Familiar Faces
The Hurricanes and Flames made a splash at the 2018 NHL Draft with a five-player trade. Fifth overall selections Lindholm and Hanifin were traded to Calgary in exchange for Ferland, Hamilton and the rights to defensive prospect Adam Fox.
It's a trade that has benefited both clubs in different ways.
For the Hurricanes, Ferland has added a much-needed dimension to the lineup.
"We didn't have that presence. We've been missing that physical presence. His scoring touch is something I didn't realize he had. He's got a nice touch. That's a pleasant surprise," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "His physicality] supports a lot of our guys, and it makes them go out there and play."
**[PROJECTED LINEUP
Though some bounces haven't gone his way in the first half of the season, Hamilton's offensive threat from the blue line bolstered an already strong crew.
"He's a high-end player," Brind'Amour said. "He shoots the puck well. We've just got to keep getting more and more out of him because he's a great player."
Both players are making their return to Calgary for the first time since that summer trade, just as Lindholm and Hanifin are facing the team that drafted them for the first time.
There's also Ryan, who signed with the Flames in free agency after spending the first three years of his NHL career with the Canes, and Peters, who resigned his position as head coach after amassing a 137-138-53 record in four seasons.
Finishing Strong
The Hurricanes have two games remaining - a back-to-back set in Calgary and Vancouver - before an eight-day gap in their schedule.
The team got back in the win column with a 7-4 win in Edmonton on Sunday night. Four different players recorded three points, and Nino Niederreiter scored his first two goals as a member of the Canes.
"The start was what we talked about doing. It couldn't have gone better," Brind'Amour said after the game. "You've got to give the guys credit. 60-minute effort for the most part. The effort was high. We deserved that game."
The Opposition
The Flames are riding an eight-game point streak (7-0-1), and just like the Hurricanes, they're coming off a win in Edmonton, a 5-2 decision on Saturday night. With a 32-13-5 record and 69 points, the Flames sit atop the Western Conference. Playing alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, Lindholm is having a career season with 21 goals and 36 assists (57 points).
"There's no weaknesses in this group. I know Billy, and from coaching down to the players they have that we do know and the players we don't, they're a solid group all the way around," Brind'Amour said. "This will be a huge test for us tomorrow."
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS KEYS TO THE GAME**
