5 THINGS - FLAMES @ JETS

FLAMES (18-13-7) @ JETS (23-13-1)

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

2022-22 Season Series: 1-0-0

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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Natasha Staniszewski
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
'Always Believed In Myself' - Andersson
Projected Lineup
Say What : 'Shut Down Their Top Guys'
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2022-23 Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (34)
Goals - Tyler Toffoli (15)
Jets:
Points - Kyle Connor (43)
Goals - Mark Scheifele (23)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 19.2% (25th) / PK - 81.1% (12th)
Jets:
PP - 23.9% (11th) / PK - 82.4% (6th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 55.45% (3rd)
High-Danger Chances: 52.02% (14th)
Jets:
Shot Attempts: 49.40% (20th)
High-Danger Chances: 49.71% (18th)
###

1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
   So, coach, any resolutions in mind?
   "No," Darryl Sutter said, rather comically, but with his usual blunt delivery.
   Aside from the obvious - going deeper in the playoffs and getting that vaunted Cup ring - it's true, the Flames don't need to re-invent themselves with vague platitudes this January. What they accomplished in 2022 was impressive, and has put them on the right track for what they hope is a wildly productive 2023.
   Overall, the Flames put together a 52-27-12 record over the past 365 days, with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on New Year's Eve capping one of the best calendar years in franchise history.
   Now, it's about continuing what they've started.
   "We're starting to play the right way, structurally," MacKenzie Weegar said of a 5-1-1 stretch to close out December. "We're getting contributions from everybody here, so we've just got to take it into the new year and keep staying positive. Keep clicking as a unit."
   Weegar tallied his first goal as a Flame - the eventual game-winner - on Saturday as the locals took down their divisional foe.
   They enter Tuesday's action back in a Pacific Division playoff spot - and there are a number of reasons for that.
   First, many of the team's key weapons have been finding their stride offensively. Among them, Elias Lindholm nabbed his 12th of the season and with 34 points in 37 games, the recently-engaged two-way talent is actually ahead of where he was at this point last year.
   Jonathan Huberdeau, Tyler Toffoli, Dillon Dube and the rock-solid trio of Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane are all firing on all cylinders. A little puck luck - especially with the Backlund unit - and we'll begin to see their totals rocket up the charts.
   It's only a matter of time.
   But the biggest reason for their tidy turnaround has been their play on the defensive side of the puck.
   For a team that's played in more one-goal games than anyone in the league (22), the Flames have trimmed their goals-against from 3.06 in the first 31 games, to 2.43 in their last seven.
   For the Flames to be successful, that has to be their meal ticket.
   "I think if you look at our goals against ... it's getting lower and lower the longer the season has been going, and now we got to keep pushing it lower," said Jacob Markstrom, who's been something of a revelation himself, going 4-1-0 in his last five starts and posting a miniscule, 2.20 goals-against average in that span.
   "Obviously, (that's a) big part of my job, but it also everyone out there that's on the ice."
   Following tonight's game, the Flames will then return home to the Scotiabank Saddledome to host the New York Islanders on Friday, before heading out on a five-game swing through the Central Division.

