The Calgary Flames welcome a familiar face to the Saddledome as Matthew Tkachuk leads the reigning Stanley Cup champions, Florida Panthers, to town for a Saturday main event.
The Calgary Flames did not begin their five-game homestand on the right foot, dropping an ugly 8-3 contest to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. However, it was the kind of game that is easily forgettable.
The Flames are back on Hockey Night in Canada with a marquee matchup against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, led by former Calgary star Matthew Tkachuk.
The Panthers come into the night tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, while Calgary sits in fifth place in the Pacific Division.
Dustin Wolf is slated to start for Calgary and will look to improve upon his 7-1-0 record at the Saddledome this season. He last played on Monday against the Dallas Stars, suffering a 6-2 loss.
Wolf's overall statistics include an 8-5-1 record with a 2.84 GAA, .909 SV%, and one shutout.
Meanwhile, Spencer Knight will start over Sergei Bobrovsky for the visiting Panthers. The 23-year-old is 5-4-1 with a 2.84 GAA and .890 SV%. He last played on Dec. 5, a 7-5 win over the Flyers.
Calgary's leading scorer remains Jonathan Huberdeau, who has 11 goals and 21 points in 30 games. Florida's top scorer is Sam Reinhart, who has 19 goals and 39 points after 30 games.
Per the Flames staff at NHL.com, here's a breakdown of tonight's lineup. (Subject to change)
FORWARDS
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Nazem Kadri -- Martin Pospisil
Yegor Sharangovich -- Connor Zary -- Jakob Pelletier
Blake Coleman -- Mikael Backlund -- Matt Coronato
Ryan Lomberg -- Kevin Rooney -- Walker Duehr
DEFENCE
Kevin Bahl -- Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley -- MacKenzie Weegar
Jake Bean -- Brayden Pachal
GOALTENDER
Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley
Tonight is the first of two meetings between the two clubs, with the second scheduled for Mar. 1, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena.
Saturday's Flames vs. Panthers game will be available on Sportsnet West, Sportsnet One, CityTV, and Sportsnet+. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT.
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