Duehr Returns: Flames-Kraken Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

The Calgary Flames continue their quest for a .500 winning percentage tonight against a steadily climbing Seattle Kraken group that has earned one or more points in seven of their last eight games. Here is your game day preview.

Calgary Flames (14-15-5, 33 pts) vs Seattle Kraken (12-14-9, 33 pts)

Time: 7:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, ESPN+

Calgary Flames Notes

-Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri are tied for the team lead on points at 24 a piece.

-Projected starter Jacob Markstrom has an 8-9-2 record across the season, a .904 save percentage, and a 2.75 goals against average.

Get’r Dunn

Only three teams in the NHL have a defenceman leading in team scoring. Buffalo (Dahlin – 29 pts), Columbus (Werenski – 25 pts) and Seattle (Dunn – 28 points). Coming off a three-point performance against Anaheim, Vince Dunn leads the offence in Seattle from the blue line. His nine powerplay points (including two goals) catalyzed a 16th-place, 20.8% powerplay conversion rate.

Sooner or Later

A Blake Coleman power play marker in the third period of Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the LA Kings was possibly a sign of progress. Ranked 30th at 11.8% across 34 games this season, the Calgary Flames are likely to move towards a league median regarding power play success as the season continues. Last season, the worst power play conversion rate was the Philidelphia Flyers at 15.6%

It is also likely that Blake Coleman’s shorthanded goal-scoring prowess also trails off a bit. The 32-year-old NHL veteran’s four shorthanded markers trail only Philidelphia’s Simon Holmstrom, who has five on the season. Yegor Sharangovich sits tied for sixth with two shorthanded goals.

Walking the Walk

Walker Duehr returns to the lineup tonight after an extended absence. His last appearance was on Dec. 5 in a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger recorded one shot in 10:12 of ice time. Slovakian forward Adam Ruzicka will draw out of the lineup as Duehr draws in.

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup

Courtesy of Pat Steinberg.

Mangiapane-Lindholm-Sharangovich

Zary-Kadri-Pospisil

Huberdeau-Backlund-Coleman

Greer-Dube-Duehr

Weegar-Andersson

Hanifin-Tanev

Gilbert-DeSimone

Markstrom

Seattle Kraken Projected Lineup

Courtesy of Kate Shefte.

Tatar-Beniers-Eberle

McCann-Wennberg-Tanev

Tolvanen-Gourde-Bjorkstrand

Kartye-Shore-Yamamoto Burakovsky

Dunn-Larsson

Oleksiak-Borgen

Evans-Dumoulin

Driedger

Daccord