Flames make significant line changes ahead of tonight's game

Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska has decided to switch up his lines ahead of tonight’s game versus the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Flames have gotten off to an unbelievable start with a 5-0-1 record, but it was evident that they weren’t at their best on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a result, the line combinations up front have been switched up, while Kevin Rooney, who has been out of the lineup since suffering an upper-body injury in the season opener, will return.

#Flames tonight vs. Carolina:

Kuzmenko-Kadri-Pospisil
Zary-Backlund-Coleman
Huberdeau-Kirkland-Mantha
Lomberg-Rooney-Coronato
 
Bahl-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Bean-Pachal

Vladar

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) October 24, 2024

After beginning the season down the middle and centring Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Mantha, Martin Pospisil will play wing on the first line tonight. Taking over Pospisil’s role down the middle will be Justin Kirkland, who has rightfully earned the promotion thanks to his great play through five games.

As mentioned, Rooney will return tonight and be in his usual fourth-line centre position. Ryan Lomberg will continue to play left wing on the fourth line, while Matt Coronato, who had spent the last two games with Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko, will be on the right side.

To make room for Rooney, Adam Klapka will sit out. It marks the third time this season that the 6-foot-8 winger will be a healthy scratch.

“We’re bringing someone back into the lineup today,” Huska said. “For [Pospisil], we felt like we needed a bit more speed on that [top] line, so that’s really all it kind of came down to. This is going to be a faster game tonight, so we wanted to try and put ourselves in a position to try and be able to play the right way.”

The other change will be between the pipes, as expected starter Dan Vladar and tonight’s backup Dustin Wolf continue to alternate starts. Vladar is 2-0-1 on the season with a 2.63 goals against average (GAA) along with a .890 save percentage (SV%). He’s coming off a start versus the Seattle Kraken in which he stopped 21 of 23 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss.

The same six defencemen will patrol the back end, meaning Tyson Barrie and Joel Hanley will remain out. Barrie has suited up for two games this season, while Hanley has yet to dress.

Puck drop tonight is set for 7 pm MT.

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