NEW YORK – Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary has been suspended for two games, without pay, for elbowing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson during NHL Game No the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today The incident occurred at 11:19 of the first period Zary was assessed a minor penalty for interference Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. It’s a good news/bad news situation for the Calgary Flames The good news is about Connor Zary’s injury is it could have been a lot worse That bad news is the team announced Saturday morning that the 23-year-old winger is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars There are only so many weeks left in the regular season and the Flames are fighting for their playoff lives so losing Zary for any amount of time is a big blow “He went through a lot after his first injury trying to get himself back so you hate seeing a player have to go through that again,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska told reporters in Edmonton on Saturday “Now he’s in the hands of our medical team lower-body injury and hopefully it’s on the shorter end of that scale but we’ll see how it goes.” Here’s a few things to know about Zary’s injury: When Mikko Rantanen slipped and slid into the back of Zary’s legs forcing the Flames forward to land awkwardly Zary already missed nearly two months earlier this year after a knee-on-knee collision with Anaheim Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson in January and he immediately grabbed the same left knee that was previously injured Whatever the injury might mean for the Flames – and Zary is an important player – you have to think of the player first And being out week-to-week means he likely won’t require surgery Whether he’s skating again between now and the Flames’ regular season finale on April 17 against the Los Angeles Kings There’s no definitive answer to this question He isn’t being ruled out for the rest of the season which is what happened when Flames teammates Anthony Mantha and Justin Kirkland both required knee surgery earlier in the year But week-to-week quite literally means they’ll be evaluating him on a weekly basis He was week-to-week after the Helleson collision on January 7 and missed the next 15 games Mikael Backlund, meanwhile, was listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered against the Vancouver Canucks on March 12 and returned to the lineup on Thursday night There’s no doubt Zary will want to get back as soon as possible but his return-date depends entirely on how quickly his body recovers Zary provides an offensive spark that few of his teammates can match when he’s in the lineup He’s fourth on the roster among forwards in points-per-game and has 13 goals and 14 assists in 54 games He’s also been playing on the Flames’ first-line alongside Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil in recent games Will the Flames call anyone up to try to help replace his offence There’s nobody with the Wranglers who is going to be a like-for-like replacement although that doesn’t mean there won’t be a call-up The Flames had Yegor Sharangovich in his place at Saturday’s morning skate in Edmonton, and as we wrote on Friday he’s the most likely candidate to take some of Zary’s ice-time. Sharangovich hasn’t been in great form recently daustin@postmedia.com www.twitter.com/DannyAustin_9 Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Calgary got some positive news when it was reported that Zary didn't suffer a broken leg against the Dallas Stars on Thursday. However, the forward will still miss time. Zary suffered the injury on an awkward collision with Rantanen in the third period and did not return to the game. Rantanen lost an edge midway through the third and slid into Zary along the boards. Zary's knee appeared to get stuck, bending at an awkward angle as he fell. NHL on SportsnetLivestream Hockey Night in Canada, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the Oilers, Flames, Canucks, out-of-market matchups, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Draft. The 23-year-old was in visible pain while clutching his left knee. He remained down on the ice as training staff tended to him before teammates helped him off the ice. The Saskatoon native has 13 goals and 26 points in 53 games this season. Analyzing how Canadiens’ top line has them primed for playoff pushQuick Shifts: Are Maple Leafs’ goalies hitting a wall?COMMENTS When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines Should you violate our submissions guidelines we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary has been suspended for two games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for elbowing Vancouver Canucks defenceman Elias Pettersson the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Thursday The incident occurred Wednesday night during the first period of the Flames-Canucks game at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary Pettersson had just knocked down Flames forward Nazem Kadri with a bodycheck before Zary elbowed the defenceman in the head Pettersson left after the hit and did not return to the game Calgary’s Connor Zary has been suspended for two games for elbowing against Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson. https://t.co/ciPdENqdjW — NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 13, 2025 This is the first suspension in Zary’s NHL career The Saskatoon native has 12 goals and 24 points in 49 NHL games this year and 26 goals and 58 points through 112 career games Zary is eligible to return against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden The Canucks (30-24-11) defeated the Flames (30-23-11) 4-3 in a shootout as both teams continue to vie for playoff spots in the Western Conference NEW YORK -- Calgary forward Connor Zary was suspended two games without pay Thursday for elbowing Vancouver defenseman Elias Pettersson during the Canucks' 4-3 shootout victory over the Flames was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play at 11:19 of the first period Wednesday night The suspension will cost him $8,993 in salary After Pettersson knocked Calgary center Nazem Kadri off his skates just as Kadri unloaded the puck and crossed the blue line Zary retaliated with a blindside hit that led to the penalty Pettersson had the tying goal with 6:44 remaining in regulation and