5 THINGS - FLAMES @ RANGERS

FLAMES (24-17-9) @ RANGERS (27-14-8)

5:30 p.m. MT | TV: Sportsnet West/East | RADIO: Sportsnet 960 The FAN

2021-22 Regular Season Series: 2-0-0

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GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
'We Can Beat Anybody'
Projected Lineup
Say What - New York, New York
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2021-22 Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (45)
Goals - Nazem Kadri (19)
Rangers:
Points - Artemi Panarin (50)
Goals - Mika Zibanejad (22)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 19.1% (25th) / PK - 82.6% (5th)
Rangers:
PP - 21.6% (17th) / PK - 81.3% (9th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 55.89% (2nd)
High-Danger Chances: 52.04% (14th)
Rangers:
Shot Attempts: 51.81% (9th)
High-Danger Chances: 49.36% (20th)
###

1. BACK AT IT!
   What began as a marathon is now an all-out sprint.
   Fifty games down.
   Thirty-two to go.
   The playoff push continues tonight as the Flames return from the bye week and begin a crucial four-game road trip against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
   "I think we're starting to find our groove," said Nazem Kadri, who represented the Flames this past weekend at the NHL All-Star Game. "We've probably had the biggest turnover of any team in the league - and that takes some time to get used to.
   "But now, it's crunch time.
   "We like that we're in the fight and it's time that we try to solidify ourselves."
   The Flames entered the break on a high after beating the first-place Seattle Kraken 5-2 back on Jan. 27. Elias Lindholm and Blake Coleman each had a goal and two helpers, while Dan Vladar stopped 28 shots and has now tied a franchise record by helping the Flames earn at least a point in 13 consecutive appearances (10-0-3).
   The Flames are now 3-1-0 in their last four games and return to game action tied for the final wild-card playoff spot with the Colorado Avalanche. (However, due to Colorado's 27 wins and a fewer number of games played, the Avs officially occupy that coveted seed.
   Nevertheless, the Flames feel their game is rounding into form - and now is no time to let off the gas.
   "We're a team that has that belief in any building, against any team, that if we play the right way, we can come out on top," Kadri said. "It's always fun when you're in the hunt and we've got an opportunity to be in the Top 3, Top 2, or 1, and we haven't even played close to our best.
   "That's a positive sign."
   The NHL's All-Star break officially ended on Sunday and some teams - including the Rangers - were able to return to practice. But with a four-hour flight and two-hour time change on the books, the Flames flew straight to the Big Apple and will take to the ice for the first time as a group at their 11 a.m. morning skate.
   Following tonight's game, the Flames will make their way to Detroit, Buffalo and Ottawa, before returning home to the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 16.

2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY
The Rangers entered the break with a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, on the same day the Flames wrapped up their pre-holiday schedule - Jan. 27.
Chris Kreider (in his 700th career game), Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil and Jimmy Vesey supplied the offence for the Blueshirts, while Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves to win his fifth consecutive start.
Halak, 37, now has a .938 save percentage and 1.80 goals-against average dating back to Dec. 17. Meanwhile, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Igor Shesterkin, has been lights-out again for the Rangers this year, posting a 21-8-7 record, along with a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average.
The Rangers are 2-0-1 in their last three games, 6-2-2 in their last 10, and currently sit third in the Metro Division with 62 points.
"I like the last roughly 25 games," Rangers Head Coach Gerard Gallant told reporters on Sunday. "We've played a lot better hockey. Obviously, you want little things to improve - like, the powerplay hasn't been as great. But it doesn't matter to me if the powerplay's not good or if the PK's not good and then 5-on-5 has been better... As long as - at the end of the night. - you're playing good hockey and winning hockey games."
### 3. FAST FACTS
LETHAL LINDHOLM:
Elias Lindholm recorded three points (1G, 2A) on Jan. 27 in Seattle - all in the first period. That three-point opening frame was one off tying the Flames franchise record for points in a period (4). Lindholm leads the Flames in assists (30) and points (45), and is third in goals with 15.
BIG Z:
Nikita Zadorov scored his eighth goal of the season in the Flames' final game before the break. With it, he set a single-season career high in goals with eight, beating his previous high-water mark of seven, which he achieved twice - in 2017-18 and in 2018-19 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. ... Zadorov's eight goals and +12 rating this year lead all Russian-born defencemen in the NHL, and he currently tops all Flames blueliners in goals, one ahead of Rasmus Andersson. ... His +12 rating leads all Flames skaters.
Stick tap to Flames Public Relations Coordinator Jordan Bay for compiling these notes.
Follow him and the Flames PR team @FlamesPR on Twitter for more.
### 4. DID YOU KNOW?
MacKenzie Weegar recorded his first NHL assist at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28, 2017. As luck would have it, Weegar enters tonight's game at MSG riding a three-game assist streak.
Calgary's Blake Coleman and New York's Barclay Goodrow were teammates on the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons from 2019 to 2021. Both players were trade deadline acquisitions by the Lightning in 2019 and played together on a line, helping Tampa win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
The Flames surrendered the ninth fewest goals-against in the NHL over the month of January (37).
Tyler Toffoli had a team-high 12 points (3G, 9A) in the month of January.
### 5. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Flames - Rasmus Andersson
With some uncertainty about the status of the injured Chris Tanev, the spotlight is once again on the Flames' top minute muncher, Rasmus Andersson.
The 26-year-old enters tonight's game with seven goals, 33 points, and an average of 24:43 in ice time this year. With the likes of the sharp-shooting Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad on the other side tonight, you can bet Andersson will have another busy night on the backend.
Rangers - Artemi Panarin
While he's not quite on the 96-point pace that gave him a career high in that category last year, Panarin remains one of the biggest offensive threats in the game.