If the Flames can earn a victory Saturday over the Vegas Golden Knights, they’ll be just three points out of the playoff picture
If the Flames can earn a victory Saturday over the Vegas Golden Knights, they’ll be just three points out of the playoff picture
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Vegas Golden Knights (45-22-8) at Calgary Flames (36-27-12)
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When: Saturday, 8 p.m., Saddledome
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TV: CBC/Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan
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Odds: Flames +138, Golden Knights -166
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The buzz
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With his next snipe, Nazem Kadri will equal a career-high.
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And based on his most recent performance, the Saddledome fans will want to be their seats for Saturday’s opening faceoff.
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During Thursday’s victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Kadri scored just 16 seconds after the puck dropped, boosting his season total to 31 goals. He leads the Flames in that category.
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Noon News Roundup
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“He’s just being playing on another level for … well, really all year, but especially the last month or so,” said Flames teammate Blake Coleman. “He’s really put the team on his back. The net must look like a soccer net to him right now, because everything is going in.”
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It sure seems that way.
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Dating back to the start of March, Kadri has tallied 11 goals during a 17-game span. His recent roll puts him in prime position to post the highest goal total of his career and while a playoff invite is first and foremost on his wish-list, that sort of personal accomplishment would also hold significance for the 34-year-old centre. Besides, every lamp-lighting helps with the playoff push too, and more on that in a moment.
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During Kadri’s time in Toronto, he buried 32 in the 2016-17 campaign and then duplicated that feat the following winter.
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“I try to do it year in and year out, and it can be extremely difficult to have that consistency in the league,” Kadri said. “Fortunate enough, I’ve been able to kind of be around that marker a few times. I think, just as a competitive guy and as an athlete, you always want to get that career-high. You always like those two words combined, so you’re always chasing it.”
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The quote
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“I think everybody in this town wants to see playoff hockey. We just have to bear down here in the end. We probably have to go on a little bit of a run to make it happen.”
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— Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson
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Three need-to-knows
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• The New York Islanders did the Flames a huge favour on Friday night, handing the Minnesota Wild a 3-1 loss. The Flames still remain five points back of the Wild for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference but, with two games in hand and an upcoming head-to-head, they once again have some control over their own fate. The Wild are idle until Sunday. With a win over visiting Vegas, the Calgary-based crew could whittle the deficit to three points.