5 THINGS - FLAMES @ SENATORS

FLAMES (25-18-10) @ SENATORS (24-24-3)

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

2021-22 Season Series: 1-1-0

NEED-TO-KNOW
ONLINE 50/50
Purchase your online 50/50 tickets for a chance at some big cash!
GAME DAY VIDEO
Game Day with Brendan Parker
Pregame Interviews
GAME DAY FEATURES
He's A Gamer' - Toffoli
Projected Lineup
Say What: 'That Boosted The Mood'
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2021-22 Head-to-Head Stats
WANT TO WIN SOME CASH?!

Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (48)
Goals - Tyler Toffoli (21)
Senators:
Points - Brady Tkachuk (52)
Goals - Tim Stützle (22)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 19.3% (24th) / PK - 82.3% (6th)
Senators:
PP - 26.9% (2nd) / PK - 80.6% (13th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 56.16% (2nd)
High-Danger Chances: 51.71% (15th)
Senators:
Shot Attempts: 51.86% (7th)
High-Danger Chances: 53.41% (9th)
###

1. LAST TIME OUT
   Twelve years ago, legendary broadcaster Bob Cole declared that "everything (was) happening!" in a spirited Montreal-Boston playoff tilt.
   If only Mr. Cole was on the mic for this one …
   Where do you even begin?
   With Jakob Pelletier's first-career goal - a beauty, and with mentor Jonathan Huberdeau picking up an assist to form Calgary's own French Connection?
   With the hometown boy, Dennis Gilbert, stepping into a slapshot and scoring in his first-ever, big-league game at the rink he grew up in? Or, with his grandmother, Patricia, watching from the stands and cheering her lungs out as part of a multi-suite entourage?
   Or how about the fact that the Flames once had a 31-3 edge on the shot clock, scored thrice in only 1:47 and four in 5:22 to completely take over and have the Buffalo faithful boo their team on two separate occasions in a 7-2 final.
   Tyler Toffoli scored twice.
   Dillon Dube had a goal and three helpers to record his first-career, four-point game.
   The storylines were endless.
   But the biggest of all was that the Flames put a plodding opening 20 minutes behind them, overcame a two-goal deficit and picked up one of their most important wins of the season.
   Because for a while there, it felt like things were headed south in a hurry.
   "I think a lot of guys were feeling good after scoring some goals," MacKenzie Weegar said following Sunday's practice. "Sometimes, (we've) been a little bit snake-bit throughout the season, but I think putting up seven, it means a lot. A lot of guys are feeling good in the room. A lot of guys contributed to the win. Hopefully they can keep that confidence high going into (tonight)."
   The Flames had a great practice on Sunday and it was clear the victory helped lighten the mood around the rink.
   The Senators, meanwhile, are facing a ton of adversity (which we'll touch on below), but with the visitors playing the final game of a long road trip, they know they'll have to keep the pedal down against an ornery foe.
   "I think Buffalo had a lot of speed and skill, and this team's (grittier), in-your-face," Weegar said. "You're going to have to work for every inch. We're going to have to go to work in the trenches."
   "It's not going to be easy."
   Injury Report: Rasmus Andersson (undisclosed, day-to-day) did not participate in Sunday's practice. He has not skated
   since being being struck by a vehicle while he was riding a scooter
   in downtown Detroit last Wednesday.

