Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings, 5:30 PM MT, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit MI

Calgary Flames (0-1-1, 1 pts) - Detroit Red Wings (2-1-0, 4 pts)

TV: SNE, SNO, SNW - Radio: Sportsnet 960

Odds: Calgary Flames (-115) - Detroit Red Wings (-105), O/U: 5.5

Break out the passports, get the luggage ready and buy some post cards to send home because the Calgary Flames are heading south of the border to the United States! What was once such a common occurrence is now looked at as a treat as the Flames played all of 2021 in Canada within the first ever, all Canadian North Division. The last time Calgary was in Detroit for a game was on February 23rd of 2020, when they defeated the Red Wings 4-2. The last time the Flames were in the states for a game was on August (remember that weird, late summer Covid-19 Stanley Cup Playoffs?) 13th of 2020 where they fell to the Dallas Stars 5-4 in the playoffs. If you’re counting at home that’s 434 days since the Flames set foot on American soil for a game.

Now with all that out of the way, Calgary has a game to play against what is usually easy pickings with the Red Wings, but that’s not been the case so far this season. Detroit has won two out of their first three games so far and if not for an epic collapse against the SC Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, they’d be undefeated and atop the Atlantic Division. Yes, you read that correctly. The Wings have been finding the back of the net with regularity, sitting third in the league in GF with 13 on the young season. Tyler Bertuzzi has been leading the charge for the Wings with five of those 13 goals, good for the top spot with LA’s Anze Kopitar and his six points overall puts him in a tie for third overall in the league in points so far. Yes, it’s early, but the Detroit fans have been looking for something like this for a while and it’s surely something they’ll be drinking in for as long as it goes.

The Flames meanwhile seem to be just motoring along in the same old travel lane: good enough to be semi-entertaining, but bad enough to not hold a lead or play a full 60 minutes and win. Calgary’s goaltending has been fine so far to start, so don’t let the numbers fool you. Jacob Markstrom has allowed one bad goal in the seven that have slipped past him, so he isn’t the issue. Calgary’s PK has been abysmal so far this season, killing penalties at a rate of 50%, which is the second to worst PK% in the league. Calgary also has been putting a TON of pucks on net, but rarely making opposing goaltenders work hard. Calgary has hit the net 90 times this season, but only found the back of the net four times. That’s not good and it has to be better.

Where these two teams are not hot so far this season is on special teams and you can see those numbers below. Both PP and PK units aren’t exactly setting the world on fire and maybe a little bit of each other will help cure what ails each squad. All the Flames need to know is that Detroit won’t be a cake walk anymore as they’ve been playing solid hockey so far this season.

Puck drop is at 5:30 PM MT from Little Caesars Arena this evening.

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Detroit Red Wings SBN Coverage: Winging It In Motown

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 2 - Anaheim Ducks 3

Detroit Red Wings 4 - Columbus Blue Jackets 1

Players To Watch

Andrew Mangiapane (F): 1 goal, 10 SOG in first two games

Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

Tyler Bertuzzi (F): 5 goals, 1 assist in first three games

Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images