5 THINGS - FLAMES VS. SHARKS

FLAMES (37-27-17) vs. SHARKS (22-42-16)

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

2022-23 Season Series: 3-0-0

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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
'Take It All In' - Wolf
'Excited For the Opportunity' - Coronato
Projected Lineup
Photo Gallery - Wolf, Coronato Set for NHL Debuts
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2022-23 Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Tyler Toffoli (73)
Goals - Toffoli (34)
Sharks:
Points - Erik Karlsson (100)
Goals - Logan Couture (27)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 19.9% (21st) / PK - 82.5% (T-5th)
Sharks:
PP - 18.4% (25th) / PK - 82.5% (T-5th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 57.28% (2nd)
High-Danger Chances: 53.30% (11th)
Sharks:
Shot Attempts: 48.85% (21st)
High-Danger Chances: 53.77% (7th)
###

1. END OF THE LINE
   They didn't quit.
   No matter the climb, they promised to fight - to empty the tanks and leave their cards on the table.
   But in the end, it wasn't enough.
   With a 3-2 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday, the Flames were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
   "This is kind of the same feeling after, it feels like, most of the nights (this year) - 'What if? What if?" said defenceman Rasmus Andersson. "It's a 'do' league, it's not a 'what-if' league."
   The Flames rattled off a 10-4-4 record in their final 18 games and began to see the fruits of their labour - but in this, the penultimate game of a tumultuous campaign, the very hallmarks that put them in this position again rose to the forefront.
   They outshot the Predators 44-29 - which includes a dominant, 16-4 margin the third period - but Juuse Saros was there to bail his team out and force OT.
   And even though the Flames had the better of the chances in a thrilling, 3-on-3 session, they suffered their league-leading 17th extra-time setback, thanks to a Tommy Novak dagger in the skills contest.
   Troy Stecher and Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames in regulation, while Jacob Markstrom made 27 stops.
   "I think coming home tonight and waking up tomorrow, you're going to realize what an opportunity we missed," groaned Andersson, who nearly polished off the winner with a filthy deke in OT, but was foiled by a desperation poke check from Preds blueliner Tyson Barrie. "Now, you can hardly believe it. It's painful.
   "We felt like we were in almost every game this year and we just didn't manage to get that goal when we needed a goal. If you take half the OT losses we've had this year or shootout, we're in (the playoffs) by a few points."
   Dustin Wolf was recalled
   from the AHL Wranglers and is expected to get the start in goal, while recent signee Matt Coronato is also expected to play.
   Coronato skated on a line with Nazem Kadri and Jakob Pelletier at the morning skate.

2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY
The Sharks are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and are now on a four-game slide (0-3-1), while being outscored 22-8 in that span.
Erik Karlsson supplied all the offence for the visitors, and has now reached the 100-point mark for the first time in his career (25G, 75A). He is only the sixth defenceman in NHL history to achieve the milestone and the first since Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers back in 1991-92.
"I think I'm physically and mentally in a good spot in my life, and I've just been trying to keep it going day by day and keep the motivation going as best as possible," Karlsson told NHL.com after the game. "You know, it's been tough as of late, but (I've) managed a way to get it done and I'm happy about that."
Karlsson has been a real bright spot in an otherwise tough season for the Sharks, who enter tonight's action in 29th place, with a 9.5% shot of winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
In Winnipeg, for example, the Sharks were outshot 33-21, with the Jets carrying a dominant, 16-4 edge in high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5.
"We were a little bit overwhelmed tonight," San Jose coach David Quinn told reporters. "That team played hard, they played fast. I was very impressed with them. … They came and played with an edge. They looked playoff ready to me."
Following tonight's game, the Sharks will close out the 2022-23 season on Thursday in Edmonton.

3. FAST FACTS
CLOSE... BUT NO CIGAR:
Flames are only the third team in NHL history to drop 30 one-goal decisions in a single season. ... Among them, their 17 OT/SO losses are the fifth-most, all-time.
CENTURY MARK:
With his pair of goals on Monday, Erik Karlsson became the 10th player to reach 100 points this year, which marks the 12th season in NHL history with at least 10 players 100-plus points, and the first since 1995-96 (12).
PERSONAL BESTS:
A number of players set new career highs in various categories this year. They are:

* excluding rookies
Additionally, Rasmus Andersson is only one point away from tying his career high of 50 points, which he set last season. Andersson also has a career-high four game-winning goals this year, which is tied with Karlsson for the most among Swedish-born defenceman in the NHL this season.
### 4. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Flames - Tyler Toffoli
Calgary's best and most consistent offensive sparkplug has one more night to add to his career-high totals.

Sharks - Erik Karlsson
Now that he's officially a member of the Century Club, the Norris Trophy debate has certainly intensified in the Twitterverse:
"If Erik Karlsson doesn't win the Norris, it would be an absolute TRAVESTY," says Jackie Redmond of the NHL Network and TNT.
"The offense is absolutely elite, is it enough to make up for play back in his own zone when there's more well-rounded defenders crushing it?" Shayna Goldman ofThe Athletic argues.
That's an argument to be made on both sides, for a player that clearly sacrifices defence to put up numbers at the other end. But with 74 of his 100 points coming at even strength - 25 more than second-place Vince Dunn - what Karlsson is doing this year is simply historic.
### 5. QUOTABLE
Andersson on being eliminated from the playoff race:
"Looking around this room, we had the squad to do it, and that probably makes it more frustrating that we didn't do it. Being in so many games and not coming out on the winning side of those, that's probably the one thing that is the most frustrating."
Backlund on the mood in the locker-room:
"There's not a happy guy in there. It's an empty feeling. We pushed for a long time and it's a long season and we fought all the way until the end.
"It's just really upsetting, sad, tough … It sucks."