CALGARY FLAMES (31-14-6) 1st Pacific VS. MINNESOTA WILD (31-16-3) 3rd Central
https://twitter.com/user/status/1498350966059388930
https://twitter.com/user/status/1498348028091977732
https://twitter.com/user/status/1497814369647927299
GAME NIGHT: Flames at Wild
WHY WATCH?
OLIVER’S OK
After a scary collision into the boards on Saturday night that saw him depart the game vs. Minnesota, Oliver Kylington was back skating on Monday. A good sign, considering the incident gave the Scotiabank Saddledome quite the scare as the Flames defenceman remained still on the ice for several seconds.
POINTS LEADERS
FLAMES
Johnny Gaudreau — 51 GP, 20 G, 45 A, 65 PTS, +40
Matthew Tkachuk — 51 GP, 26 G, 33 A, 59 PTS, +33
Elias Lindholm — 51 GP, 23 G, 28 A, 51 PTS, +39
WILD
Kirill Kaprizov — 49 GP, 24 G, 39 A, 63 PTS, +16
Mats Zuccraello — 43 GP, 17 G, 36 A, 53 PTS, +19
Kevin Fiala — 50 GP, 17 G, 27 A, 44 PTS, +7
SPECIAL TEAMS
WILD: PP — 20.0% (18th) PK — 78.7% (19th)
FLAMES: PP — 22.3% (11th) PK — 84.5% (3rd)
Minnesota has lost five of their past six games, a frustrating stretch for the group. Former Flames netminder Cam Talbot is expected to start for the Wild, which will be the first time he’s faced his former team or seen them, really, since skating with them during the 2020 post-season in the Edmonton bubble.
Wild tries to restore identity: 'We shouldn't be a very happy hockey club'
The Wild is scoring less, giving up more goals and its knack for rallying has gone dormant.
What these issues have in common is the most eye-catching problem of all: Since the team's three-game slump started, the Wild hasn't been tough to play against.
"It's not an X's and O's thing," center Ryan Hartman said. "It's not a lack of being able to score. I've talked to friends around the league and other guys around the league and sometimes after a game where we have a good game, they'll be like, 'That was exhausting.'
Wild mired in identity crisis as losses pile up: ‘That’s not who we are’
“Obviously we have a bad taste in our mouth,” Hartman said. “The guys were pretty pissed coming in today.”
Maybe the biggest concern for the Wild during the recent slump is that they are haven’t looked like themselves. The Wild came out of their 10-day road trip through Canada (with one stop at home) with five losses in six games. It was the team’s worst stretch this season since they lost five in a row from Dec. 11 to Jan. 1.
Odds
Flames Odds-105 Wild Odds -115 Over/Under6.5