Calgary Flames
Flames-Predators Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

The suddenly .500 Calgary Flames will look to make it three in a row tonight against a staunch and structured Nashville Predators team with no shortage of drama on the back end. Here is your game day preview.
Calgary Flames (16-16-5, 35 pts) vs Nashville Predators (21-16-1, 43 pts)
Time: 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, ESPN+
Slump Busters
The Calgary Flames found offence from some unexpected places during the first period on Tuesday night. Jonathan Huberdeau ended an 18-game scoring slump with a forehand-backhand deke to beat Minnesota Wild goaltender and future Hall of Famer Marc Andre Fleury. The sequence was set up on a Yegor Sharangovich feed.
Likewise, Andrew Mangiapane ended a nine-game goalless streak after tipping in a Rasmus Andersson shot. Can these two snakebitten Flames wingers continue to produce? With the group 4-2-0 since Dec. 18 and sitting three points out of a Wildcard spot (ARI@40pts), Ryan Huska will need all hands-on deck as January picks up.
Net Gains
Nashville’s crease competition had gasoline poured on the fire last week with the emergency callup of Vladislav Askarov. The 11th overall pick in 2020 saved 33-of-35 shots in two appearances in a statement saying: “I can handle this.”
Backup Kevin Lankinen has since returned to the lineup, but Askarov’s performance made its mark. Juuse Saros posted a shutout on Tuesday over the Chicago Blackhawks and you can expect more where that came from.
A Firm Style of Play
Calgary and Nashville traded 4-2 wins in two games this season. Over those two games, Andrew Brunette’s Predators brought a firm style of play: collapse to the net in the defensive zone, take no risks managing the neutral zone, and wait for either a power play or a big mistake.
Nashville scored two power play goals on Tuesday against Chicago and Ryan O’Reilly had a point on each of them. Expect a similar strategy and some low event even strength play tonight.
Calgary Flames Projected Lineup
Huberdeau-Lindholm-Sharangovich
Zary-Kadri-Pospisil
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
Greer-Ruzicka-Dube
Hanifin-Tanev
Gilbert-Andersson
Oesterle-Weegar
Vladar
Markstrom
Nashville Predators Projected Lineup
Forsberg – O’Reilly – Nyquist
Pärssinen – Sissons – Sherwood
Smith – Novak – Evangelista
Trenin – McCarron – Tomasino
Josi-Fabbro
Lauzon-Carrier
McDonagh-Schenn
Saros
Lankinen
