Ryan Man

Takeaway the early Blues goal and I thought that was a great 3rd from the Flames, the third we deserved two nights ago. Thanks again RD.

Star Wars night at the game and Darth Vladar gets the start. Brilliant.

I cerntainly didn't readit that way at all TD. The more hands the better IMO.

Great to have you back RD. I agree with TD, the team were trending towards Bedard with mine, hoping to get on a roll starting with tonight. 🍻

Team Injuries, Stats & Comparisons Posting Open

1. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS It's a lot like having veggies and rice crackers for your midday snack. It's better than nothing. It provides some nourishment. But in the end, you can't help but feel … unsatisfied. As the Flames walked away from a 4-3 overtime loss to the last-place Blackhawks on Sunday, that was the overarching theme in the locker-room. They'll take the point. But they'd rather indulge in the buffet. "Should win," Head Coach Darryl Sutter said flatly after his team overcame 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1 deficits, but could never grab a lead. "Take one penalty, score two powerplay goals and only give up a handful of shots. Should win the game." To Sutter's point, the Flames outshot the Hawks 47-25 and were the better team - in spurts - in the opening 40 minutes. But they seemed a step off in the third period and were unable to muster enough of what they needed until late in regulation. Elias Lindholm, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri all struck for the Flames, while Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar split the goaltending duties. The former was pulled after allowing a third goal on his 11th shot, 35 seconds into the middle stanza. Vladar came on in relief and was fantastic, stopping all 13 shots he faced until Max Domi shovelled home the OT winner. "For the most part, we controlled possession and controlled the shot statistic, got volume and got quality shots - but like I said, their goaltender (Alex Stalock) stood on his head and made some saves, and they cashed in on some key opportunities," Kadri said. "Hey, there (are) no easy games in this league. I think the NHL is one of the best leagues in terms of everyone having quality - and the best and the worst, that gap isn't as large as some of the other professional sports. "No game's easy. They played well tonight. (But) we've got to bounce back next game." This is the first of two straight over three days against the Blues, before the Flames finish up their five-game, Stateside roadie with stops in Dallas (Saturday) and Nashville (Monday). The Flames enter tonight's game with a 4-3-1 record against the Central Division. 2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY The Blues are coming off a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday to finish a four-game road trip with a 3-1-0 record. Brayden Schenn tallied a pair of third-period goals after Brandon Saad put the Blues up in the front half of the first. Thomas Greiss made 35 saves, including 23 in the final frame to help St. Louis pull to within two of the points of the final wild-card playoff spot. "It might not have been our best game, but (Greiss) had a hell of a night," Saad told Andrew Pek of StLouisBlues.com. "That's a huge win for us." Saad - who picked up an assist and finished the trip with a team-leading seven points - now has 13 goals and five helpers in 34 games this year. With Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly, along with defenceman Torey Krug, currently out with injuries, Saad's efforts couldn't have come at a better time. The Blues got off to an abysmal start this year, winning their first three games before losing the next eight and putting themselves seriously behind the eight ball. That they're back in the conversation and climbing the western playoff ladder here at the halfway point is a testament to their character. With Calgary a scant three points in the clear, these two games could (and should) bring out the best in both sides. It is, after all, like a mini playoff series, already. "We have an opportunity to gain some ground on people here at home," said Blues Head Coach and former Flames enforcer Craig Berube. "It starts with Calgary." This is the first of a seven-game homestand for the Blues, who are 7-8-2 at the Enterprise Center this year. 3. FAST FACTS POWER SURGE: The Flames went 2-for-3 on the powerplay in Sunday's OT loss, improving their season-long efficiency rate from 18.6% to 19.7% in only night's work. DID YOU KNOW? Hall of Famer and Flames all-time leading scorer Jarome Iginla recorded his 1,000th NHL point against the Blues on Apr. 1, 2011 in St. Louis. … Jonathan Huberdeau and Jordan Binnington were opponents during the 2011 Memorial Cup. Binnington was a member of the Owen Sound Attack, while Huberdeau skated for the Saint John Sea Dogs. The two teams met in the group stage of the tournament, with Huberdeau scoring the game-winning goal in overtime on Binnington. Huberdeau and the Sea Dogs would go on to win the Memorial Cup, with the future Flames start capturing the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. Binnington, meanwhile, earned the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament's top goaltender. 4. PLAYERS TO WATCH Flames - Elias Lindholm Lindholm is on a heater with 14 points (4G, 10A) in his last 11 games, increasing his lead in the team scoring race by three points over Tyler Toffoli at the halfway mark of the campaign. The 28-year-old leads all Flames players in goals since being acquired prior to the 2018-19 season with 130 in 328 games. Lindholm is only two points away from becoming the fourth Flame in the past 30 years to reach 300 points with the club in 350 or fewer games. Theo Fleury (291 GP), Johnny Gaudreau (320 GP) and Robert Reichel (341 GP) are the others. With an assist on Sunday, the Boden, Sweden native tallied his 99th-career multi-point game. He is now only eight helpers away from 300, and six goals from 200 in his career. Blues - Jordan Kyrou Kyrou scored twice including the dagger in the third period when these two teams first met back on Dec. 16 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. He enters the night at the Blues' leading scorer with 38 points (19G, 19A) in 38 games. 5. QUOTABLE MacKenzie Weegar on what he takes away from the Chicago game: "We'll take the point. We're definitely not satisfied with it, but we'll take it for the first game on the road here. We need to get off to a good start. Our start wasn't good enough in Chicago, so we're definitely going to emphasize a good start against St. Louis (tonight)." On playing two straight against the Blues: "It's not bad. You've got to be ready to go both games. It's going to be like a mini playoff series. I think a lot of the teams are used to it because of the COVID year. But these are two huge games for us, and two huge games for them, so it's going to feel like a playoff series."

