Calgary Flames Game Day 28: A Saturday night clash with the Maple Leafs (5pm MT, CBC/SNW/960)

Just 24 hours after a fairly disappointing effort against Columbus, the Calgary Flames (13-11-3, 29 points) look for a bounce-back effort. But they face a tough test in the form of the Toronto Maple Leafs (17-5-6, 40 points), who are rolling along quite nicely lately.

The broadcast begins at 5 p.m. MT on CBC, Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan! (APTN is also carrying the game in Cree, while Omni has their traditional Punjabi broadcast as well.)

Projected lines courtesy Daily Faceoff:

Huberdeau – Lindholm – Toffoli
Dube – Kadri – Mangiapane
Ruzicka – Backlund – Phillips
Coleman – Zohorna – Lewis

Hanifin – Andersson
Weegar – Tanev
Zadorov – Stone

There’s no morning skate, but we’re presuming Dan Vladar starts after backing up Jacob Markstrom on Friday night. Friday’s extras were Connor Mackey, Matthew Phillips and Brett Ritchie, so we’ll see who rotates back in. Update via our colleagues at the rink: Milan Lucic, Brett Ritchie and Connor Mackey are the extras; Vladar starts.

So, uh, the Flames weren’t very good on Friday night, especially their blueline group. There were a lot of bad reads, bad pinches, bad turnovers, and overall it was a bad night for that group. MacKenzie Weegara was critical of his own effort (describing it was “s***ty”) and he characterized a turnover on the eventual game-winning goal as a “f***ing pizza”).

Everybody in red will need to be at their best given the quality of opposition they’ll be facing.

Projected lines courtesy Daily Faceoff:

Matt Murray is the projected starter, backed up by Ilya Samsonov. Their projected healthy extra is Mac Hollowell. Pierre Engvall is serving a one-game suspension in this game.

The Leafs have won back to back games. They’ve gotten points in 13 consecutive games (going 10-0-3) and haven’t lost in regulation since Nov. 11. They have yet to have consecutive regulation losses. They’re a good hockey team.

Keep an eye on Mitch Marner, who has points in many, many consecutive games. (21 games, actually, during which he’s rattled off 28 points.)

The Flames are without Oliver Kylington.

The Maple Leafs are without Victor Mete, Jake Muzzin, Calle Jarnkrok, Jordie Benn, Morgan Rielly, Nick Robertson and Pierre Engvall.

This is the first of two games between these clubs this season. The Flames won and lost (in overtime) in a pair of games against the Leafs in 2021-22, capturing three of a possible four points.

Here are your recommended follows from Maple Leafs Twitter: