Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – 8:30 EST
Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, Alberta
TV: Fox Sports Ohio; Radio: 97.1 FM
Opponent’s Blog: Matchsticks and Gasoline
Calgary Flames (34-26-7, 75 points, 3rd Pacific, 6th West)
vs.
Columbus Blue Jackets (32-21-14, 78 points, 5th Metro, 8th East)
In their last game before leaving town for this western Canada trip, the Jackets came from behind, scoring four goals in the third period to surpass the shocked Vancouver Canucks and winning 5-3.
It was certainly the boost of energy the Jackets needed, given their 2-4-4 record in the last ten games. But the Jackets will need to do a lot more than just give it their all in one period over the course of the next three games against some tough Canadian teams. Also, the Canucks will be out for blood in their rematch on Sunday night.
Player to Watch
Kevin Stenlund has been really stepping up to the plate lately, hitting 10 points as of the last game and making important plays happen while the rest of the team seemed to be stagnating. He scored the first in a total of five goals against Vancouver the other night – to say it was much-needed would be an understatement. With much of the focus of this season being on the noticeable on-ice absences due to injury, Stenlund has been among the few stalwarts immune to injury (knock on wood) and able to pull out big plays when they’re needed.
Jackets Notes
If you listened to our podcast from yesterday, you’ll have heard MrSwift13 ruin our lives with the real-time announcement that Josh Anderson’s season is officially over after a necessary shoulder surgery. Elvis Merzlikins was on the ice with the team in Calgary yesterday, his first time out since his game-ending injury last Monday. Ryan Murray also made an impactful appearance after a 34-game injured stint on Sunday, helping with two assists and contributing solid defense to a squad that’s sorely missing Seth Jones.
The Other Bench
The Flames are 5-4-1 in their last ten games, most of which have been on the road – they certainly possess the type of momentum necessary to steamroll a fragile Blue Jackets team, and they haven’t been dealing with the same level of injuries either. Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau are two of their most dangerous players on offense currently, each with 56 points.
Season Series
11/2/19 CGY 3 @ CBJ 0
3/4/2020 CBJ @ CGY
Stats
| Calgary | Columbus | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.91 (20) | GPG | 2.61 (27) |
| 3.06 (17) | GAPG | 2.61 (4) |
| 20.9% (14) | PP% | 16.9% (25) |
| 82.2% (8) | PK% | 81.1% (13) |
| 50.5% (15) | 5v5 Shot Attempt % | 49.0% (20) |
| 49.9% (17) | 5v5 Unblocked shot attempt % | 50.8% (13) |
| 7.6 (22) | 5v5 Shot % | 6.8 (29) |
| .919 (15) | 5v5 Save % | .928 (5) |
| Elias Lindholm, 28 | G Leader | Oliver Bjorkstrand, 21 |
| Johnny Gaudreau, 39 | A Leader | Pierre-Luc Dubois, 29 |
| Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, 56 | P Leader | Pierre-Luc Dubois, 47 |
| Matthew Tkachuk, 74 | PIM Leader | Nick Foligno, 62 |
| 14-12-4 | Home / Road | 12-9-10 |
| 5-4-1 | Last 10 | 2-4-2 |
Projected Lineups
| Gus Nyquist | Boone Jenner | Nick Foligno |
| Stefan Matteau | Alexander Wennberg | Riley Nash |
| Devin Shore | Pierre-Luc Dubois | Emil Bemstrom |
| Eric Robinson | Kevin Stenlund | Ryan MacInnis |
| Zach Werenski | David Savard |
| Ryan Murray | Markus Nutivaara |
| Vladislav Gavrikov | Andrew Peeke |
| Joonas Korpisalo |
| Matiss Kivlenieks |
| Johnny Gaudreau | Sean Monahan | Elias Lindholm |
| Andrew Mangiapane | Mikael Backlund | Matthew Tkachuk |
| Milan Lucic | Derek Ryan | Dillon Dube |
| Sam Bennett | Mark Jankowski | Tobias Rieder |
| Mark Giordano | T.J. Brodie |
| Noah Hanifin | Rasmus Andersson |
| Derek Forbort | Erik Gustafsson |
| Dave Rittich |
| Cam Talbot |