5 Things - Flames vs. Stars

1. Back In Black

What better way to start the week than with a bit of horsepower?

Enter Blasty!

The Flames will wear their alternate uniforms for a three-game, home-ice run beginning tonight against the Stars (GET TICKETS), and it's been a case of 'So Far, So Good' in Dark Mode this season, too.

Calgary holds a 3-0-0 record this season when wearing their black silks - all three of those games coming at the Scotiabank Saddledome in December - as the team returns home following a California trip that netted three points.

Sunday's game in Anaheim - a 3-2 shootout setback - was (figuratively) decided on the flip of a coin, leaving Head Coach Ryan Huska pleased with his group's ability to bounce back after a frustrating Saturday loss in L.A.

"I thought we played with more urgency," the Flames bench boss said post-game. "We had a lot of guys that played hard tonight, and could have just as easily gotten the extra point."

One of those guys was Devin Cooley. The netminder turned aside 34 of the 36 shots he faced over his 65 minutes of work, including a couple of ten-bellers to prolong the contest into the shootout.

His breakout season continues, while running mate Dustin Wolf has been stellar, too, since the team returned from the Olympic break.

For Huska, the key now is to get his two 'tendies some run support.

"The game in San Jose (Wednesday), Dustin was our best player and I would say the same again in L.A.," Huska said Sunday. "Tonight, Cools gave us the same chance, like he made some great saves for us.

"It’s nice when you have two goaltenders that you know that whoever’s in the net, they’re going to do what they can do to allow our team to stay in games. It’s gotta be up to us to find a way to generate enough to win some of these for them."

2. Know Your Enemy

The Stars come to Calgary holding a nine-game winning streak, a run that continued Monday in Vancouver in the form of a 6-1 win.

The Canucks opened the scoring, but Dallas outshot their hosts 37-14, scoring six unanswered goals to claim both points last night at Rogers Arena.

Defenceman Lian Bichsel hit the back of the net twice, with his first goal of the game standing up as the game-winner. Adam Erne, Jason Robertson, Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell added singles, while Jake Oettinger made 13 saves to earn the win in goal.

And because of this recent run of form, the Stars are making a push for the Central Division lead. They wake up this morning just four points back of first-place Colorado in the division, while Dallas' 19 road wins are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the League lead.

Helpful, too, the Stars' two 30-goal men. Robertson leads the club with 34 tallies, with Wyatt Johnston close behind with 32. Johnston's 20 powerplay goals lead the league by a healthy margin; a trio of players sit tied for second in the circuit with 15 apiece.

Johnston's prowess is just one cog in a man-advantage unit that is running at full speed, too. Dallas is one of only two NHL clubs to have a powerplay clicking at a 30% or better efficiency.

3. Fast Facts

2025-26 Season Series

Tonight's game is the second of three regular-season meetings between Calgary and Dallas, and the second to take place this season at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames hold the early edge in the season set by virtue of a 3-2 shootout win Nov. 22. Calgary jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Matt Coronato and Joel Farabee before Morgan Frost and Nazem Kadri converted in the shootout. Devin Cooley made 28 saves over the 65 minutes of play, then denied three of the four Stars shooters in the skill session.

The final meeting of the season set is scheduled for Apr. 7 in the Lone Star State.

Did You Know?

Yegor Sharangovich's goal Sunday in Anaheim was his 60th as a Flame, and since joining the club prior to the start of the 2023-24 season, his tuck tally stands as the second-highest among Calgary skaters (Nazem Kadri - 76).

This season, the Flames hold an 8-1-2 record when Sharangovich finds the back of the net.

4. Hockey Talks

Tonight's contest marks the Flames' annual Hockey Talks night, which this year is being presented in partnership with Buddy Up.

The program is presented by the CMHA of Alberta and the Centre for Suicide Prevention; a call to action for men, by men, to drive authentic conversation amongst men and their buddies. 

Fans attending this evening's contest can help raise funds for mental health initiatives in our community through the purchase of Mystery Pucks on the main concourse outside Section 228. Each puck costs $20 and features the autograph of a Flames player!

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Dustin Wolf

The duo of Wolf and Devin Cooley came to play in their home state last week.

Wolf stopped 69 of 71 shots over his two starts in San Jose and L.A., helping the Flames score a 4-1 win over the Sharks last Wednesday.

And in those two starts, the 24-year-old faced a total of 29 high-danger chances, including 16 against the Kings on Saturday afternoon.

Stars - Jason Robertson

Robertson had two points (1G, 1A) last night in Vancouver, marking his third multi-point game from his last four outings.

He scored in his last visit to Calgary, too, as part of a November run that saw him light the lamp in seven straight games.

Robertson is one of only 12 NHLers with 200 or more goals since the 2020-21 season.