Struggling Flames look to be shuffling its forward lines
The Calgary Flames sit just four points back of the playoffs.
But they’ve also managed just two wins in the past eight games.
Cue the blender from coach Darryl Sutter, who’s in dire need of a spark for his group as they look to catch the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with just one month remaining in the regular season.
The Flames, who “shit the bed” in a 3-1 loss to the lowly Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, are 2-4-2 over the past eight twirls and trail the Jets by four points with one more game played.
Calgary would be closer if they took advantage of their schedule — they’re just 13-12-5 against non-playoff teams this season. They’ve also lost an NHL-record 19 games when outshooting their opponents by 10 or more this season, according to Sportsnet.
Flames suffer their 19th loss this season when outshooting their opponents by 10 or more, setting an NHL record pic.twitter.com/966vDF6FyS
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 11, 2023
So, with 16 skates remaining, the Flames will once again blend ’em up.
Here’s a look at the configurations, according to Sportsnet 960’s Derek Wills:
- Jakob Pelletier — Elias Lindholm — Tyler Toffoli
- Jonathan Huberdeau — Nazem Kadri — Dillon Dube
- Andrew Mangiapane — Mikael Backlund — Blake Coleman/Trevor Lewis
- Milan Lucic — Adam Ruzicka — Walker Duehr/Nick Ritchie
#Flames colour-coded groups at practice:
Pelletier-Lindholm-Toffoli
Huberdeau-Kadri-Dube
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman/Lewis
Lucic-Ruzicka-Duehr/Ritchie pic.twitter.com/RGLps9F5wu— Derek Wills (@Fan960Wills) March 11, 2023
Though the top line of Elias Lindholm between Jakob Pelletier and Tyler Toffoli remains intact, the Nick Ritchie experiment on the left side of Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau appears to be extinguished. Ritchie, who was acquired in the NHL’s first brother-for-brother swap with the Arizona Coyotes at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline a week ago, might be dropped out of the lineup altogether.
Ritchie, who scored on his second ever shift for Calgary but has produced little outside of some ill-timed penalties, skated on the fourth line centred by Adam Ruzicka and accompanied by Milan Lucic, but he did swap through the rotation with Walker Duehr.
Duehr, whom general manager Brad Treliving created a roster spot for by moving Brett Richie to the Arizona Coyotes, has been a scratch in three straight. Ruzicka, who looks as though he could draw back into the rotation, has sat nine in a row — last dressing on February 20.
Taking Ritchie’s place on the second line with Huberdeau and Kadri was Dillon Dube, who briefly served as pivot on the fourth line with Lucic and Trevor Lewis. Dube moves to the right, ending Huberdeau’s 10-week experiment as a right-winger.
No word on if the Flames will use the alignment against the visiting Ottawa Senators on Sunday — that determination will come at morning skate or closer to puck drop — but Calgary’s running out of time to find the winning combinations.
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