scored in the first round of the shootout. Conor Garland added the winner in the fourth round of the shootout It was an ugly scene and a gruesome image: Zary’s leg bent underneath him and Rantanen’s weight and the forward immediately clutched at his leg in what was clearly agonizing pain Head coach Ryan Huska said of the incident: You don’t ever want to see a player go through that to try to put themselves in a position to come back So our hope now is that the work that he’s done has strengthened his knee up enough so that the injury isn’t serious as to what it’s actually going to look like While this isn’t an injury that is expected to be short-term Darren Dreger of TSN reports: “Further testing and imaging required to determine extent of injury, however, the initial assessment offered some encouragement regarding Connor Zary’s knee Tough scene last night following an awkward collision with Rantanen.” Eric Francis added that the Flames learned the leg wasn’t broken and there is optimism the damage isn’t as bad as many figured when they saw him buckle under Rantanen.” There is a chance that Zary is done for the season and should the Flames make the playoffs (which feels like a long shot) it’s hard to imagine he’ll be a part of their postseason games The hope is that this isn’t anything that is compounded by the fact that it’s now two injuries to the same area in quick succession This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission customized to your favorite sports and teams Pro Hockey Rumors March 29, 2025 at 1:09 pm CDT | by Leave a Comment The injury was sustained back on Thursday in their loss to Dallas in a collision with Mikko Rantanen requiring some assistance to get off the ice Initially feared it could be a recurrence of the significant knee injury that caused Zary to miss 15 games recently it doesn’t appear as if the injury is as severe but nonetheless This is Zary’s first full NHL season after he spent a bit of time with AHL Calgary last year The 23-year-old had 14 goals and 20 assists in 63 games in 2023-24 and is producing at a similar clip this year tallying 13 goals and 14 helpers in 54 outings the Flames are six points out of the last Wild Card spot held by St Louis but also have three games in hand on the Blues But they’ll have to find a way to stay in the mix without one of their top-six forwards for at least the next little while Calgary Flames| Injury Log in Register Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League Register Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary suffered a knee injury on January 7th against the Anaheim Ducks it has been determined that Zary will not require surgery but will be missing from the Flames line-up for an indefinite period Zary will begin his rehabilitation immediately The Calgary Flames might get Connor Zary back this season after all Zary is listed as week to week after he suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars The Flames forward suffered the injury in an awkward collision with Stars forward Mikko Rantanen that saw his knee get bent at an awkward angle The Flames got some good news as Zary thankfully did not suffer a broken leg and Flames general manager Craig Conroy isn't ready to shut the door on Zary returning before the end of the regular season "I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back at some point this season,” Conroy told Sportsnet's Ryan Leslie during the first intermission of Tuesday's game against Utah Zary has 13 goals and 26 points in 53 games this season The Saskatoon native also missed time earlier this season with a leg injury he suffered against the Anaheim Ducks Calgary entered Tuesday's game against Utah five points back of the St Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with two games in hand When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Article contentBut given how painful it looked when he suffered an injury from a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson on Tuesday night Friday afternoon’s announcement that he won’t require surgery is very good news it has been determined that Zary will not require surgery but will be missing from the Flames line-up for an indefinite period,” the Flames said in a statement “Zary will begin his rehabilitation immediately.” Zary had been cutting towards the net when he was caught knee-on-knee from Helleson and he immediately grabbed his left-knee and stayed on the ice before receiving help getting to the lockerroom Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The team needed to wait for inflammation to subside before undergoing tests and the results will ultimately be seen as encouraging Zary made his debut with the Flames last season and hasn’t looked back he’s made the move to centre and is third on the team in scoring having potted 10 goals and adding 12 assists “Connor’s quietly come into his own this year with his poise and his possession skills that he does have with the puck,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska he’s a guy who has been generating some of our more dangerous chances The question now becomes how long Zary will be out-of-action Surgery would have meant he was out for the year just like Anthony Mantha and Justin Kirkland who both suffered season-ending knee injuries earlier this year it doesn’t appear as if that will be the case with Zary but speaking with Sportsnet 960 on Friday afternoon Flames GM Craig Conroy offered some encouraging words “He’s not going to be back in the immediate future,” Conroy said “But he’s definitely going to be back at some point this year.” Connor Zary will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Thursday The Calgary Flames forward is facing discipline for elbowing and roughing against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson on Wednesday The incident occurred at 11:23 of the first period in the Canucks' 4-3 shootout win at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary Pettersson left the game after the first period and did not return The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: elbowing/roughing the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary has been suspended for two games for elbowing Vancouver Canucks defenceman Elias Pettersson during NHL Game No For a full explanation of the decision, complete with video, please click on the following link: https://www.nhl.com/video/topic/player-safety/zary-suspended-two-games-6369988079112 