Flames gunning for victories on back-to-back nights against old pal Johnny Gaudreau
At risk of harkening back to last season too often, the Calgary Flames had a horrid time winning consecutive games en route to missing the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Flames have an opportunity to win two straight for the first time this season when they face the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets and their old friend Johnny Gaudreau on Friday.
Coming off Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, the Flames visit a city that has been a house of horrors since the Blue Jackets — and their infamous cannon — joined the league in 2000-01. Calgary has a horrid record in the Ohio capital: 14-17-2, including a 3-1 loss last season. That said, the Flames do own a 5-1-1 mark in their last seven trips to Columbus.
Speaking of Gaudreau, he has netted just two assists so far this season, both in his team’s win over the New York Rangers. Against Calgary last season, Gaudreau collected a pair of helpers in the two meetings. The Blue Jackets are coming off a dispiriting 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, and are finishing a four-game homestand.
Here is the Flames lineup from the Buffalo game:
Forwards:
Jonathan Huberdeau-Elias Lindholm-Andrew Mangiapane
Adam Ruzicka-Nazem Kadri-Dillon Dube
Blake Coleman-Mikael Backlund-Matt Coronato
AJ Greer-Yegor Sharangovich-Walker Duehr
Extra: Dryden Hunt
Defense:
Noah Hanifin-Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov-MacKenzie Weegar
Dennis Gilbert-Chris Tanev
Extra: Jordan Oesterle
Goal:
Jacob Markstrom is expected to start after Dan Vladar played last night in Buffalo. Markstrom has a career 4-1-0 record with one shutout, while boasting a 1.77 goals-against average and .944 save percentage, against the Blue Jackets.
Here is the expected lineup for Columbus:
Forwards:
Johnny Gaudreau-Boone Jenner-Kirill Marchenko
Adam Fantilli-Patrik Laine-Alexandre Texier
Kent Johnson-Cole Sillinger-Emil Bemstrom
Jack Roslovic-Sean Kuraly-Justin Danforth
Defense:
Zach Werenski-Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov-David Jiricek
Jake Bean-Erik Gudbranson
Goal:
Elvis Merzlikins
Spencer Martin
Merzlikins, who missed last game due to illness, has a career record of 1-2-0 with a 4.88 goals-against average and .894 save percentage against Calgary.
ICE CHIPS: Columbus D Zach Werenski is listed as a game-time decision after missing the last two games with a quadriceps injury suffered when former Flame Garnet Hathaway hit him in the thigh with an outstretched knee in the season opener … Blue Jackets D Jake Bean, the Calgary product and former Calgary Hitmen, was called the team’s “best defenseman so far” by coach Pascal Vincent … The Columbus coach has more concern with his top stars, Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine and their struggles. Laine, who has one goal and one assist, is adjusting to playing center and called his performance so far “awful”. Vincent told the Columbus Dispatch, “He’s really hard on himself, and that’s why he’s one of the best players in the league. … I don’t agree with his game being awful, not one second, because he’s doing a lot of good things.” Vincent added, “He's learning the craft of being a center. Let’s put it this way — he’s doing much better than I expected him to be so far, so we’ll see what happens.”