“Kuzy” to Play First NHL Game: Flames Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

It’s a collision of two teams looking to get back on track tonight as the Calgary Flames play host to the Ottawa Senators. The Flames are coming off two straight losses at the hands of Philidelphia and Chicago. The Senators limp into Calgary fresh off of losses to Vancouver, Seattle, and Edmonton. Here is your Flames game day preview!

Calgary Flames (17-18-5, 39 pts) vs Ottawa Senators (14-21-0, 28 pts)   

Time: 7:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.   

TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, ESPN+  

Pelletier Returns 

While the 22-year-old is working with the Wranglers for now, the fanbase is deservedly excited to see 2019 26th-overall pick Jakob Pelletier return to action in a Flames jersey. For the time being, perhaps it’s time to catch a Wranglers game in the hope of seeing Matthew Coronato and Pelletier providing a glimpse of the future at forward.

Kuznetsov Plays 

50th overall pick in 2020, Yan Kuznetsov will play his first NHL game tonight, with Jordan Oesterle drawing out out the lineup. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound left-shot blue liner will play next to Nick DeSimone, who was a bit unlucky in Chicago.

Dube Sits 

Dillon Dube has gone 20 games without a point and will sit tonight’s game out. Head Coach Ryan Huska had this to say about Dillon’s night off:

“He hasn’t been the Dillon Dube that he’s capable of being over the last little bit. A lot of that falls on me and the amount of icetime he’s had over the last little while. That just gives him a chance to reset himself and then come back better than ever.”

Korpisalo Confidence 

Speaking of being in a bit of a funk, Ottawa’s starting goalie tonight, Joonas Korpisalo, has had a rough time between the pipes since Dec. 1. 2-8-0 in the past 39 days and has a .874 save percentage.  

Likewise, the team in front of him has struggled over that same span. 6-12-0. 

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup  

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Sharangovich  

Zary-Kadri-Pospisil  

Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman  

Greer-Ruzicka-Duehr  

Hanifin-Tanev  

Weegar-Andersson  

Kuznetsov-DeSimone  

Markstrom  

Vladar  

Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup  

Practice lines courtesy of TSN1200. @TSN1200  

Tkachuk-Norris-Joseph  

Giroux-Stützle-Batherson  

Kubalik-Greig-Tarasenko  

Kelly-Kastelic-MacEwen  

Chabot-JBD  

Chychrun-Sanderson  

Brannstrom-Hamonic  

Korpisalo 

Forsberg 

Around the NHL 

MUST READ: blockbuster went down last night between Flames divisional rival Anaheim and the Philidelphia Flyers. Philly GM Daniel Briere shed some light on why the move was necessary. 

Montreal turned down a similar offer for Cutter Gauthier at last year’s draft. The ask? The 2023 5th overall pick that turned into David Reinbacher.

Brad Marchand thinks that Connor Bedard shouldn’t be compared to Sidney Crosby.