Jakob Pelletier knows the feeling all too well When a shoulder injury sidelined him for the better part of last season Pelletier is making sure he has all the support he needs “The best news is that he doesn't need surgery,” Pelletier said following Saturday’s morning skate “But the most important thing is that he knows he doesn't need to rush back I know it can be tough – you can kind of feel lonely at points I was with Roons (Kevin Rooney) and that helped but then I got injured again and you have those feelings again that's the positive for Zar – we have Mo (Anthony Mantha) and Kirky (Justin Kirkland) working hard with their rehab so that helps keep the mood positive while they push each other to get better The medical staff is incredible and they take great care of us “But my message is to him is to come back stronger I think that's the most important thing from me to him Pelletier and Zary have formed a tight kinship since they broke into the pro ranks together back in the 2021-22 season as members of the Stockton Heat they’ve been inseparable – be with it with the Wranglers or Flames when Zary was cut down in the middle of the ice with a gruesome it should come as no surprise that Pelletier was there to respond Zary was third in team scoring with 22 points (10G “That’s out of the comfort zone for a player like (Pelletier) but it’s important,” Head Coach Ryan Huska glowed in his postgame address shedding the mitts and throwing a few punches on the offender “He's one of the best players on our team and where I'm from I would’ve done the same thing for anyone on our team.” Since being recalled from the Wranglers in early December Pelletier has added plenty of energy to the Flames forward ranks 4A) while being a positive possession player and earning an expected-goals-for rate of 57.47% – good for sixth among forwards he’ll find himself on a new line tonight (to be determined at warmup) but the task remains the same with the Pacific rival LA Kings in town: Win And continue to bring the power of positivity that’s added so much to this group clasping his hands as if to say it’s ‘go time.’ “It's absolutely a playoff game “We're fighting for a spot and each game is going to be a huge one It doesn't matter if it's against the first-place team or the last-place team it's a playoff game and we have to have that mindset If we play the same way we played against the Ducks – I think we could've had three or four more goals – I think it's going to come and when it comes “We've just got to do the same things over and over again wear teams down and be the hardest-working team on the ice NEW YORK - It’s a shot in the arm that couldn’t have come at a better time Connor Zary will return to the Flames lineup tonight as Calgary looks to snap a two-game losing streak when they play the Rangers at the fabled Madison Square Garden (5 p.m He sat out Calgary’s recent losses to Colorado Friday and Toronto Monday night while serving a two-game suspension The team got to their hotel early Tuesday morning after jumping on the plane right after their 6-2 loss to the Maple Leafs the goal now to get back in the win column and collect another important two points as they continue to battle in a tight race for a Western Conference playoff Wild Card berth “He should be our most fresh guy; puck possession and a different skill set that he brings to the table for us,” said head coach Ryan Huska at the team’s morning media availability I think it’s important to have him in the lineup for his possession ability which opens other people on the ice around him.” After watching the last two contests from the press box the 23-year-old’s return to the ice will bring some extra ‘juice’ for an already pivotal tilt “I’m really excited to get back in the lineup you sit out for a little bit and kinda learn from that just getting the opportunity to come back in is really exciting He was contrite when asked about the suspension saying he’s learned a valuable lesson to take forward I obviously had no intention of wanting to go out there and hurt someone I had to live with it - I own up to it - I kinda move on from there make sure I’m not doing something like that again to take myself out of the lineup.” His teammates are obviously excited for the return of one of their most dynamic forwards who has 12 goals and 24 points on the season in 49 games after missing 14 tilts with an injury he should be rested,” joked teammate Blake Coleman I think he allows us to stretch our lineup a little bit The Rangers will be plenty motivated tonight as well locked in their own race for a Wild Card spot in the East coming off a 3-1 loss to the Oilers Sunday and going 4-4-2 in their last 10 games The Flames beat them 3-2 in their first meeting of the season way back on Nov Zary had one of the Calgary goals that night “I feel like we match up pretty well against anybody if we bring our game,” said Coleman “I think it’s less about our opponent and more about what we’re doing "A lot of us feel like we have another gear to get to - especially after last night - you know we get a little depth in the forward group with him back We can roll lines and feel confident that we can match up against anybody It’s just about everybody showing up and pulling their weight.” Zary can’t wait to do just that on a big stage at the building dubbed ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena.’ “It’s an opportunity for us to kind of get back on track and come out here and play in a special building,” he said “We know we’ve got to get our game back to the win column and start building points I’m just looking to do what I can to help." the wounds are (nearly) healed and two of the Flames’ most impactful players are on the cusp of a return Connor Zary and Kevin Bahl were both on the ice Tuesday at WinSport showing no ill effects and taking regular line rushes “They're getting closer,” offered Head Coach Ryan Huska after practice who said the enthusiasm from his group had a real first-day-of-school vibe throughout the vigorous “They have to continue to make steps and strides along the way We’ll talk to our medical guys afterwards and hopefully they can keep developing with us and they're going be ready to go who both flashed a wide smile as they took their first turns in a full team practice in what felt like forever “You do a lot of stuff alone when you're injured or with a couple other injured guys,” Zary said “But