Righting the Ship: Flames-Wild Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

The Calgary Flames will attempt to pull out of an early December spiral tonight in a rematch against a similarly beleaguered Wild team. Following a four-game surge upon appointing John Hynes as head coach, the Wild have won only one of their last three and find themselves once again below the .500 points percentage mark.  

The Calgary Flames meanwhile, have had an eccentric December to date. Four of six December games have involved comeback attempts with only one successful attempt – a Dec. 7 three-goal third period rally against the Carolina Hurricanes. With losses piling up heading towards the holiday trade freeze, Dec. 19-28, Ryan Huska’s Flames grow more desperate by the day to find their way back into the win column.  

Calgary Flames (11-15-3, 25 pts) vs Minnesota Wild (10-12-4, 24 pts)    

Time: 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.     

TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, Bally Sports Midwest, ESPN 

Offence Producing  

Nazem Kadri, Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman are all producing at above a point per game over six December games. Rasmus Anderson and MacKenzie Weegar are only one game over a point per game with five-in-six each and Connor Zary has three goals over those six games as well. 

Power Play Lacking 

Despite the offence clicking, the Flames have now gone five games and a total of 18:18 of man advantage time without a power play goal.  

Sloppy Starts 

Calgary got caught sleeping at the wheel to start the game last time these two teams played on Dec. 5. Their first goal came 26:51 into the game off Mikael Backlund deflection. Minnesota had already notched three goals and chased Daniel Vladar from his crease by that point.   

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup  

Huberdeau-Backlund-Coleman

Mangiapane-Lindholm-Sharangovich

Zary-Kadri-Pospisil

Greer-Ruzicka-Dube

Hanifin-Andersson

Oesterle-Weegar

Gilbert-DeSimone

Vladar

Wolf 

Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup   

Kaprizov-Eriksson Ek-Boldy  

Johansson-Rossi-Zuccarello  

Foligno-Gaudreau-Maroon  

Duhaime-Dewer-Hartman  

Middleton-Faber  

Bogosian-Merrill  

Goligoski-Hunt 

Gustavsson 

Fleury