Practice Notebook - 21.10.24

The Flames returned to practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome Monday in preparation for this week's three-game homestand, which begins with a visit from the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. MT. GET TICKETS

The following lines and pairings were used during practice:

FORWARDS

Andrei Kuzmenko - Nazem Kadri - Matt Coronato

Jonathan Huberdeau - Martin Pospisil - Anthony Mantha

Connor Zary - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman

Ryan Lomberg - Justin Kirkland - Adam Klapka

Kevin Rooney

DEFENCEMEN

Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson

MacKenzie Weegar - Daniil Miromanov

Jake Bean - Brayden Pachal

Joel Hanley - Tyson Barrie

GOALTENDERS

Dan Vladar

Dustin Wolf

Wolfie And The Kid

Dustin Wolf had a brush with a hockey legend at an early age.

And there’s a chance he could share the ice again with Sidney Crosby Tuesday night, when the Flames host the Penguins at the 'Dome.

Wolf shared a story Monday about a memorable childhood experience - at age 11, he skated alongside Crosby in a couple of ice sessions set up by their agent, Pat Brisson, in Los Angeles.

“(I was) pretty star-struck at that point,” Wolf admitted.

The Wolfs and Brissons are family friends, he explained, and Crosby was in town skating as part of a return-to-play program.

The young netminder says he didn’t get to face Sid the Kid 1-on-1, however.

“They were like, ‘His shot’s pretty heavy, so we’ll get you out of the way a bit,’” Wolf said with a chuckle.

“I was so young at that point, it was more like, ‘I want to let him do his thing,’ and kind of just sit in the background and watch what was going on,” he added. “For real, being that young and seeing a guy - I think he had already won a couple Cups at that point - it was pretty remarkable.”

Like A Fine Ryan

Ryan Lomberg has evolved since his last stint with the Flames.

From the constant chatter in scenes from *The Chase*, to his ebullient energy on the ice, it’s clear the Richmond Hill, Ont. product has made a positive impact on the team.

He’s older, wiser, and - thanks to his role with the Panthers last season - a Stanley Cup champion.

Head Coach Ryan Huska has repeatedly mentioned Lomberg as a catalyst on Calgary’s fourth line - a trio that’s already produced several memorable moments - but the Flames forward chalks up his early-season success to maturity.

“I think my gameplay is kinda still similar (to his last stint in Calgary), still intense, relentless, physical,” he said Monday. “I think the maturity side of things, picking my spots more, realizing you can’t run out of position for a hit, you’ve got to defend first.

“It’s moreso about putting the team first in every aspect of the game.”

Put It On Blast

The Flames are switching to Dark Mode for this week’s three-game homestand, which includes visits from the Hurricanes and Jets addition to Tuesday’s Pittsburgh fixture.

That’s right. Blasty is back!

Calgary’s alternate uniforms are slated to be on display 15 times this season, and Lomberg, for one, is pretty pumped about it.

“Absolutely, man!” he exclaimed when asked about wearing Blasty for the first time.

“I was jealous, watching the boys from afar wearing the jersey, so I’m happy to be in it.”