to mix in and just have fun again and be out there with the guys is always awesome.” “It felt good to finally get back out there with the boys and just kind of be humming again,” added Bahl “It was kind of a blessing in disguise with how it ended up unfolding (with the timing of the 4 Nations break) just because I can get back to 100% and jump in with them instead of having to maybe not come in and not be back to 100% “Today’s the first day in the road to get back.” both could return on Sunday when the Flames play their first game in more than two weeks hosting the San Jose Sharks in the team’s annual Black History Celebration game at the Scotiabank Saddledome 25 when he was hit from behind by Minnesota forward Jakub Lauko – a play that earned only a minor penalty despite being delivered square in the numbers 12A) and has averaged more than 21 minutes per game and was beginning to show real promise down the middle before his collision with Ducks blueliner Drew Helleson took him out of the commission for the past 15 games there was a point the immediate aftermath when he wasn’t even sure if he would lace up his skates again this season The open-ice collision was so violent – and the pain his eyes so visceral – that those in the building that night (including his mother who was on hand for the Mom’s Trip) had a hard time seeing past a worst-case scenario he was forced to wait a few days before an official diagnosis could be made because the swelling on his knee prevented imaging from properly assessing the damage kind of pros and cons of having your mom there It was it was it was good to have her there with me but it sucked that she had to be there to watch it “But I think it’s just a fast sport and things like that happen but I guess my parents fed me well when I was a kid things started to settle down and I felt a lot better – in my mind “Once I got that the good news from Doc (Team Physician David Manning) and (Head Therapist/Sports Physiotherapist) Kent (Kobelka) and the other guys that things were looking positive I think that brought a lot of happiness back into things knowing that I could have something to look forward to and just strengthening and getting better in the gym to come back even better.” alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman With the addition of Morgan Frost during his absence the Flames now have a deeper cast with which to experiment at the pivot position But regardless of where he lines up long term Zary’s impact on the offensive side cannot be understated the Flames have had significantly less firepower at their disposal in the forward ranks Rasmus Andersson lost his season-long partner and a true minute-muncher that’s thrived in a shutdown role this year “They're important pieces of our team,” Huska said “We often talk about certain players a lot … But Connor he was quietly putting together a really good year where he became an important piece of our offensive game “He was pleasant surprise for us when he came over in the trade and he's done so many good things for us that he gave us some real strong depth on our back end while he was gone and it's nice to having him back on the ice.” the forward’s recovery is going well – and a return to the freeze isn’t terribly far off “We're hopeful that he'll be back on the ice in a very limited way over the next week or so,” Huska said following Thursday’s morning skate 7 when he was on the receiving end of a nasty knee-on-knee collision in Anaheim The Flames beat the Ducks 3-2 in overtime that night and have cobbled together a 5-4-0 record since With a two-week break built into the schedule thanks to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off the Flames have only six games in the next 24 days While that will likely help in reducing the number of games the 23-year-old will miss it remains unclear on when the Flames can expect the talented pivot back in the lineup not yet,” Huska said when asked if there was a timeline Zary has 10 goals and 22 points in 40 games this season Connor Zary skates down low and rips a shot past the goaltender from a sharp angle giving the Flames a 3-0 lead with his second goal of the game Gm 1: Knies fires a backhand over Bobrovsky to extend the Maple Leafs lead in the 3rd Mic Drop: The best mic'd up moments from the first round Take a look at the first ever live draft lottery Watch every overtime goal from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Gm1: Nylander wrists it into the cage to put the Maple Leafs up by 2 Gm 1: Balinskis rips home a wrister to cut the lead down to 1 in the 3rd Gm1: Jones drills in a PPG to put the Panthers on the board Gm1: Rielly blasts it into the cage to put the Maple Leafs back up by 2 Gm1: Nylander goes five-hole to put Maple Leafs on the board Senators and Maple Leafs clash in First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Stars conclude back-and-forth series in do-or-die Game 7 Gm7: Lowry lifts the Jets to victory in double overtime Top 10 Goals from Week 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Wild and Golden Knights battle in First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Gm7: Perfetti ties it in waning seconds with his second goal Gm7: Jets and Blues exchange handshakes at center ice Gm7: Binnington makes a game-saving stop in overtime Gm7: Faksa restores two-goal lead late in the 2nd Gm7: Kyrou nets one-handed shot for opening goal Gm 7: Johnston reacts to scoring the game-winner in Game 7 Gm7: Stars and Avalanche shake hands at center ice following Stars' victory Gm7: Rantanen notches first postseason career hat trick for 4-point game Gm7: Johnston rips it home from a tough angle to the put the Stars on top on the power play Gm7: MacKinnon doubles the lead early in the 3rd Gm7: Manson rings one off the post and in for a short-handed goal to open scoring PHILADELPHIA -- Connor Zary scored two goals for the Calgary Flames in a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday The Flames had lost their previous three games (0-2-1) but I had a feeling we were going to score," Calgary coach Ryan Huska said and hopefully we're going to score a lot more regularly than what we did the prior three games." who allowed three goals on five shots in the first 10:28 of the game "Tough in any game going down," Cates said The Flames took a 3-0 lead with three goals in a 1:52 span midway through the first period Zary redirected a shot by Brayden Pachal at 7:40 