‘We’re hitting that right stride now’: Flames host Red Wings

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — David Rittich makes his seventh start of the season as the Calgary Flames welcome the Detroit Red Wings, closing out a two-game homestand.

#Flames tonight vs. Detroit:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Ryan-Mangiapane
Lucic-Jankowski-Czarnik

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson

Rittich

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) October 17, 2019

Mikael Backlund will slot in his usual spot on the second line. The centre’s status for Thursday’s game was up in the air after he blocked a shot in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Flyers, and he missed practice the following day.

“My first reaction was it was worse than it is,” he admitted.

“He’ll be in the lineup today,” head coach Bill Peters said. “[We] dodged a bullet there. Fortunate.”

While it’s still early in the 2019-2020 campaign, the Flames have yet to put together back-to-back wins.

“We’re starting to play to our identity now, a fast game,” Noah Hanifin explained. “We’re transitioning the puck quick. We’re not giving up too many chances five on five, which is the way we want to play. It’s the way we played last year, and we had success. We’re hitting that right stride now.”

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This marks the first of two meetings between the Flames and Red Wings. Calgary won both last season, outscoring Detroit 11-to-7.

Puck drops at 7:00 p.m. on Sportsnet 960 The Fan and Sportsnet 360.