The Calgary Flames face the Pittsburgh Penguins with both teams off to strong starts to the season. The Flames have a 9-7-2 record and with back-to-back wins, have leaped into the middle of the Pacific Division. The Penguins have a 9-7-3 record and with three wins in a row have made up ground in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams are looking to continue their hot streaks and improve in their divisions, making the upcoming game crucial for both teams.
The Flames are having a strong season with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.17 goals per game including 10 goals in the last two games. Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, and Tyler Toffoli have scored 20 goals and 24 assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense has also been great. Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, and Jonathan Huberdeau have combined for 11 goals and 16 assists while defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin have added three goals and 18 assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense has been great but the defense has struggled, allowing 3.33 goals per game. Nikita Zadorov and MacKenzie Weegar have combined for 2.5 defensive points shares and 44 blocked shots but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to carry the puck into the offensive zone and easily find open shots on the net. In addition, goaltender Jacob Markstrom has strugg led in the net with a .889 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average on 397 shots.