2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY
The Senators dropped a 6-3 decision to the Oilers on Saturday, but came away having lost more than the two points up for grabs.
Goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered off the ice after suffering an MCL tear in both knees late in the third period. Forsberg - who had 22 wins and a .917 save percentage for the struggling Sens last year - was primarily cast as a backup to Cam Talbot this season, but a suspected groin injury to the former Flames puck-stopper put Forsberg back in a regular starting rotation.
Now both netminders are on the shelf.
"It's awful," said Oilers forward Zach Hyman, who was driven into the crease and landed awkwardly on top of Forsberg. "I mean, you hear him going down and you hear him in pain, but you can't do anything. I literally couldn't do anything. I'm stuck on him because there's a guy who's on top of me pushing me in. It's not a fun play to be a part of. I almost stopped playing there because I locked eyes with him and he was just in pain. Hope he gets better soon. Just a tough, tough play."
Sens coach D.J. Smith told reporters on Sunday that Forsberg will likely miss the rest of the season.
As a result, rookie Mads Sogaard will get the start in goal vs. the Flames, with the recently recalled Kevin Mandolese backing him up. The 22-year-old Sogaard has only three games on his NHL resume over the past two years. In 21 appearances with the AHL's Belleville Senators this season, the Aalborg, Denmark native has a 6-9-2 record, along with an .898 save percentage and a 3.30 goals-against average.
The injury bug has not been kind to the Senators, who are already without Talbot and have had 23-year-old centre Josh Norris out for essentially the whole season.
To make matters worse, rookie defenceman Jake Sanderson suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and will miss the next two weeks.
### 3. FAST FACTS
TERRIFIC TRIO:
The line of Dillon Dube, Tyler Toffoli, and Elias Lindholm combined for seven points in Saturday's 7-2 thrashing of the Sabres. Dube had a goal and three helpers for his first-career four-point game, besting his previous high of three points in a single game, which he recorded three times prior, with the Flames going 3-0-0 in those contests. Calgary has earned a point in 14 straight games when Dube scores a goal (12-0-2). Toffoli, meanwhile, recorded all three of his points (2G, 1A) in the third period alone, which was one point off of tying the franchise record for points in a period (4). Elias Lindholm had a pair of helpers, including his 300th NHL assist, becoming the ninth active Swedish-born player to reach the milestone.
QUICK STRIKES:
On Saturday, the Flames scored three goals in a span of 1:47, courtesy of Jakob Pelletier, Mikael Backlund and Dennis Gilbert. The trio of goals were the club's fastest three tallies on the road since Nov. 18, 2021, when they scored thrice in a span of 97 seconds - also in Buffalo. It was also the fastest three goals by the Flames since April 16, 2022, on home ice against the Coyotes (1:40).
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. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Flames - Tyler Toffoli
Not everyone obsesses over the numbers.
But as a perennial 20- and one-time 30-goal scorer at this level, Toffoli knows what his job is and straight-up excels at it.
Toffoli scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season on Saturday in Buffalo, passing Nazem Kadri for the team lead in that category and putting him back on pace to reach a new career high with 32.
"Going into every season, you set little goals. Every year, 20 goals is a mark for me and I feel like it's an expectation for myself every single season," Toffoli said. "I'm definitely not planning on stopping, I want to keep going and keep rolling."
Senators - Tim Stützle
The Sens have a lot to be excited about and Stützle is right at the forefront of a young and supremely talented core.
The 21-year-old is second only to Brady Tkachuk in team scoring with 22 goals (tying his career high) and 49 points.
### 5. QUOTABLE
Ottawa native MacKenzie Weegar on playing in front of friends and family tonight:
"I love coming back to Ottawa. It's home for me. I love playing in front of my family and friends. They get just as excited as I do and there's always a little bit of jitters before the game."

Weegar growing up here and realizing his NHL potential:
"Nobody thought that I'd be here. That will always stand out because my family and friends have always stuck with me. And my buddies have been there for me and we have a tight-knit group. I see them every time I come here. I would say the most important thing for me here is my friends and family and just the supporting staff that I've had. They mean a lot to me. So, the fact that I get to play in front of them is awesome.
"I was just one of those guys that just played hockey for fun. Always had a good time. I think my buddies always said, 'Hey, Weegs, you might have a chance at this. Just keep a straight head on' and keep working at it and you never know what will happen, and here I am. Without those guys and without my buddies, I wouldn't be here. It means a lot."