Kadri scored from the right face-off circle at 8:13 and Zary scored from along the goal line at 9:32 CGY@PHI: Zary nets his second from below the circle He also missed 14 games because of a lower-body injury he sustained Jan "It felt great to get out there and kind of do what I'm supposed to be doing," Zary said "I think it takes a little bit of weight off your shoulders to allow me just to go play." Zary started the game on the fourth line with Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Rooney but was moved up the lineup as the game went on "He probably looked at it initially as like I might not be playing as much tonight," Huska said "But I had a good conversation with him this morning when they score early there's a little excitement I felt like he deserved [to be moved up] because he had a little bit more energy in his game When his feet are moving he's a dynamic player and I thought he was much better for us tonight than what he had been." Cates made it 3-1 with a goal from the high slot at 9:54 it was the fastest four goals in a game this season Kuzmenko made it 3-2 at 17:11 when he poked the puck from Kadri CGY@PHI: Sharangovich extends the lead 18 seconds later Yegor Sharangovich gave the Flames a 4-2 lead at 17:29 when he slid the puck along the ice between Fedotov's pads "I'd like to have that one back," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said Weegar scored a power-play goal at 16:33 of the second period to push the lead to 5-2 because they had the momentum at that point," Huska said "And then the next biggest thing for me was that power-play goal and I thought it gave our team a little bit more breathing room again." Couturier cut it to 5-3 at 10:41 of the third period Matt Coronato closed the scoring with an empty-net goal at 18:59 The Flames also defeated the Flyers 6-3 on Oct. 12 in their only other meeting this season The Flyers pulled Samuel Ersson after he gave up three goals on five shots in 9:32 and replaced him with Ivan Fedotov When Cates made it 3-1 in the first period the Flames and Flyers had combined to score four times in 2:14 - the quickest four goals have been scored in an NHL game this season scoring a total of one goal in those setbacks They made up for it with four goals in the first period The Flyers have won just three of five since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break Zary's second goal at 9:32 of the first period The Flames wrap up a six-game road trip in Dallas on Thursday The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlbr/] Zary took a borderline hit from defenseman Drew Helleson While the NHL deemed there was no need for supplementary discipline for Helleson Zary was in immediate pain following the collision as he fell to the ice grabbing at his knee .@MFradiology Injury Update: Following an evaluation process, it has been determined that Connor Zary will not require surgery but will be missing from the #Flames lineup for an indefinite period. He will begin his rehabilitation immediately. pic.twitter.com/m4aglMts3X In the days following the incident, the Flames got progressively more positive updates. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli noted that Zary had not suffered a facture or any damages to the ACL or MCL. and official update from the Flames deems that Zary will not need surgery but will need time to recover from the injury Zary is beginning his rehab right away and will be out for an indefinite period of time Zary has been a key forward with the Flames this season the has scored 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 total points The 2024-25 season is just his second season in the NHL yet Zary has already emerged as a top forward on the surprising Flames he has scored 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 total points Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! NICK HORWAT Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account the Flames and their fans have been waiting for news about the extent of the damage the first thought is obviously about the player and hoping he gets healthy soon and has a straightforward recovery He’s 23 years old and has a bright future ahead of him and that’s true whether he requires an extended stretch on the sidelines or got lucky and can return to the ice soon have an impact on the organization’s plans for the rest of the season Nobody thought the Flames were going to be where they are on Thursday morning It’s a credit to the coaching staff and everyone in the locker room that they’ve managed to surpass every expectation that was placed on them externally this year and have scraped and clawed to stay in contention Guys have bought in and have grinded out results But it does raise the question: Where do the Flames go from here we know they’re building through the draft while trying to stay competitive and avoid allowing a culture of losing to set in The Flames risk losing their first-round draft pick if it lands outside the top 10 as a result of former GM Brad Treliving’s decision to include a pick in the deal that sent Sean Monahan to the Montreal Canadiens There are certainly some who would like to see the Flames start losing games to ensure they land in the top 10 But that seems antithetical to everything the Flames have aimed to accomplish this year They aren’t going to start trying to intentionally lose games Are they good enough to stay in the playoff race without Zary Zary has emerged as one of the Flames’ most important offensive players He’s on the power-play and after a slow start production-wise — there were never any complaints about the way he was playing the puck just wasn’t going in early in the year — he’s now third in goals scored on the Flames roster Only four teams in the entire NHL have scored fewer than the 108 goals the Flames have managed this year and none of them are especially close to the playoff race That the Flames have managed to stay competitive through tight defensive play is a credit to the group you do need to score goals to win hockey games and there have been moments where they’ve been hard to come by Losing Zary for any length of time would be worse Maybe Andrei Kuzmenko can finally bust out of his slump and Matt Coronato seems to be getting better every single game and has found his scoring touch So there’s hope that the Flames could survive for a little while without Zary The question is whether there will be a temptation