'It's Going To Be A Great Test'

It’s got all the makings of an exciting evening.

Blasty’s back in action, the Flames are on home ice, and an age-old rival provides the opposition for the first time this season.

Calgary has faced every Canadian team - except Vancouver - to this point in the campaign, with the first of four regular-season encounters set for the Scotiabank Saddledome ice tonight. Get tickets

The Canucks are at the top of the Western Conference standings, while the Flames are on an upswing with points in four their past five games.

It’s a fourth straight all-Canadian matchup for Calgary, one that defenceman MacKenzie Weegar is looking forward to.

“It’s another Canadian team, not too far away. I think they’ve come out hot, and they’ve got all the confidence,” Weegar commented.

“I think it’s going to be a great test for us tonight.”

The locals are cognizant that they’re welcoming in a team with a lot of firepower - Vancouver boasts the top three scorers in the NHL entering play Thursday - but forward Elias Lindholm figures the key to success lies in simple tactics.

“Stay out of the box, play hard on their top players, stay above, don’t give them much room, those old cliches,” Lindholm noted following morning skate. “Hopefully we can build off that road trip and play a good game.”

Lindholm’s found himself on a new trio as of this week, patrolling the middle of the ice alongside Adam Ruzicka and Andrew Mangiapane, while Jonathan Huberdeau has slotted in with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Huberdeau figures can make things happen at either end of the ice.

“Backs is a really smart guy, I think he’s in the right position a lot of times,” Huberdeau said. “I think that can help us offensively, and Colesy, I mean, he’s a fast guy that has a good shot too.”

Huberdeau’s line’s ability to play a 200-foot game means a likely assignment against opposing firepower, but there’s a certain responsibility - and privilege - that comes with that, according to the Calgary forward.

“You want to play against the best players, and be better than them,” Huberdeau said. “That challenges you to be better. You know, Backs, he’s always been playing against top players; it’s good to be part of that line and take some pride in it.”

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom downplayed his connections with the Canucks in a media session Wednesday - it’s been over three years since he’s worn a Vancouver sweater - but for players like him and Chris Tanev, there’s always a sense of familiarity when facing a former squad.

Head Coach Ryan Huska, himself a B.C. boy, alluded to that Thursday morning.

“These games are fun, like we have a lot of connections with Vancouver, Marky of course, but there’s a lot along those lines,” Huska said. “They always seem to bring the best out of us; whether that’s because of the rivalry or things like the Marky thing, playing for us now.”

These two teams have met 299 times in the regular season dating back to the early 1970s, contesting seven playoff series too.

Success in matchup number 300, according to Weegar, could have short- and long-term benefits.

“We’re trying to get a quick little home stand here with two quick wins,” Weegar said.

“I think if we get a win (tonight), that’ll be a big key going into the rest of the year for us.”