Round Three: Flames-Wild Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

The Calgary Flames will kick off a four-game road trip tonight in what will be round three against a Minnesota Wild group facing some major issues as the schedule carries into the new year. Here are a few thoughts, notes, and stats heading into tonight’s matchup.  

Calgary Flames (15-16-5, 35 pts) vs Minnesota Wild (16-15-4, 36 pts)  

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

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

Big changes in St. Paul 

The last two instances of these teams meeting were during a bit of a honeymoon period for the Minnesota Wild and new Head Coach John Hynes. The team won 11 of 14 prior to most recently dropping two straight against the sixth-place Winnipeg Jets. Those games included injuries to elite scorer Kirill Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson. With Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin, and Mason Shaw out of the lineup as well, the Wild will be running a skeleton crew tonight in comparison to Dec. 14th‘s 3-2 win over the Flames or the 5-2 win for Minnesota on Dec. 5th.  

With so many key players missing from the lineup, Hynes emphasized a team game prior to tonight’s showdown. 

“I’m confident that when you can play a strong team game that it gives you the best chance to win. Now it’s other opportunities for guys to be able to step up in different roles. And I think as players, you never want to see a teammate go down, but also it does bring a certain level of energy to your team and opportunity for guys that maybe when you have a full lineup, guys are playing in a certain role. But everybody wants a little bit more to do and now they have it. So, I’m excited to see how the guys that are going to be in those different roles do respond.” 

Transition play 

The first two matchups between these teams have underlined some works in progress for Ryan Huska’s Calgary Flames. Most notably their ability, or lack thereof, to move the puck quickly through the neutral zone.  

When Calgary generated a turnover? Minnesota was given enough time to set up a formation in the neutral zone. By that process, the Calgary Flames have been essentially throttled out of two games against the Hynes’ Wild. 

Awkward moments 

For all the hype surrounding the potential of these two teams to start the season, tonight will be a bitter struggle to seize 12th place in the Western Conference.  

Hot Coal 

It appears Blake Coleman is continuing to take his game to new levels. A goal, an assist and a firm sense of urgency exuding from the 32-year-old out of Plano, Texas. While the Flames will continue to define who they are as a team and how they place among the rest of the league, Blake is providing a firm presence and an extra something to watch as the season carries on.  

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup 

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Sharangovich 

 Zary-Kadri-Pospisil 

Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman 

 Greer-Ruzicka-Dube 

 Hanifin-Tanev 

Gilbert-Andersson 

Oesterle-Weegar 

Markstrom 

Vladar 

Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup 

Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy  

Petan-Rossi-Hartman  

Maroon-Gaudreau-Walker  

Duhaime-Dewar-Lucchini  

Middleton-Faber  

Goligoski-Spurgeon  

Mermis-Bogosian  

Fleury