to replace his production in the trade market We know GM Craig Conroy has been shopping for a young centre Dealing away prized draft picks for veteran help doesn’t make sense The draft is the path back to the promised land of true Stanley Cup contention The Flames have been surprising people all year daustin@postmedia.com Forward Connor Zary doesn't require surgery after ugly knee-on-knee contact in a game earlier this week, but he's out of the Calgary Flames' lineup indefinitely. Zary left Tuesday's road game against Anaheim after colliding with Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson in the second period. Helleson received a major penalty and game misconduct. Flames head coach Ryan Huska said early Friday that Zary was still undergoing evaluation, but the team said in a statement later in the day the 23-year-old would start rehabilitation immediately. Zary was tied for fourth in Flames' points with 10 goals and 12 assists in 40 games. "Connor's quietly come into his own this year with his poise and his possession skills that he does have with the puck," Huska said. "A lot of times on the ice, he's a guy that has been generating some of our more dangerous chances, so you're definitely going to miss that. He's been a key to one of our power plays. "When you lose a player like that, whether it's a game or 10 games, you'll most definitely miss him. Having said that, it's (an) opportunity for someone else, in his absence to step up and try to make a name for themselves." Zary, who was selected by the Flames in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, had 14 goals and 20 assists in 63 games last season. Calgary called up centre Rory Kerins from the American Hockey League's Calgary Wranglers ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Kings. Kerins led the AHL in goals with 21 and ranked second in points with 34. The 22-year-old from Caledon, Ont., was a sixth-round draft pick of the Flames in 2020. Flames’ win for moms marred by Connor Zary injuryHuberdeau scores OT winner as Flames beat DucksCOMMENTS CALGARY -- Connor Zary scored midway through the third period and the Calgary Flames hung on to win 3-2 against the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday Zary’s wrist shot from a sharp angle off the rush beat Igor Shesterkin short side over his right shoulder at 10:35 so I just tried to lean in and get towards the net and ended up putting it on net and got lucky and got up high and the rest is history," said Zary "I think coming into the Saddledome now it's hard to play against our group We've got forwards tracking and forechecking hard and ‘D’ are in your face and goalies are kicking NYR@CGY: Coronato gives Flames lead with goal in opening period Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle scored and Shesterkin tied his career high with 46 saves for the Rangers (12-5-1) who had their three-game winning streak end "Not our best game," New York captain Jacob Trouba said "I don't think we really got to our top game We're playing pretty well on the road trip Regroup and we still have a chance at a great road trip." Coronato gave Calgary a 1-0 lead 7:26 into the first period He scored with a snap shot from inside the left face-off circle that beat Shesterkin through a partial screen The goal came during a 20-shot first period for the Flames who reached that mark for the first time since Oct "Probably one of the best first periods all year," Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau said Obviously it's tough to play like that 60 minutes but I think we did a pretty good job and came out with another win." NYR@CGY: Huberdeau assists on Zary's go-ahead goal to reach milestone made it 2-0 on the power play at 8:29 of the second period when he one-timed a pass from Weegar over Shesterkin's blocker from the right circle The Rangers unsuccessfully challenged the goal suggesting that Huberdeau played the puck with a hand pass before the goal "I don't know the exact definition of the rule," Trouba said "I thought it was definitely worth a challenge It seems pucks hit gloves that are kind of up in the air and deemed a hand pass They reviewed it and made what they deemed was the correct call and there's nothing we can do about it." Wolf made the initial stop on a point shot from Trouba but Lafreniere lifted the rebound off the post and in Cuylle scored 16 seconds later to tie it 2-2 when his deflection on K'Andre Miller's point shot caused the puck to skip over Wolf's right pad "They came out hard and were all over us," Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren said We didn't do a good job of getting the puck out we were turning it over and they were coming right back at us Definitely not the way we want to start the game NOTES: Calgary has won four straight at home and is 5-1-0 against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. … Huberdeau earned an assist on Zary's goal, his 500th in the NHL. He's the third player from the 2011 NHL Draft to reach the mark, joining Nikita Kucherov (568) and the late Johnny Gaudreau (500) two assists) during a three-game point streak Article contentHe was reminded of that during a recent 15-game absence even if his mood was boosted slightly by the realization that it could have been a whole lot worse Despite some initial fear that his knee injury could be a season-ender Zary was back in action for Sunday’s showdown with the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome arriving at the rink with a wide grin rather than a grimace “When you’re not playing and you’re there watching who wound up on the shelf for just shy of seven weeks You maybe don’t fully understand what’s going on or what’s being said and you just miss all those little things about being in the room “You enjoy everything more when you’re in the lineup.” With the acquisitions of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost and now Zary’s all-clear you could argue the Flames’ forward cast against the Sharks was stronger than it’s been at any other point this season when Zary was injured in that knee-on-knee collision with Anaheim Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson the 23-year-old dynamo was sitting third on the squad in both goals and points They will be counting on him to provide a few clutch contributions during the wild-card chase “I just need to bring my same game,” said Zary who was skating alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman