<p>The <strong>Calgary Flames (37-16-7, 81 points)</strong> continue their trek towards the trade deadline on Friday night, as they host the Buffalo Sabres <strong>(20-33-8, 48 points)</strong>. The Flames are playing in the first half of a back-to-back, while the Sabres are in the second half of their own after losing to Edmonton on Thursday night. Can the Flames cash in on a scheduled win? Or will the Sabres trip them up?</p>
<p>The puck drops just after 7 p.m. MT. Catch all the action on Sportsnet West or Sportsnet 960 The Fan!</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>The Flames</strong></h2>
<p>Projected lines <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/calgary-flames/line-combinations/">via Daily Faceoff</a>:</p>
<p>@Johnny Gaudreau &#8211; @Elias Lindholm &#8211; @Matthew Tkachuk<br />
@Blake Coleman &#8211; @Mikael Backlund &#8211; @Trevor Lewis<br />
@Andrew Mangiapane &#8211; @Calle Jarnkrok &#8211; @Tyler Toffoli<br />
@Milan Lucic &#8211; @Sean Monahan &#8211; @Dillon Dube</p>
<p>@Noah Hanifin &#8211; @Rasmus Andersson<br />
@Oliver Kylington &#8211; @Chris Tanev<br />
@Nikita Zadorov &#8211; @Erik Gudbranson</p>
<p>@Jacob Markstrom starts for the Flames, backed up by @Daniel Vladar (who presumably plays tomorrow against Vancouver). The extras for the locals are @Michael Stone, @Brett Ritchie and @Brad Richardson. Newcomer @Calle Jarnkrok debuts for the Flames, centering the third line and wearing #91 (and pushing Ritchie to the sidelines).</p>
<p>Since their return on Dec. 30 from the 19-day COVID Christmas break, the Flames have been very good. There&#8217;s no other way to frame it: this is a very good hockey club. In that span they&#8217;re fourth in the NHL in points percentage, second in time spent leading, the leader in least time trailing, and they&#8217;re very effective in all three zones. Oh, and they just got deeper with the addition of Jarnkrok. The Flames have high standards for how they play and they&#8217;ll want to be better than they were in a 6-3 win over New Jersey that probably shouldn&#8217;t have been that close.</p>
<h2><strong>The Sabres<br />
</strong></h2>
<p>Projected lines <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/line-combinations/">via Daily Faceoff</a>:</p>
<p>@Jeff Skinner &#8211; @Tage Thompson &#8211; @Alex Tuch<br />
@Peyton Krebs &#8211; @Dylan Cozens &#8211; @Vinnie Hinostroza<br />
@Rasmus Asplund &#8211; @Casey Mittelstadt &#8211; @Victor Olofsson<br />
@Zemgus Girgensons &#8211; @Cody Eakin &#8211; @Kyle Okposo</p>
<p>@Rasmus Dahlin &#8211; @Henri Jokiharju<br />
@Mattias Samuelsson &#8211; @Mark Pysyk<br />
@Jacob Bryson &#8211; @Colin Miller</p>
<p>Given that @Craig Anderson started in Edmonton, we&#8217;re expecting to see @Dustin Tokarski this evening. Buffalo&#8217;s scratches last night were @Robert Hagg, @John Hayden and @Anders Bjork. We&#8217;ll see how many changes they make, or if anybody is held out ahead of the trade deadline.</p>
<p>The Sabres have had a tough season, as the team hasn&#8217;t really clicked and they haven&#8217;t really ever gotten into second gear. They have a bunch of young pieces and seem poised to get better as everybody matures, but this just seems like a lost season for them. Beating the Maple Leafs in the Heritage Classic last week may be the high mark of their season.</p>
<h2><strong>The numbers</strong></h2>
<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Calgary</td>
<td>Buffalo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wins</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Points (%)</td>
<td>81 (.675)</td>
<td>48 (.393)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adjusted Corsi For</td>
<td>57.1%</td>
<td>46.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Expected Goals For</td>
<td>55.6%</td>
<td>44.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Power Play</td>
<td>23.4%</td>
<td>19.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Penalty Kill</td>
<td>85.4%</td>
<td>76.5%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2><strong>Unfit to play</strong></h2>
<p>The Flames are healthy.</p>
<p>The Sabres are without Will Butcher, Drake Caggiula, Malcolm Subban and Casey Fitzgerald.</p>
<h2><strong>When last we met</strong></h2>
<p>The Flames shut out Buffalo 5-0 back in November. Gaudreau and Mangiapane combined for 13 shots on goal and four goals.</p>
<h2><strong>Know thy enemy</strong></h2>
<p>Your recommended Twitter follows for tonight&#8217;s contest:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloVogl">John Vogl</a></li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/LLysowski">Lance Lysowski</a></li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/ByMHarrington">Mike Harrington</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ultimate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> Fan? Connect 24/7 with our FREE official keyboard! Get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CalgaryFlames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CalgaryFlames</a> team updates, exclusive deals &amp; much more. </p>
<p>Details -&gt; <a href="https://t.co/d3wLtENE96">https://t.co/d3wLtENE96</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ad</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mochafn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mochafn</a> <a href="https://t.co/EDkP9USRYu">pic.twitter.com/EDkP9USRYu</a></p>
<p>&mdash; FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlamesNation/status/1504886310183444481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" rel="follow" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>THIS ARTICLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DAILYFACEOFF</strong></a></h2>
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<p>Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal">Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.</a></p>
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flamesnation.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1643426444783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZoMy36-f05a90iD5z8D6E" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>More from FlamesNation</strong></a></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/12/flames-trade-deadline-cap-space/">How the Calgary Flames can maximize their trade deadline cap space</a></li>
<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/11/trevor-lewis-blake-coleman-roles/">Flames coach Darryl Sutter likes what Blake Coleman and Trevor Lewis bring to the team</a></li>
<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/11/next-men-up-which-flames-prospects-are-the-most-nhl-ready/">Next men up: the most NHL-ready Calgary Flames prospects</a></li>
</ul>

