Preview: Flames Start Homestand With A Visit From Matthew Tkachuk

Calgary Flames vs Florida Panthers, 7 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

Calgary Flames 9-9-3 (21 pts) – Florida Panthers 10-8-4 ( 24 pts)

TV: SNW, SN1 – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Odds: Calgary (+107) Florida (-131) O/U: 6.5

Matthew Tkachuk makes his return to Calgary tonight as the Florida Panthers play game two of a five game road trip. These two teams battled 10 days ago with the Flames coming away with a 5-4 win in a shootout. That game was the homecoming for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar and it went very well as the crowd was appreciative of the two returning to the swamp. Will the same happen for Matthew Tkachuk? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, we can only hope.

As for the game, neither team is really coming into this hot that’s for sure. The Flames are 2-2-1 in their last five, having lost three straight after cobbing together a small two game winning streak. Nothing has come easy for this group as of late and here’s to hoping five straight at home will help heal some wounds.

As for the Panthers they are coming to the Saddledome hot on the trails of a back breaking 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Monday night. Florida had the lead until the 19:55 mark of the third period when Evan Bouchard would find the back of the net to tie it and after Matthew Tkachuk fell in OT leading to a breakout, Leon Draisaitl would finish it off handing Florida a 4-3 loss. As is the case with the Flames, the Panthers aren’t setting the world on fire either. The Swamp Cats have only won twice in their last eight skates, with three of those L’s coming in either a shootout or overtime.

The Flames could really use a solid start to this homestand as their home record is only 6-4-1 and they need to build some momentum. Calgary is in a rut of small winning streak, followed by a slightly larger losing streak. The chemistry within this team is off right now and something needs to shift to get this team going. A solid start from Jacob Markstrom wouldn’t be a bad thing either as he’s been average at best after a Vezina Trophy type season in 2021-22.

Puck drop is at 7 PM from the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Starting Goalies

Calgary: Markstron (E): 8-5-2, 3.03 GAA, .889 Sv%

Florida: Bobrovsky (C): 4-5-1, 3.62 GAA, .888 Sv%

Injury Report

Calgary: Kylington (IR/Personal)

Florida: Barkarov (Out/Illness), Duclair (IT-LT/Achillies)

Game Social

@NHLFlames, #Flames, @FlaPanthers, #TimeToHunt, @matchsticksCGY, @LitterBoxCats, #CGYvsFLA

View From The Other Bench

SBN Florida Panthers Coverage: Litter Box Cats

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 2 – Carolina Hurricanes 3

Florida Panthers 3 – Edmonton Oilers 4 (OT)

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

Adam Ruzicka (F): 4 points in last 5 games

Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk (F): 7 points in last 5 games

by Mark Parkinson