5 THINGS - FLAMES @ BLUES

FLAMES (19-14-8) @ BLUES (20-18-3)

6 p.m. MT | TV: Sportsnet West | RADIO: Sportsnet 960 The FAN

2022-23 Season Series: 0-1-0

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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
'A Good Start' - Toffoli
Projected Lineup
Say What: 'A Lot Of Pride'
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2022-23 Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (37)
Goals - Nazem Kadri (16)
Blues:
Points - Jordan Kyrou (38)
Goals - Jordan Kyrou (19)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 19.7% (24th) / PK - 81.9% (7th)
Blues:
PP - 24.1% (11th) / PK - 72.6% (26th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 55.60% (3rd)
High-Danger Chances: 51.96% (14th)
Blues:
Shot Attempts: 45.68% (28th)
High-Danger Chances: 45.20% (24th)
###

1. MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
   It's a lot like having veggies and rice crackers for your midday snack.
   It's better than nothing.
   It provides some nourishment.
   But in the end, you can't help but feel … unsatisfied.
   As the Flames walked away from a 4-3 overtime loss to the last-place Blackhawks on Sunday, that was the overarching theme in the locker-room. They'll take the point. But they'd rather indulge in the buffet.
   "Should win," Head Coach Darryl Sutter said flatly after his team overcame 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1 deficits, but could never grab a lead. "Take one penalty, score two powerplay goals and only give up a handful of shots. Should win the game."
   To Sutter's point, the Flames outshot the Hawks 47-25 and were the better team - in spurts - in the opening 40 minutes. But they seemed a step off in the third period and were unable to muster enough of what they needed until late in regulation.
   Elias Lindholm, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri all struck for the Flames, while Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar split the goaltending duties. The former was pulled after allowing a third goal on his 11th shot, 35 seconds into the middle stanza. Vladar came on in relief and was fantastic, stopping all 13 shots he faced until Max Domi shovelled home the OT winner.
   "For the most part, we controlled possession and controlled the shot statistic, got volume and got quality shots - but like I said, their goaltender (Alex Stalock) stood on his head and made some saves, and they cashed in on some key opportunities," Kadri said.
   "Hey, there (are) no easy games in this league. I think the NHL is one of the best leagues in terms of everyone having quality - and the best and the worst, that gap isn't as large as some of the other professional sports.
   "No game's easy. They played well tonight. (But) we've got to bounce back next game."
   This is the first of two straight over three days against the Blues, before the Flames finish up their five-game, Stateside roadie with stops in Dallas (Saturday) and Nashville (Monday).
   The Flames enter tonight's game with a 4-3-1 record against the Central Division.

2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY
The Blues are coming off a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday to finish a four-game road trip with a 3-1-0 record.
Brayden Schenn tallied a pair of third-period goals after Brandon Saad put the Blues up in the front half of the first. Thomas Greiss made 35 saves, including 23 in the final frame to help St. Louis pull to within two of the points of the final wild-card playoff spot.
"It might not have been our best game, but (Greiss) had a hell of a night," Saad told Andrew Pek of StLouisBlues.com. "That's a huge win for us."
Saad - who picked up an assist and finished the trip with a team-leading seven points - now has 13 goals and five helpers in 34 games this year. With Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly, along with defenceman Torey Krug, currently out with injuries, Saad's efforts couldn't have come at a better time.
The Blues got off to an abysmal start this year, winning their first three games before losing the next eight and putting themselves seriously behind the eight ball.
That they're back in the conversation and climbing the western playoff ladder here at the halfway point is a testament to their character.
With Calgary a scant three points in the clear, these two games could (and should) bring out the best in both sides.
It is, after all, like a mini playoff series, already.
"We have an opportunity to gain some ground on people here at home," said Blues Head Coach and former Flames enforcer Craig Berube. "It starts with Calgary."
This is the first of a seven-game homestand for the Blues, who are 7-8-2 at the Enterprise Center this year.
### 3. FAST FACTS
POWER SURGE:
The Flames went 2-for-3 on the powerplay in Sunday's OT loss, improving their season-long efficiency rate from 18.6% to 19.7% in only night's work.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hall of Famer and Flames all-time leading scorer Jarome Iginla recorded his 1,000th NHL point against the Blues on Apr. 1, 2011 in St. Louis. … Jonathan Huberdeau and Jordan Binnington were opponents during the 2011 Memorial Cup. Binnington was a member of the Owen Sound Attack, while Huberdeau skated for the Saint John Sea Dogs. The two teams met in the group stage of the tournament, with Huberdeau scoring the game-winning goal in overtime on Binnington. Huberdeau and the Sea Dogs would go on to win the Memorial Cup, with the future Flames start capturing the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. Binnington, meanwhile, earned the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament's top goaltender.
Stick tap to Flames Communications Coordinator Jordan Bay for compiling these notes.
Follow him and the Flames PR team @FlamesPR on Twitter for more.

4. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Flames - Elias Lindholm
Lindholm is on a heater with 14 points (4G, 10A) in his last 11 games, increasing his lead in the team scoring race by three points over Tyler Toffoli at the halfway mark of the campaign.
The 28-year-old leads all Flames players in goals since being acquired prior to the 2018-19 season with 130 in 328 games. Lindholm is only two points away from becoming the fourth Flame in the past 30 years to reach 300 points with the club in 350 or fewer games. Theo Fleury (291 GP), Johnny Gaudreau (320 GP) and Robert Reichel (341 GP) are the others.
With an assist on Sunday, the Boden, Sweden native tallied his 99th-career multi-point game. He is now only eight helpers away from 300, and six goals from 200 in his career.
Blues - Jordan Kyrou
Kyrou scored twice including the dagger in the third period when these two teams first met back on Dec. 16 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
He enters the night at the Blues' leading scorer with 38 points (19G, 19A) in 38 games.
### 5. QUOTABLE
MacKenzie Weegar on what he takes away from the Chicago game:
"We'll take the point. We're definitely not satisfied with it, but we'll take it for the first game on the road here. We need to get off to a good start. Our start wasn't good enough in Chicago, so we're definitely going to emphasize a good start against St. Louis (tonight)."
On playing two straight against the Blues:
"It's not bad. You've got to be ready to go both games. It's going to be like a mini playoff series. I think a lot of the teams are used to it because of the COVID year. But these are two huge games for us, and two huge games for them, so it's going to feel like a playoff series."