in a string of four practices this past week you have to find it again and try to get it back as quick as you can especially on the offensive side of things It’s important just to find my game early and play the way I can.” that Zary immediately puts the injury in his rearview mirror He needs to be confident with the puck on his stick and must remain a threat to dance past a defenceman and drive toward the net even if that’s exactly what he was trying when Helleson connected with his left knee “It’s just one of those things — I was going in I left myself wide and I got caught in my tracks,” Zary said and you can’t really shy away to go into those areas You just have to be smarter with what you’re doing how you’re attacking it and not putting yourself in vulnerable positions like that you have to keep playing that way and attacking the middle That’s what makes me successful as a player “Just try to go full systems go,” he added “I’ve talked to Husk (head coach Ryan Huska) a bit about it — just going out there and playing hockey and just kind of saying ‘screw it’ to everything else and letting the game come to me and play how I know I can play Because working sure beats watching — and especially when a wild-card invite is within grasp Zary sniped one of the biggest goals of the season so far for the Flames capping a dramatic opening-night comeback with the overtime winner in Vancouver They need him to help clip the Canucks again this time in the Western Conference standings “I think that’s something we can really push for and have fun with and really enjoy that moment,” Zary beamed I think every day is a push and every game matters So it makes them a lot more fun and a lot more meaningful And that makes you excited to play every single day.” There could be a line outside Ryan Huska’s hotel-room door on the next stop a few snakebitten forwards wondering if the head coach could put ’em on the fourth line for the morning skate Article contentIt certainly worked for Connor Zary After the fan-base fumed all afternoon over the news that Zary was supposed to skate with two of the muckers the skilled sophomore responded by potting a pair of goals to lead the Flames to Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the Flyers in Phialdelphia his stint as a depth dude didn’t last long who’d been skunked in five games since returning from a knee injury sparked an offensive outburst for the Calgary-based crew They scored on three of their first five shots in Philly They’d buried four by the end of the opening period matching their combined total from four previous stops on this marathon road-trip Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s triumph at Wells Fargo Center where Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost earned bragging rights in their first clash against their former team … Huska insisted after Tuesday’s morning skate that he wasn’t trying to send a message by assigning Zary to grind it out with Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Rooney on the fourth line characterizing it as an opportunity to “just keep building his game back up” and saying “you can expect him to get moved around a little bit at times.” on a bump-up shift with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri when he notched his first of the evening He won a battle against his former roommate where he managed to deflect a point shot from Brayden Pachal Zary was actually looking to dish but noticed Ersson was over-committed to a potential pass and squeezed it past him on the short side “It felt great to get out there and kind of do what I’m supposed to be doing,” Zary told reporters in Philadelphia after scoring his 11th and 12th in his 46 appearances this season “I think it takes a little bit of weight off your shoulders to allow me to just play And it’s just good to get the two points and get the win We needed that after how the last few games have gone After he tallied twice in the early stages Zary was soon logging a more regular shift with Huberdeau and Kadri who each finished the night with a pair of points there’s a little excitement,” Huska explained because he had a little bit more energy in his game tonight and he was skating he’s a dynamic player and I thought he was much better for us tonight than what he had been.” if a stint on the fourth line isn’t an option Huska benched a pair of every-nighters for Sunday’s overtime loss in Carolina and he must have been satisfied with the response from both Sharangovich certainly realized it was a bad sign that after the Flames had been blanked in both Tampa and Sunrise Huska would sit his leading marksman from last season Just 18 seconds after the Flyers trimmed the gap to 3-2 during Tuesday’s wild first frame Sharangovich chopped a rebound past Ivan Fedotov to restore the two-goal edge the 26-year-old sizzled a shot off the post as he tried for his second of the night ’Sharky’ has zero multi-goal games in the current campaign returned from his first scratch of the season to assist on Zary’s icebreaker and post a plus-2 rating we’d bet that Craig Conroy will receive several calls about Pachal in the lead-up to Friday’s trade deadline We doubt Conroy is willing to listen on this rugged righty — he has already inked Pachal to a contract extension and they’ll need his physicality for the playoff push — but contenders will try MacKenzie Weegar collected a pair of points Tuesday cashing a power-play goal early in the third and assisting on Matt Coronato’s late empty-netter A well-deserved reward for another workhorse night Weegar’s stat-sheet also showed four shots he ensured a nifty play by Frost — a flashy between-the-legs attempt that was followed by a heads-up pass toward the point — will be replayed on the highlight shows He’s been Calgary’s leading minute-muncher in three of those contests and second to Rasmus Andersson in the three others Which brings us back to Friday’s trade deadline We’re figuring Conroy will be relatively quiet but a permanent partner for Weegar has gotta be at the top of his wish-list He will want that guy to be a 20-something so this may be more of a summertime search Joel Hanley has been Weegar’s primary sidekick of late although there has also been speculation that he could be a trade candidate as a pending unrestricted free agent March 13, 2025 at 3:24 pm CDT | by Leave a Comment In their video statement the Flames skate the puck through the