5 THINGS - FLAMES VS. PREDATORS
Flames look to get back into the win column
Video: Brendan Parker sets up tonight's tilt
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
Dube: 'A New Challenge Tonight'
Projected Lineup
Say What - 'Build Every Game'
STAT PACK
Media Game Notes
Scoring Leaders
2021-22 Head-to-Head Stats
WANT TO WIN SOME CASH?!
https://www.nhl.com/flames/community/50-50
Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Nazem Kadri (10)
Goals - Kadri (5)
Predators:
Points - Filip Forsberg (10)
Goals - Nino Niederreiter (5)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 23.3% (13th) / PK - 82.4% (8th)
Predators:
PP - 13.2% (28th) / PK - 82.1% (10th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 57.66% (4th)
High-Danger Chances: 54.81% (9th)
Predators:
Shot Attempts: 49.55% (18th)
High-Danger Chances: 48.81% (19th)
No lead is safe.
A lesson sometimes learned the hard way.
The Flames head into tonight's match-up following a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. After taking a 4-2 lead early in the third, mistakes and turnovers got the best of them with the Kraken scoring three goals in just under five minutes to steal two points.
Nikita Zadorov, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Toffoli and Trevor Lewis found the back of the net.
"Yeah, we're obviously not happy," Toffoli said. "We're an older group and we know that good teams don't do that and obviously we're trying to find ourselves as a group right now. Turning pucks over throughout the game, it's eventually going to bite us in the ass and obviously that's what happened.
"It's kind of the way we've been playing all year. Strung some shifts together and kind of make those mistakes and it's obviously hurting us as a group right now."
Despite back-to-back losses, there's a lot of optimism. And for good reason considering that the Flames are 5-3.
They are still looking for that right chemistry, with last game featuring all four forward lines seeing different looks.
There's a lot of potential in the group and they know they are just scratching the surface.
"It's a good sign. You don't want guys to be satisfied at any point in the year, especially early in the year," Blake Coleman said. "You want players to believe that there is another level to get to. I think the reason a lot of the guys feel that way is because guys have played at higher levels … they have high ceiling to get to. That's a good thing part about this group, we're demanding of ourselves.
"It has to come within if there's going to be change. Fortunately we're off to a good start, little bit of a setback but we just have to get back to it and we'll be alright."
The Predators are off to a tough start to the season, sitting seventh in the Central Division with seven points.
With just one win their last eight games, Nashville's latest loss came from the hands of the Oilers Tuesday night, in a high-scoring 7-4 game.
Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Johansen, Fillip Forsberg and Nino Niederreiter found the back of the net, in a game that saw them make things close at one point, going from a 5-1 deficit in the second period to 6-4 late in the third before the Oilers iced the game.
"We were right there battling back at certain times in the game," Preds head coach John Hynes said after the game. "But there were key situations where we've got to be able to execute better or stay out of the penalty box or whatnot.
"So, we didn't handle those situations well when we kind of cut the lead to two to give ourselves a chance to cut it to one and then make it a game."
Tonight is the second game of a five-game road swing with three more stops set for Vancouver, Seattle and Colorado.
CRAFTY KADRI: Nazem Kadri scored his fifth goal of the season on Tuesday and now has 10 points on the season. Kadri is now tied for the third most points through the team's first eight games - in their debut season - in Flames franchise history (most: 16 - Sergei Makarov: 1989-90).
RITCH RICH: Brett Ritchie extended his career-long point streak to four games with an assist on Tuesday. Ritchie now has three goals and two assists for five points in eight games this season, surpassing his point-total of four (3G, 1A) in 41 games last season.
DID YOU KNOW?Jonathan Huberdeau is one goal away from notching his 200th career NHL goal. He'd become just the eighth player from the 2011 NHL draft to notch 200 goals in their career.
Stick tap to Flames Media Relations Specialist Dalton Ulrich for compiling these notes.
Follow him and the Flames PR team @FlamesPR on Twitter for more.
Flames - Tyler Toffoli
The man they call 'Teapot' is coming off a two-point night which saw him reach the 400-point mark in his career. Toffoli is second in team scoring with seven (4G, 3A) and is just three goals shy from 200 in his career.
Predators - Filip Forsberg
The leading point getter for the Preds is coming off a three-point night against the Oilers, and has six points (1G, 5A) in the last three games. Forsberg also leads his club in powerplay points with four.
Jonathan Huberdeau on getting to his game where he wants it:
"I've still got a lot of work to do. It hasn't been easy for me, obviously. I'm way better than what I am right now. I'm thinking a little bit too much and not moving my feet as much as I used to last year. I've got to start doing that. Obviously, do it as soon as possible. But I've got to relax and play my game. I know I'm a good player and have got to come back to the basics."
