Against all odds, the Calgary Flames remain in the hunt for a playoff spot with less than month remaining in the regular season. They’ve played some great hockey as of late and are currently riding a three-game winning streak, though it hasn’t helped them gain any ground on the St. Louis Blues, who are red hot as of late having won six in a row.
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Nonetheless, the Flames are very much still alive, trailing the Blues by four points while holding three games in hand. They are going to need to continue their solid play as of late, starting tomorrow night in a home matchup at the Scotiabank Saddledome versus the Seattle Kraken. In order to pick up a win tomorrow along with several down the stretch, these players, not including rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, are going to need to be at their best.
Jonathan Huberdeau
Jonathan Huberdeau’s revival has been both a pleasant and unexpected surprise in Calgary this season. While he may never return to the 115-point player he was in 2022-23 with the Florida Panthers, he’s gotten his game back to a level few, if any, expected he would as a member of the Flames.
Huberdeau has a team-leading 27 goals and 55 points on the season, and has been particularly good as of late with nine points over his last six outings. It seems as though he’s ramping things up at the right time, and the Flames are going to need him to continue his recent stretch over their remaining 13 games if they hope to squeak into the playoffs.
Nazem Kadri
After a rather slow start to the season, Nazem Kadri has picked things up in recent months and has been the driver the Flames need him to be. Though his defensive play has been questionable at times this season, he’s gotten his offensive game back with 26 goals and 52 points, both of which rank second amongst his teammates.
Kadri is no stranger to high-stakes games, having played a crucial role on the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche in 2022. His experience and leadership playing these big games will be huge not only for his own production but for his teammates as well, as he can provide plenty of wisdom and help everyone avoid the highs and lows that can come in games with this much pressure.
MacKenzie Weegar
He won’t hit the 20-goal mark as he did a season ago, but MacKenzie Weegar has continued to excel on the Flames’ back end this season. The 31-year-old does it all for this team, logging huge minutes while shutting down other teams’ top stars and providing plenty of offence.
The concern surrounding Weegar is that he was forced to miss Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury. The hope is that he’s good to go on Tuesday, though the fact he missed a game at such a crucial point in the season suggests he’ll be playing at less than 100 per cent. The Flames will need him to dig deep and continue logging big minutes in order to stay in the running.
Rasmus Andersson
It hasn’t been the best of seasons for Rasmus Andersson, who has failed to provide nearly as much offence as was expected of him heading into the 2024-25 campaign. That said, the veteran 28-year-old has seemingly rediscovered that touch as of late, having recorded six points over his last six outings.
Andersson is a heart-and-soul type of player for this Flames group, and one that they rely on heavily in order to have success. When at his best, he’s a legitimate number-two defenceman in the NHL, though that has been absent at times this season. They are going to need him to be consistently excellent down the stretch.
Blake Coleman
After breaking out with a career-high 30 goals last season, Blake Coleman has been pretty quiet in 2024-25. Granted, few expected he would get back to the 30-goal mark given that his first time doing so came at the age of 32, though everyone thought he’d have more than just 13 goals and 32 points through 69 games.
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Coleman has been a rather streaky player throughout his NHL career, but has yet to go on any sort of real hot streak this season. The Flames need him to start one up right away, and if he does, they have a great chance of getting back into the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Connor Zary
Before going down with a knee injury in January, Connor Zary was third on this team in scoring. It’s a good reminder of how impressive the second-year NHL forward is when at his best. His best hasn’t been on display whatsoever since returning from injury, as he’s managed just four points in 12 games. That said, he’s showing signs of turning things around as of late.
Over his last three outings since returning from a two-game suspension, Zary has scored a goal and added an assist. It’s not otherwordly production by any stretch, but suggests he may be heating up at the perfect time. That’s great news for the Flames, as at his best he is one of this team’s best offensive weapons.
Wins Are Crucial
While this race for the final Western Division wild-card spot was once moving at a snail’s pace, that is no longer. As mentioned, the Blues have cranked things up with six-straight wins, giving the Flames, as well as the Vancouver Canucks and Utah Hockey Club, very little margin for error. That makes beating lower-placed teams in the standings of utmost importance. The Flames will need to do everything they can to pick up two points tomorrow night against the Kraken.
