National Hockey League
Preview
Philadelphia at Calgary
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 31, 2023
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta

Facing a tipping point to their season, the struggling Calgary Flames are shuffling the decks as they prepare to play host to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday in a New Year's Eve clash.

In an attempt to ignite a couple of key struggling forwards, it appears Jonathan Huberdeau will line up alongside Elias Lindholm and Yegor Sharangovich, switching spots with Andrew Mangiapane.

Huberdeau, Calgary's highest-paid player, has not scored a goal in 17 straight games and been held without a point in 12 consecutive games. Mangiapane, who would play on a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, has scored one goal in his past 17 games.

Mangiapane and Huberdeau are in prolonged slumps, and this is the latest attempt to find something that elevates Huberdeau's offensive skills toward his 115-point season in 2021-22 with the Florida Panthers.

"Hopefully we can get something going together, get on the same page," Huberdeau said. "These guys have been playing well, too, I think I can go in there and add a little offense."

The Flames are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday and have only three wins in their last nine games (3-4-2).

Because of the struggles, their playoff chances have taken a big hit. Huberdeau (who has four goals and 15 points in 35 games) and Mangiapane (a 35-goal scorer two seasons ago) getting on track would be a boon to Calgary's chances.

"I feel comfortable there," Mangiapane said of skating with Backlund and Coleman. "Obviously two smart players, so I'm happy to be back on that line and just kind of find my game again."

The Flyers arrive in Calgary also following a 2-1 loss to the Kraken. Philadelphia surrendered a 1-0 third-period lead and dropped an overtime clash in Seattle on Friday. It followed a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks the night before to kick off a four-game western road trip.

"In overtime, they get the bounce, but overall, it was a good effort," said Travis Konecny, who scored Philadelphia's lone goal Friday. "We'll take the point. It's a tough way to come in -- back to back after the (holiday) break -- so we'll take it and move on."

The Flyers, who have missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons, are right in the heart of an incredible battle for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, but their hold has become a bit more tenuous with only one win in their last four outings.

They are choosing to see things the other way; the overtime loss gives the Flyers points in 12 of 13 games (8-1-4), likely why coach John Tortorella was not about to lament the blown lead.

"It's just grind away and find a way to get a point," said Tortorella, who became the first U.S.-born coach to reach 1,500 games. "You always want the other one, but I have no complaints about the effort."

One battle to watch when the puck drops between the Flames and Flyers is the special teams. Both clubs are near the bottom of the league on the power play, yet near the top in penalty killing.

Moreover, both teams are tied with the St. Louis Blues atop the league with nine short-handed goals.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Day Night Div
Philadelphia 18-11-3-1 L2 8-7-1-0 10-4-2-1 2-3-0-0 16-8-3-1 8-4-1-0
Calgary 14-15-1-4 L1 8-6-0-1 6-9-1-3 0-3-0-1 14-12-1-3 5-3-1-0
Last Meeting
Philadelphia Calgary
Date Away Home Shots Saves PP Shots Saves PP
2/20/23 PHI 4 CAL 3 22 32 0-2 35 18 0-4
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Total Points Player  
Philadelphia T. DeAngelo 2
Calgary M. Backlund 2
Goals Player  
Philadelphia W. Allison 1
Calgary M. Backlund 1
Assists Player  
Philadelphia S. Laughton 2
Calgary N. Hanifin 2
Saves Player  
Philadelphia S. Ersson 32
Calgary J. Markstrom 18
Season
Total Points Player  
Philadelphia T. Konecny 30
Calgary N. Kadri 29
Goals Player  
Philadelphia T. Konecny 18
Calgary B. Coleman 12
Assists Player  
Philadelphia T. Sanheim 21
Calgary N. Kadri 19
Saves Player  
Philadelphia C. Hart 505
Calgary J. Markstrom 562
Quickchart Matchup
Philadelphia Off vs  Calgary Def
2.97 GF
3.26 GA
32.9 Shots
29.8 Shots
11 PP
18 PK
Calgary Off vs  Philadelphia Def
3 GF
2.76 GA
31.6 Shots
28.6 Shots
13 PP
15 PK