Five games into the 2024–25 season, the Calgary Flames have yet to drop a single game in regulation. Raise your hand if you had that on your bingo card going into the campaign. Despite the doom and gloom around the rebuilding roster, the Flames have looked like a legitimate playoff contender thus far. One of the reasons for the team’s success has been their new-look forward lines.
After all of the turnover from last year’s roster, the Flames came out of training camp with four brand-new forward trios. There have been some solid early returns so far, as well as some trios that clearly don’t work together. So how has each group fared? Let’s take a deep dive into the line combos the team has used so far this season.
All stats are 5v5 from MoneyPuck.com.
Sam Honzek – Nazem Kadri – Andrei Kuzmenko
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.9 | 45.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.92 | 3.46 | 1 | 1 |
The team’s top line to open the season, the Nazem Kadri-led group struggled quite a bit at even strength. After Yegor Sharangovich went down with an injury in preseason, rookie Sam Honzek rode his strong training camp all the way to the Flames’ top line. As impressive as Honzek’s training camp was, he’s certainly not ready for top-line NHL duties as witnessed by the top-line numbers during their 33 minutes together.
Among Flames lines with at least 10 minutes together this season, the above trio posted the second-worst xGF% at 45.7 and was one of only two lines to post an xGF% number below 50%. The line was also bleeding high-danger chances as well, allowing 3.46 xGA/60 which is by far the worst total of any forward group on the team. Due to some fortunate luck, the trio only allowed one goal against which equalled their one goal for, but it was only a matter of time before the puck started finding its way into their own net more often.
Matthew Coronato – Nazem Kadri – Andrei Kuzmenko
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.1 | 86.7% | 1.3 | 0.2 | 7.03 | 1.08 | 0 | 0 |
The sample size is small as they’ve only played together for one game, but man did the Flames top line look completely different with Matthew Coronato in the top left wing spot over Honzek. The trio completely dominated even strength during their 11 minutes together and were unlucky not to put the puck in the net. They posted an 86.7% xGF%, controlling play and suffocating the other team, while only allowing 0.2 xGA.
Even more impressive is their ridiculous 7.03 xGF/60. Of course the sample size is insanely small but those are some mighty impressive numbers for a line that was thrown together a couple days before game day. It’s clear as day that Coronato deserves a long look on the team’s top line for as long as Sharangovich is out of action.
Jonathan Huberdeau – Martin Pospisil – Anthony Mantha
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41.7 | 50% | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 5 | 1 |
Who knew that all it took to reignite Jonathan Huberdeau’s career was a 30-year-old Anthony Mantha and centre Martin Pospisil. Despite their incredibly average underlying numbers so far this season, the Flames second line has crushed it when it comes to putting the puck in the net. The trio is sitting on five goals for at even strength, and only one against. Their five goals for at even strength are actually on par with the rest of the team combined.
With that said, the underlying numbers certainly don’t point to this goal-scoring trend keeping up. The trio has been bang-on average thus far, sitting on a 50% xGF% and exactly 1.6 xGF and xGA. It’s not a stretch to say they are getting a ton of good luck right now. For now, though, the Flames need to ride this wave as they’ve been carrying the load at even strength so far this season.
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Connor Zary
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.4 | 55.3% | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.98 | 2.41 | 1 | 0 |
Legend says Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman have never played a second of hockey below a 50% xGF%. Once again the Flames’ third-line shutdown group are playing solid hockey across the board, this time bringing youngster Connor Zary along for the trip. The trip is sitting pretty at a 55.3% xGF% and 2.98 xGF/60, both of which rank tops among Flames lines with at least 20 minutes together this season.
The group leads the team in time on ice together at 52.4 minutes and has played the toughest minutes on the team so far. Despite this, they’ve looked great together and are doing exactly what they’re supposed to do as they’ve yet to allow a single goal against this season.
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Adam Klapka
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.3 | 20% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.53 | 2.12 | 0 | 0 |
The sample size is quite small for the Flames’ current fourth line of Ryan Lomberg, Justin Kirkland, and Adam Klapka, but the results have been quite bad. The trio has been completely crushed at even strength during their 11 minutes together, sitting at a 20% xGF%. The group didn’t produce much of anything at even strength with just 0.53 xGF/60 but 2.12 xGA/60.
The fourth line has been a revolving door this year due to injuries to Kevin Rooney and Coronato getting bumped up due to Honzek’s absence, but this trio is going to have to pick it up if they want to stick together for more than a couple games.
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Matthew Coronato
| TOI | xGF% | xGF | xGA | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.6 | 68.4% | 1.3 | 0.6 | 5.33 | 2.46 | 3 | 0 |
As soon as Sharangovich is back in the lineup, the Flames might want to try Coronato on the fourth line again because his time there worked wonders. With Coronato flanking Kirkland and Lomberg on the other side, the trio was dominant at even strength. Their three goals are actually the second most among any line outside of the Huberdeau group. They completely controlled play while together, posting the second-best xGF% among any line on the team at 68.4%.
It feels like it’s been forever since the Flames had a competent fourth line, with the organization still chasing the magnificent 2018–19 group of Garnet Hathaway, Derek Ryan, and Andrew Mangiapane. With that said, the above trio looked a heck of a lot like that 2018–19 group with a perfect mix of skill, grit and speed.
Early returns from Calgary’s forwards
The Flames shouldn’t have earned nine out of a possible ten points to open the season. While there a many factors beyond their forward lines that contributed to their hot start, it’s pretty clear which lines are actually getting results and which ones are just riding the waves of momentum.