🔥PROJECTED LINEUPS🔥

6 p.m. MT | TV: Sportsnet West | RADIO: Sportsnet 960 The FAN

Thanks TD. 🍻

This game reminds me so much of our series against Dallas in the playoffs last year.. not surprising given it's Sutter V Bowness again.

Hopefully put some pucks on net on this PP. I've heard when you do that good things can and may happen.

I mean the zebra should have seen that, I don't like to buy in to the "Flames getting a raw deal" narrative but that was pretty obvious.

Blockchaining Post.

POSTING OPEN

1. HAPPY NEW YEAR! So, coach, any resolutions in mind? "No," Darryl Sutter said, rather comically, but with his usual blunt delivery. Aside from the obvious - going deeper in the playoffs and getting that vaunted Cup ring - it's true, the Flames don't need to re-invent themselves with vague platitudes this January. What they accomplished in 2022 was impressive, and has put them on the right track for what they hope is a wildly productive 2023. Overall, the Flames put together a 52-27-12 record over the past 365 days, with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on New Year's Eve capping one of the best calendar years in franchise history. Now, it's about continuing what they've started. "We're starting to play the right way, structurally," MacKenzie Weegar said of a 5-1-1 stretch to close out December. "We're getting contributions from everybody here, so we've just got to take it into the new year and keep staying positive. Keep clicking as a unit." Weegar tallied his first goal as a Flame - the eventual game-winner - on Saturday as the locals took down their divisional foe. They enter Tuesday's action back in a Pacific Division playoff spot - and there are a number of reasons for that. First, many of the team's key weapons have been finding their stride offensively. Among them, Elias Lindholm nabbed his 12th of the season and with 34 points in 37 games, the recently-engaged two-way talent is actually ahead of where he was at this point last year. Jonathan Huberdeau, Tyler Toffoli, Dillon Dube and the rock-solid trio of Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane are all firing on all cylinders. A little puck luck - especially with the Backlund unit - and we'll begin to see their totals rocket up the charts. It's only a matter of time. But the biggest reason for their tidy turnaround has been their play on the defensive side of the puck. For a team that's played in more one-goal games than anyone in the league (22), the Flames have trimmed their goals-against from 3.06 in the first 31 games, to 2.43 in their last seven. For the Flames to be successful, that has to be their meal ticket. "I think if you look at our goals against ... it's getting lower and lower the longer the season has been going, and now we got to keep pushing it lower," said Jacob Markstrom, who's been something of a revelation himself, going 4-1-0 in his last five starts and posting a miniscule, 2.20 goals-against average in that span. "Obviously, (that's a) big part of my job, but it also everyone out there that's on the ice." Following tonight's game, the Flames will then return home to the Scotiabank Saddledome to host the New York Islanders on Friday, before heading out on a five-game swing through the Central Division. 2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY The Jets are the embodiment of the 'next man up' mentality. Currently without star winger Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Cole Perfetti, Nate Schmidt and Saku Maenalanen, the Manitoba club has barely skipped a beat. The Jets are coming off a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on New Year's Eve and have now won two straight. But at 23-13-1, it was but a blip on a radar. Now, they're close to getting those key bodies back after a stepping up in their absences. "A Christmas miracle," said Schmidt, who's been out since being hit by Nashville Predators bruiser Tanner Jeannot on Dec. 15. "It calmed down a little bit after he first couple days. It really progressed well throughout Christmas over those couple days. It's amazing what a couple full days will do. Just stay away from the rink - no nothing - will do for you, mentally, as well." It's unclear at this point whether or not Schmidt or any of his four 'mates will suit up in Tuesday's clash at Canada Life Centre. He's the closest, but will likely need some additional practice time to get up to speed. Ditto for Ehlers, who's appeared in only two of the Jets' 37 games this season, and is coming off his Nov. 20 sports hernia surgery. "The first five-and-a-half weeks before the surgery were