5 Things - Flames @ Blue Jackets

1. Last Time Out

The Flames, trailing 1-0, were pressing hard for the tying goal Wednesday in Detroit.

Like hard - as in full-court press.

And they got it off the stick of Connor Zary, who snapped a wicked wrister on the powerplay with less than three minutes to go to force overtime against the Red Wings in their second game of this four-game trip.

But with just under two to go in OT, they got tagged with a too many men penalty and Detroit would capitalize for a 2-1 victory.

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After starting thos roadie with a 4-3 loss in Ottawa Monday, ther defeat was disappointing but the single point was sure better than nothing.

"I don’t think it was our best game," said captain Mikael Backlund in the dressing room, before heading to the airport for a flight to Columbus. "I didn’t think we got, until the third, really, some pressure. We can play better than we did tonight. But it was a tight game until the end. We got a big point. To get a point when you don’t play well, it’s big. But we’ve lost too many on the road now, it’s time to win a road game."

Zary's powerplay marker marked the fifth straight game the team has scored at least one goal while on the man advantage, as the team has enjoyed a breakthrough in that department.

"I thought it was a hard game, both ways," said Head Coach Ryan Huska. "Again, a typical game for us, there wasn’t a lot of room on the ice, I’m happy the guys stuck with it. We’ve talked a lot about our powerplay, and now we’re talking about it in a positive way, so that was a big goal for us tonight."

Huska was asked about Zary's progession this season as he continues to be one of the Flames' most dominant players on the ice, night-in and night-out.

"I think that’s the hope with all your young players, that they’re going to watch some of the older guys around them, and they’re going to take steps along the way," said Huska. "That’s part of our job as a staff, is to make sure they develop, and it’s part of the player’s job to make sure they’re putting in the work, and Connor has done that this year. His game has taken steps. It keeps getting harder as the season goes on, so it’s going to be a really good challenge for him to keep improving."

This is the first time the Flames will play the Blue Jackets since former Flame and Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau was killed, along with his brother Matthew, in an accident this summer while they were riding their bikes.

It will be a emotional day for many of Gaudreau's former teammates - including Rasmus Andersson, Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, along with the team's staff.

2. Know Your Enemy

The Blue Jackets are sixth in the Metropolitan Division, 4-4-2 in their last 10 outings, and coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Canadiens Wednesday night at home.

They had won three straight prior to the defeat.

Mathieu Olivier scored near the midway point of the first period but Juraj Slafkovsky would tie it up before the intermission. Yegor Chinakov would put the homeside out front in the second but the Habs would again tie it up before Emil Heineman would put Montreal ahead in the third period.

Zach Werenski would tally his seventh of the season to force OT, where Nick Suzuki would put a quick end to things, scoring 44 seconds in on his own rebound to ice it for Montreal.

Elvis Merzlikins made 19 saves for the Jackets.

“I don't think we got to our forecheck tonight,” Werenski told NHL.com's Craig Merz after the game. “We weren’t bad, but I don’t think we were good. And in this league, that’s what happens if you don’t play your game.

“Even though we didn’t play our best, we did find a way to tie the game and get to overtime. We would’ve liked two points, but it’s a great learning experience for us. We’re in it, we’re getting points and we’re finding ways to stay in games, even when we’re not at our best.”

Former Flame Sean Monahan didn't record a point in the game but he is off to a great start to the season, sitting third in team scoring with seven goals and 20 points in 21 games. He had a goal and four points in a wild 7-6 overtime win against the Lightning two games earlier on Nov. 21, and has seven points in his last four outings.

3. Fast Facts

Afternoon Affairs:

The Flames get set to skate in their third matinee affair of the season, posting a 1-0-1 record in afternoon games thus far: Nov. 9 in Buffalo (2-3 SOL), Nov. 23 against Minny (4-3 SOW). Following today, the Flames next afternoon game will come on Dec. 21 when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to the Scotiabank Saddledome at 2 p.m. MT.

Back-To-Backs:

The Flames get set to begin their third back-to-back set of the 2024-25 season. In the Flames' last set, they split the two contests on Nov. 11 against LA (3-1 W) and Vancouver (3-1 L). Calgary has a 3-1-0 record in back-to-back games so far this season, and following their game in Pittsburgh tomorrow night, Calgary’s next back-to-back will come on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 when they face San Jose and Vegas on the road.

4. Gone Streakin'

Forwards Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary both enter today’s contest riding four-game point streaks. Sharangovich has three goals and two helpers during his run and is tied with MacKenzie Weegar for the team-lead in points with five since Nov. 21. Connor Zary has two goals and two assists, and his four points are the third-most on the club since Nov. 21.

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Nazem Kadri

Kadri led all forwards in ice time (20:57) and shots (5) in the loss to the Wings. He scored a late marker against Ottawa to open the trip. He's got six goals and 12 points on the season.

Blue Jackets - Zach Werenski

The blueliner also had an assist against the Habs and is riding a six-game point streak in which he's collected four goals and 12 points. The half-dozen games ties the franchise record for longest point streak by a Columbus defenceman (Bryan Berard back in 2005).