After many, many weeks of games that don’t count in the standings, the Calgary Flames will play their final friendly of the 2024-25 pre-season on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets.
With maybe one or two exceptions, the Flames will be dressing their season-opening lineup. The Jets will be doing similar. This will be the closest thing we’ll see to a bonafide National Hockey League game until Wednesday night, when the Flames’ results start counting in the standings.
This game begins just after 7 p.m. MT and broadcast on the Flames’ site and has a radio call from Sportsnet 960 The Fan!
The Flames
Projected lines for this evening, via Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg:
Sharangovich-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Huberdeau-Pospisil-Mantha
Zary-Backlund-Honzek
Lomberg-Rooney-Klapka
Huberdeau-Pospisil-Mantha
Zary-Backlund-Honzek
Lomberg-Rooney-Klapka
Weegar-Miromanov
Bahl-Andersson
Bean-Pachal
Bahl-Andersson
Bean-Pachal
Dan Vladar starts in net, backed up by Dustin Wolf.
The most prominent regular not dressing in this one is Blake Coleman – who’s fine, head coach Ryan Huska noted he’s just trying to get other players looks this evening. Aside from that, it appears everyone is accounted for. We’ll see how line and pairing chemistry look in this final tune-up.
Conspicuous by his absence is Jakob Pelletier. Asked about this after morning skate, Huska noted: “He’s had a lot of opportunities in exhibition. Now it’s an opportunity for us to see someone else in a game against an NHL lineup, which we felt was important.”
The Jets
Via the Jets, projected lines:
Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi
Perfetti – Namestnikov – Ehlers
Niederreiter – Lowry – Appleton
Barron – Kupari – Iafallo
Perfetti – Namestnikov – Ehlers
Niederreiter – Lowry – Appleton
Barron – Kupari – Iafallo
Morrissey – DeMelo
Samberg – Pionk
Fleury – Miller
Samberg – Pionk
Fleury – Miller
Connor Hellebuyck starts in net, with Eric Comrie backing up.