s easier, too.

"It’s a surreal moment, but now we’ve just got to keep going as a team."

Andersson enters tonight's game on a five-game point streak - collecting 10 of his 16 points this season during that span - but when asked about the achievement, the Flames bench boss pointed to more than just goals and assists.

"That's a great honour. I mean, it just points out what he's done over the last little while for us," Huska added. "I think he's been an excellent player for the bulk of the year and right now, he's generating a lot. He's making plays that are either ending up in the back of the net, or he's setting some quality opportunities for us.

"But I also like the way he's played away from the puck as well. I think he's been a good penalty-killer for us. He's doing a lot of good things, so it's important for us to see him get recognized."

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Rasmus Andersson

He's the man of the hour, and he's been logging heavy minutes, too.

In addition to leading the league in scoring last week - and earning the aforementioned First Star honours - Andersson has earned at least 23:51 of playing time in each of his last nine games, a run that dates back to Nov. 7.

His 24:25 average ice-time per game this season is the fourth-most of any skater from a Canadian NHL team, behind only Vancouver's Quinn Hughes (who leads the league at 27:14/game), Montreal's Mike Matheson (24:46) and Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey (24:32).

"The body feels it sometimes, but it’s fun," Andersson said Tuesday. "It’s what you dream of, to play the big minutes. It’s something you’re kind of getting used to, especially the last two, three years.

"I want those situations, I think that’s when I’m at my best."

Lightning - Jake Guentzel

After spending the bulk of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Guentzel has adjusted quite nicely to Tampa Bay in this, his second season with the club. He put up 41 goals and 80 points last winter - four points shy of his career best - and he leads the team with 12 tallies to start the new campaign.

Guentzel recorded a hat-trick Nov. 18 in a 5-1 win over the Devils, and he had a three-goal game in the Lightning's visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome last December, too.