The <strong>Calgary Flames (37-16-7, 81 points)</strong> continue their trek towards the trade deadline on Friday night, as they host the Buffalo Sabres <strong>(20-33-8, 48 points)</strong>. The Flames are playing in the first half of a back-to-back, while the Sabres are in the second half of their own after losing to Edmonton on Thursday night. Can the Flames cash in on a scheduled win? Or will the Sabres trip them up?

The puck drops just after 7 p.m. MT. Catch all the action on Sportsnet West or Sportsnet 960 The Fan!


<h2><strong>The Flames</strong></h2>
Projected lines <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/calgary-flames/line-combinations/">via Daily Faceoff</a>:

@Johnny Gaudreau - @Elias Lindholm - @Matthew Tkachuk
@Blake Coleman - @Mikael Backlund - @Trevor Lewis
@Andrew Mangiapane - @Calle Jarnkrok - @Tyler Toffoli
@Milan Lucic - @Sean Monahan - @Dillon Dube

@Noah Hanifin - @Rasmus Andersson
@Oliver Kylington - @Chris Tanev
@Nikita Zadorov - @Erik Gudbranson

@Jacob Markstrom starts for the Flames, backed up by @Daniel Vladar (who presumably plays tomorrow against Vancouver). The extras for the locals are @Michael Stone, @Brett Ritchie and @Brad Richardson. Newcomer @Calle Jarnkrok debuts for the Flames, centering the third line and wearing #91 (and pushing Ritchie to the sidelines).

Since their return on Dec. 30 from the 19-day COVID Christmas break, the Flames have been very good. There's no other way to frame it: this is a very good hockey club. In that span they're fourth in the NHL in points percentage, second in time spent leading, the leader in least time trailing, and they're very effective in all three zones. Oh, and they just got deeper with the addition of Jarnkrok. The Flames have high standards for how they play and they'll want to be better than they were in a 6-3 win over New Jersey that probably shouldn't have been that close.
<h2><strong>The Sabres
</strong></h2>
Projected lines <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/buffalo-sabres/line-combinations/">via Daily Faceoff</a>:

@Jeff Skinner - @Tage Thompson - @Alex Tuch
@Peyton Krebs - @Dylan Cozens - @Vinnie Hinostroza
@Rasmus Asplund - @Casey Mittelstadt - @Victor Olofsson
@Zemgus Girgensons - @Cody Eakin - @Kyle Okposo

@Rasmus Dahlin - @Henri Jokiharju
@Mattias Samuelsson - @Mark Pysyk
@Jacob Bryson - @Colin Miller

Given that @Craig Anderson started in Edmonton, we're expecting to see @Dustin Tokarski this evening. Buffalo's scratches last night were @Robert Hagg, @John Hayden and @Anders Bjork. We'll see how many changes they make, or if anybody is held out ahead of the trade deadline.

The Sabres have had a tough season, as the team hasn't really clicked and they haven't really ever gotten into second gear. They have a bunch of young pieces and seem poised to get better as everybody matures, but this just seems like a lost season for them. Beating the Maple Leafs in the Heritage Classic last week may be the high mark of their season.
<h2><strong>The numbers</strong></h2>
<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Calgary</td>
<td>Buffalo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Wins</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Points (%)</td>
<td>81 (.675)</td>
<td>48 (.393)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adjusted Corsi For</td>
<td>57.1%</td>
<td>46.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Expected Goals For</td>
<td>55.6%</td>
<td>44.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Power Play</td>
<td>23.4%</td>
<td>19.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Penalty Kill</td>
<td>85.4%</td>
<td>76.5%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2><strong>Unfit to play</strong></h2>
The Flames are healthy.

The Sabres are without Will Butcher, Drake Caggiula, Malcolm Subban and Casey Fitzgerald.
<h2><strong>When last we met</strong></h2>
The Flames shut out Buffalo 5-0 back in November. Gaudreau and Mangiapane combined for 13 shots on goal and four goals.
<h2><strong>Know thy enemy</strong></h2>
Your recommended Twitter follows for tonight's contest:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloVogl">John Vogl</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://twitter.com/LLysowski">Lance Lysowski</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://twitter.com/ByMHarrington">Mike Harrington</a></li>
</ul>
https://twitter.com/FlamesNation/status/1504886310183444481
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Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal">Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.</a>

<hr />

<h2><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flamesnation.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1643426444783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZoMy36-f05a90iD5z8D6E" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>More from FlamesNation</strong></a></h2>
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/12/flames-trade-deadline-cap-space/">How the Calgary Flames can maximize their trade deadline cap space</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/11/trevor-lewis-blake-coleman-roles/">Flames coach Darryl Sutter likes what Blake Coleman and Trevor Lewis bring to the team</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/03/11/next-men-up-which-flames-prospects-are-the-most-nhl-ready/">Next men up: the most NHL-ready Calgary Flames prospects</a></li>
</ul>

Flames Game Day 61: A Friday night against Buffalo (7pm MT, SN West)

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