Kuz-Drama: Flames-Bruins Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

The Calgary Flames continue their everlasting battle to stay above a .500 points percentage tonight against a Boston Bruins group with more than their fair share of roster issues. Here is your game day preview! 

Calgary Flames (26-25-5, 57 pts) vs Boston Bruins (34-12-11, 79 pts)       

Last Ten: Calgary (5-5-0) Boston (5-3-2)       

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

TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, NESN, ESPN+ 

Déjà Vu 

While the memory may have been repressed by most of the Flames faithful, almost a year ago today, Boston handed Calgary truly their most back-breaking loss of the season. The Bruins rolled into Calgary on Feb. 28, 2023, having played the Oilers in Edmonton the night prior; a 3-2 win for the visitors. Out of gas and ready for the road trip to end, The Flames outshot the Bruins 57-20. Naturally, the Flames ended up recording one of their 17 overtime losses on the season.  

Those who chose to hold on to the memory of that game may remember a particularly egregious play involving Bruins defenceman Charlie MacAvoy hitting Kadri from behind, leading to an overtime change in possession. No call was made on the play. The league didn’t even record it as a hit. 

It was simply one of those games. The Flames finished 18-2 in even strength high danger chances and left with a single point in the standings.  

Bruins Blue Line Blues 

Bad luck broke out in Boston when it was announced that left-side defenceman Hampus Lindholm would be in attendance for this Bruins road trip due to what is believed to be a knee injury.  

Things only got worse last night when fellow left-side defenceman Matt Grzelcyk left the game and did not return following a slash from Oilers center Ryan McLeod.   

BRUTAL luck for the Boston Bruins! They were already down Hampus Lindholm, and now are down Matt Grzelcyk. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/BhZD0qQjJI

— Drop the Mitts Hockey (@DropMittsHockey) February 22, 2024

Highly-rumored Bruins trade target Noah Hanifin just happens to play the left side. Queue the trade market circus. 

Kuz-Drama

Andrei Kuzmenko has been on one heck of a seven game rollercoaster with the Calgary Flames. Goals in his first two games (including one against Boston), scoreless in the following two, a goal against San Jose, a –1 performance against Detroit and a demotion to the fourth line in Calgary’s last game against Winnipeg.  

“Kuz” returns to the top line tonight alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich. Will the mercurial sniper respond positively?  

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup 

Zary-Kadri-Pospisil
Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
Hunt-Rooney-Duehr    

Hanifin-Tanev
Weegar-Andersson
Kylington-Pachal  

Markstrom
Vladar 

Boston Bruins Projected Lineup

Marchand-Coyle-Heinen
DeBrusk-Zacha-Pastrnak
Van Riemsdyk-Geekie-Richard
Frederic-Boqvist-Brazeau  

Lohrei-McAvoy
Lauko -Carlo
Forbort-Wotherspoon  

Swayman
Ullmark  

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)