2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY
The Jets are the embodiment of the 'next man up' mentality.
Currently without star winger Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Cole Perfetti, Nate Schmidt and Saku Maenalanen, the Manitoba club has barely skipped a beat. The Jets are coming off a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on New Year's Eve and have now won two straight.
But at 23-13-1, it was but a blip on a radar.
Now, they're close to getting those key bodies back after a stepping up in their absences.
"A Christmas miracle," said Schmidt, who's been out since being hit by Nashville Predators bruiser Tanner Jeannot on Dec. 15.
"It calmed down a little bit after he first couple days. It really progressed well throughout Christmas over those couple days. It's amazing what a couple full days will do. Just stay away from the rink - no nothing - will do for you, mentally, as well."
It's unclear at this point whether or not Schmidt or any of his four 'mates will suit up in Tuesday's clash at Canada Life Centre. He's the closest, but will likely need some additional practice time to get up to speed.
Ditto for Ehlers, who's appeared in only two of the Jets' 37 games this season, and is coming off his Nov. 20 sports hernia surgery.
"The first five-and-a-half weeks before the surgery were the hardest, because you didn't have a timeline," Ehlers told the media. "You felt it getting better, it was still there, you try skating and it felt fine - but it felt the same as the second game I played. I knew it wasn't really getting anywhere. Being in that waiting time where you have no idea what is going to happen is mentally not fun."
The 26-year-old Dane is a legitimate superstar in this league and there's no question Head Coach Rick Bowness and the Jets have missed his 'pop.' Nevertheless, Winnipeg has persevered. Depth players have rotated in and out of the lineup, giving the Jets valuable contributions, while maintaining a high level of competition, despite missing those key pieces.
In all, 27 different players have appeared in at least one game for the Jets this season. Compare that to the Flames, who have dressed 20, with only Connor Mackey and Radim Zohorna not playing regularly.
It's all led to the Jets - who missed the playoffs last season and brought in a new coach to help transform the culture and right the ship between the boards - to the position they're in now: Fighting for top spot in the Central Division, five points back of the Dallas Stars with one game in hand.
"We're a family, we're all in this together, and when your name is called, be ready to go, be ready to support each other," Bowness explained. "It's got to come from the veterans and it's got to come from the injured guys - especially the key guys that we've lost. They've been in the room and they've been wonderful, supporting the guys that are playing for them.
"But it all comes back to the team-first mentality."
### 3. FAST FACTS
WORKIN' IN A COLE MINE:
Blake Coleman recorded his 12th-career short-handed goal on Saturday against the Canucks. Since he made his debut in the 2016-17 season, Coleman has the sixth-most short-handed goals in the NHL over that span, trailing only Cam Atkinson (15), Brad Marchand (14), Sebastian Aho (13) and Reilly Smith (13). The Plano, Texas native has scored a short-handed goal in every season, apart from his rookie campaign and has three of them against Central Division opponents.
MARKY MARK:
Jacob Markstrom backstopped the Flames to a 3-2 win over Vancouver turning aside 22 of the 24 shots he faced. The win marked Markstrom's 77th victory as a Flame in the regular season and playoffs combined, giving him the sixth most in Flames franchise history (76). The Gävle, Sweden native passed Trevor Kidd, who had 75 career regular season/playoff wins with the Flames, and Markstrom is now just one win away from tying Phil Myre for fifth in franchise history.
DID YOU KNOW?
- MacKenzie Weegar and Nikolaj Ehlers were teammates on the Halifax Mooseheads during the 2013-14 season.
- The Flames have won 10 of their last 13 New Year's Eve games.
- Dillon Dube scored his first NHL goal against the Jets on Nov. 21, 2018.
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 - Rasmus Andersson
Ho hum. Just another night at the office for No. 4 in red.
Andersson picked up an assist against Vancouver, giving him seven points (1G, 6A) during this 5-1-1 stretch.
With 'only' 24:50 of ice time - largely due to a lack of powerplay time - the New Year's Eve bash was actually Andersson's lowest workload in his last five outings. The 26-year-old has played north of 23 minutes in 17 straight games, and hasn't played fewer than 20 all season.
With snipers like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the other side, this shapes up to another heavy night for the workhorse blueliner.
Jets - Josh Morrissey
The Calgary native has been on an absolute tear this year and should be among the frontrunners for the Norris Trophy if he keeps this up.
Morrissey has already smashed his career high in points with 42 (6G, 36A) in only 37 games this year. The 27-year-old is playing huge minutes and - like Andersson with the Flames - has taken on a breadth of new responsibility and is thriving in that true, No. 1 role.
### 5. QUOTABLE
MacKenzie Weegar on facing the Jets:
"Fast, skilled hockey team. You know, they're playing well, this year. I think with the new coaching system, I think everybody's feeling fresh over there. But, you know, we're just focused on ourselves, on our game. I think if we play our game and our structure, it's going to be a good game (and) hopefully we'll get the two points."