Flames at Golden Knights
Calgary's David Rittich has embraced his new role as a No. 1 goaltender and tries to continue his solid start to the season when the Flames visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Rittich made 34 saves, including one on a penalty shot in overtime, in Calgary's 3-2 shootout victory at Dallas on Tuesday, and has a big fan in Flames captain and reigning Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano.
“It’s the biggest confidence boost you can get, I think, as a team,” Giordano told reporters about Rittich, who is 2-1-1 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. “He’s been dialed in right from camp. Man, he’s been really good this year, carried over from last year. Just a calm goalie, talks a lot. He’s really having a great start for us. ..." After sweeping a home-and-home series with San Jose by a combined 9-2 to start the season, Vegas has dropped two straight following Thursday's 4-1 loss at Arizona. "It's just a bad game. No reasons and no excuses,'' Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault told reporters. "We're a good team, and we'll never find excuses, only a solution from here." Calgary and Vegas split four meetings last season with the home team winning the last seven encounters - all in regulation.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, CITY (Calgary), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Vegas)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (2-1-1): The top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm is off to a fast start with a combined six goals - two apiece - and 12 points. Andrew Mangiapane hasn't hit the scoresheet yet but is a team-best plus-4 while skating on a line with Matthew Tkachuk (two goals) and Mikael Backlund. Milan Lucic hasn't record a point and is a minus-2 with an NHL-most 26 penalty minutes in his first four games with the club.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (2-2-0): Reilly Smith is off to a fast start with a club-most three goals after recording 19 last season and a career-high 25 with Florida in 2015-16. Mark Stone has begun his first full campaign with the team by recording two goals and a club-high six points. Marc-Andre Fleury, who is 2-1-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .925 SP this season and 12-4-1, 2.09, .930 in 18 career games against Calgary, has appeared in all four contests in 2019-20 after Malcolm Subban left following the first period Thursday with an undisclosed injury.
OVERTIME
1. Calgary rookie C Austin Czarnik could return to the lineup after leaving the season opener in Colorado when he was boarded by Avalanche D Nikita Zadorov.
2. Vegas C Cody Eakin (undisclosed injury) remains day-to-day and it is unclear whether he'll make his season debut Saturday.
3. The Golden Knights are 3-for-14 on the power play and 14-for-15 killing penalties while the Flames are 3-for-12 and 14-for-18, respectively.