Defenseman Matt Bartkowski will make his Calgary Flames debut Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, who let him leave as a free agent after last season. Bartkowski spent most of this season with Providence of the American Hockey League before signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Flames on Thursday. "Kind of ironic first game is back in 'Van,' " Bartkowski said Saturday. "You just can't let yourself get too tangled up and too high and just run on sheer emotion, because normally things go bad then." Bartkowski's debut isn't the only change for the Flames, who are 5-2-0 in their past seven games and hold the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. Forward Alex Chiasson, who has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 58 games, will be a healthy scratch after receiving a major penalty and a game misconduct for spearing Philadelphia Flyers forward Nick Cousins during a 3-1 win against the Flyers on Wednesday. "With everything that happened there we are talking about discipline within our systems," coach Glen Gulutzan said. "Alex has been a fantastic addition to our club and we've got two other forwards champing at the bit to come in, and this has given them an opportunity." Forward Freddie Hamilton will replace Chiasson. Goaltender Brian Elliott, who made 33 saves against Philadelphia, will start against the Canucks, who are five points behind the Flames. "We definitely want to put those teams that are behind you even more behind," forward Michael Frolik said.