the hardest, because you didn't have a timeline," Ehlers told the media. "You felt it getting better, it was still there, you try skating and it felt fine - but it felt the same as the second game I played. I knew it wasn't really getting anywhere. Being in that waiting time where you have no idea what is going to happen is mentally not fun." The 26-year-old Dane is a legitimate superstar in this league and there's no question Head Coach Rick Bowness and the Jets have missed his 'pop.' Nevertheless, Winnipeg has persevered. Depth players have rotated in and out of the lineup, giving the Jets valuable contributions, while maintaining a high level of competition, despite missing those key pieces. In all, 27 different players have appeared in at least one game for the Jets this season. Compare that to the Flames, who have dressed 20, with only Connor Mackey and Radim Zohorna not playing regularly. It's all led to the Jets - who missed the playoffs last season and brought in a new coach to help transform the culture and right the ship between the boards - to the position they're in now: Fighting for top spot in the Central Division, five points back of the Dallas Stars with one game in hand. "We're a family, we're all in this together, and when your name is called, be ready to go, be ready to support each other," Bowness explained. "It's got to come from the veterans and it's got to come from the injured guys - especially the key guys that we've lost. They've been in the room and they've been wonderful, supporting the guys that are playing for them. "But it all comes back to the team-first mentality." 3. FAST FACTS WORKIN' IN A COLE MINE: Blake Coleman recorded his 12th-career short-handed goal on Saturday against the Canucks. Since he made his debut in the 2016-17 season, Coleman has the sixth-most short-handed goals in the NHL over that span, trailing only Cam Atkinson (15), Brad Marchand (14), Sebastian Aho (13) and Reilly Smith (13). The Plano, Texas native has scored a short-handed goal in every season, apart from his rookie campaign and has three of them against Central Division opponents. MARKY MARK: Jacob Markstrom backstopped the Flames to a 3-2 win over Vancouver turning aside 22 of the 24 shots he faced. The win marked Markstrom's 77th victory as a Flame in the regular season and playoffs combined, giving him the sixth most in Flames franchise history (76). The Gävle, Sweden native passed Trevor Kidd, who had 75 career regular season/playoff wins with the Flames, and Markstrom is now just one win away from tying Phil Myre for fifth in franchise history. DID YOU KNOW? - MacKenzie Weegar and Nikolaj Ehlers were teammates on the Halifax Mooseheads during the 2013-14 season. - The Flames have won 10 of their last 13 New Year's Eve games. - Dillon Dube scored his first NHL goal against the Jets on Nov. 21, 2018. 4. PLAYERS TO WATCH Flames - Rasmus Andersson Ho hum. Just another night at the office for No. 4 in red. Andersson picked up an assist against Vancouver, giving him seven points (1G, 6A) during this 5-1-1 stretch. With 'only' 24:50 of ice time - largely due to a lack of powerplay time - the New Year's Eve bash was actually Andersson's lowest workload in his last five outings. The 26-year-old has played north of 23 minutes in 17 straight games, and hasn't played fewer than 20 all season. With snipers like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the other side, this shapes up to another heavy night for the workhorse blueliner. Jets - Josh Morrissey The Calgary native has been on an absolute tear this year and should be among the frontrunners for the Norris Trophy if he keeps this up. Morrissey has already smashed his career high in points with 42 (6G, 36A) in only 37 games this year. The 27-year-old is playing huge minutes and - like Andersson with the Flames - has taken on a breadth of new responsibility and is thriving in that true, No. 1 role. 5. QUOTABLE MacKenzie Weegar on facing the Jets: "Fast, skilled hockey team. You know, they're playing well, this year. I think with the new coaching system, I think everybody's feeling fresh over there. But, you know, we're just focused on ourselves, on our game. I think if we play our game and our structure, it's going to be a good game (and) hopefully we'll get the two points."

🔥PROJECTED LINEUPS🔥

6 p.m. MT | TV: Sportsnet West | RADIO: Sportsnet 960 The FAN

Weegar - First as a Flame

I figured that might be the case but thought I'd put a GDT together just in case.

Coleman

Lindholm

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one! Happy New Year to all. POSTING OPEN