The Calgary Flames have been without Connor Zary for two games, as the forward served a suspension.

The Flames have lost both of the games they played without Zary – a 4-2 home setback to Colorado and a 6-2 decision against Toronto.

So it goes without saying – but we’ll say it anyway – the Flames are pretty excited to have Zary back in their lineup on Tuesday night when they visit the New York Rangers in their second game in as many nights. And Zary’s excited to be back in action.

“I’m really excited to get back in the lineup,” said Zary on Tuesday afternoon. “Obviously, you make a mistake and you sit out for a little bit and you kind of learn from that. And obviously now just getting the opportunity to come back in is really exciting and just go out and do my thing.”

Citing Zary’s skills and versatility, head coach Ryan Huska noted that Zary will be used in a lot of different spots for the Flames.

“Connor, yeah, he should be our most fresh guy,” said Huska. “Puck possession and a different skill set that he brings to the table for us. So he’ll help our power play units for sure. And I think it’s important to have him in the lineup for his possession ability, as I mentioned, because he can bring and attract people to him, which opens other people on the ice around him.”

The Flames were without Zary due to a two game suspension he was levied for an elbow to Vancouver defenceman Elias Pettersson following a big hit by Pettersson on Zary’s teammate, Nazem Kadri.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to own it,” said Zary. “I went in there, I made a mistake. I obviously have no intention of wanting to go out there and hurt someone. That’s definitely not my game. And like I said, I made a mistake. I had to live with it. I own up to it. I kind of move on from there and make sure I’m not doing something like that again to take myself out of the lineup.”

In 49 games with the Flames this season, Zary has 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points, playing a mixture of centre and the wing. The 23-year-old was the Flames first-round pick, 24th overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft.

The Flames are looking to bounce back from a game that got away from them in Toronto, featuring three power play goals against in the second period in a game they lost by four goals. Huska was expecting a bounce-back game from his team against the Rangers.

“Well, I expect a great game, I really do,” said Huska. “And it is always about the response. So you lose a game by four goals. It’s what matters now is the response, not what took place yesterday. You learn, you move on fairly quickly. We had a good meeting this morning. You get ready to go for your next opponent in a game that at this time of the year, as I mentioned earlier, is so very important.”

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