GAME DAY: Flames need a little help, please

Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-9) at Calgary Flames (39-27-14) When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. MT, Saddledome TV: Sportsnet West.

Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan Odds: Flames -111, Golden Knights -108 The buzz Help wanted. Help required, actually. The last time folks in Calgary were feeling this invested in a Utah-based hockey club was back in the early-90s, when the Flames still had an affiliation agreement with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles.



The last time fans around here were rooting this hard for the Ducks was back in the Disney days of Gordon Bombay as head coach and Charlie Conway as penalty-shot hero. Playing host to the Pacific Division pennant-winners, the Flames must put an end Tuesday to their losing skid against the Vegas Golden Knights. Otherwise, it will mark the end of their season.

But even if they can finally get the better of the Golden Knights, they will need some assistance on the out-of-town scoreboard. If both the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild win in regulation, the Flames will be eliminated from contention for a wild-card spot.

The Wild are at home to the Anaheim Ducks for their regular-season finale, while the Blues will welcome Utah Hockey Club for their wrap party. Both of those games both start at 6 p.m.

MT, so the Flames’ playoff fate could be sealed by the second intermission at the Saddledome. (If the Blues win in sudden-death or a shootout, it could potentially shift the tiebreaker in Calgary’s favour.) The locals are on a six-game point streak, with a 4-0-2 record over that span.

That includes a 3-2 overtime loss to the Golden Knights in an April 5 clash in Calgary. The quote “I don’t know the mentality that they’re going to go into it with, but our mentality is going to be that we’re fighting for our lives, so they’d better be ready to go because it’s going to be a good game.” — Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar, setting up Tuesday’s tilt with the Golden Knights Three need-to-knows • The Golden Knights clinched top spot in the Pacific Division with Saturday’s 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators.

With nothing left to play for, could that mean some of their marquee men will skip this trip? Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo have already been absent for the past three games due to injury/illness, while Flames fans would not be disappointed if they find out Tuesday that guys like Mark Stone and Shea Theodore have stayed home to rest up. It’s a two-game getaway for the Golden Knights, who face the Oilers on Wednesday in Edmonton. • The Golden Knights are looking to sweep a lopsided season series.

They have won three in a row against the Flames in 2024-25, two of those in regulation and one in overtime. The total combined score is 11-2. Theodore has racked up five assists against the crew from Calgary, while three different goalies — Adin Hill, Ilya Samsonov and Akira Schmid — have earned victories.

• How do you cure a case of snakebite? With salmon and risotto, apparently. Teammates revealed that Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich recently switched up his pre-game meal, and his new recipe for success has resulted in four goals during a three-game spree. Sharangovich sniped Sunday’s game-winner against the Sharks, which doubled as his 100th career notch in the NHL spotlight.

Flames’ projected lineup Forwards Huberdeau-Kadri-Klapka Coleman-Backlund-Coronato Sharangovich-Frost-Pospisil Lomberg-Rooney-Farabee Defence Hanley-Weegar Bahl-Andersson Bean-Pachal Goalies Wolf Vladar Flames’ injuries Connor Zary has missed nine in a row due to a lower-body injury. Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha are both out for the season..