neutral zone with Pettersson defending and Zary on the rush in support The puck is flipped towards the net and Pettersson finishes a clean after the hit and disregarding the rest of the play striking Pettersson with the extended arm and making significant contact with Pettersson’s head Regarding their rationale for supplemental discipline: It is important to note that this is not a case where a player’s sudden movements cause a hitter to reflexively extend an elbow in a way that turns a legal hit into an illegal one Zary sees a teammate take a hard but legal check and responds intentionally in retribution by delivering a hit with his extended elbow that makes significant head contact and is delivered with reckless force for supplemental discipline Zary has never been fined or suspended before, something the league undoubtedly took into consideration during his hearing this morning whom Calgary selected in the first round in 2020 is in just his second NHL season with 112 career games under his belt That’s tough news for a Flames squad that already lost some ground in the wild-card race by dropping last night’s contest to their chief competitors for the spot in a shootout They’re tied with the Canucks at 71 points but have a game in hand so they remain in playoff position for now The Blues and Utah are each two points back of Calgary as well Calgary Flames| Newsstand| Suspensions| Vancouver Canucks | Article contentZary will miss Friday’s clash with the Colorado Avalanche and Monday’s matchup against the Maple Leafs in Toronto In the early stages of Wednesday’s crucial wild-card clash Pettersson flattened Flames centre Nazem Kadri with an open-ice hit That prompted an immediate reaction from Zary with the 23-year-old lunging to land an elbow “After the hit (on Kadri) and disregarding the rest of the play raises his elbow and forearm and elevates upward into a check striking Pettersson with the extended arm and making significant contact with Pettersson’s head,” the NHL’s Department of Player Safety explained in Thursday’s suspension video “It is important to note this is not a case where a player’s sudden movements cause a hitter to reflexively extend an elbow in a way that turns a legal hit into an illegal one Zary sees a teammate take a hard but legal check and responds intentionally in retribution by delivering a hit with his extended elbow that makes significant head contact and is delivered with requisite force for supplemental discipline.” who has been trying to get up to speed since returning from a knee injury has contributed 12 goals and 12 assists in 49 appearances as an NHL sophomore His first career suspension comes at a bad time for the Flames as he was the leading candidate to be shifted to centre if Mikael Backlund is unavailable Friday due to an upper-body injury the team will need to recall a forward from the AHL’s Wranglers Connor Zary and Kevin Bahl were both out there with their teammates It was the first time Zary has participated in a full practice since a knee injury suffered against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan it was his first practice since being hit from behind by Minnesota Wild forward Jakub Lauko and suffering an upper-body injury on Jan While Flames head coach Ryan Huska wouldn’t confirm that the two will definitely be in the lineup for Sunday’s return to action against the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome they’re important pieces of the team,” Huska said They have to continue to take steps and strides but this was a really good day for them from what I understand We’ll talk to our medical guys afterwards and hopefully they can keep developing with us and they’re going to be ready to go.” The absences of Zary and Bahl were keenly felt by the Flames Zary was third on the roster in goals (10) and points (22) and had emerged in his second NHL season as an important offensive driver on a squad that often struggles to score had firmly established himself on the Flames’ top defensive pairing alongside Rasmus Andersson in his first season with the organization since being acquired in the trade that sent goalie Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils last summer who sit in the Western Conference’s second wildcard spot — but are not blessed with a tremendous amount of depth Losing a top forward and important defenceman hurt even if they scraped their way to a 7-7-1 record since Zary’s injury “They’re important and that’s a big reason why we struggled that last little stretch,” said Flames forward Blake Coleman that’s not somebody you can just fill his shoes And obviously Zar provides a lot of offensive spark for us I think it just provides a lot of depth and allows you to spread the wealth in our lineup a little more.” the Flames had Zary skating on a line with himself and Backlund on Tuesday which means he’ll be moved back to his natural position on the wing after spending time at centre prior to his injury Bahl will be back with Andersson whenever the Swede gets back to Calgary following his participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off although it’s a little unclear exactly when that might be Both guys spent their break rehabbing and trying to get back to full strength “(The break) was kind of a blessing in disguise with how it ended up unfolding just because I can get back to 100 per cent and jump in with them instead of not getting back to 100 per cent,” Bahl explained and we likely won’t find out later in the week What’s clear is both guys are desperate to contribute again especially when your team is right in the playoff hunt and you can’t do anything to help “It’s frustrating just watching hockey and knowing you have zero control over anything,” Zary said “You’re watching your team play and you’re the biggest fan but at the same time you just want to be out there playing with them You’re hanging around the locker room and seeing them having fun and it’s just not the same when you’re kind of on the outside “It’s just nice to be practising with the boys now.” At the time, it was only assessed a two-minute minor. Nobody in the Saddledome seemed to initially think a whole lot of Connor Zary’s retaliatory hit on Elias Pettersson during Wednesday’s game between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks Once replays hit TVs and made their way around social media it was clear that the hit was much worse than it appeared in real time Related: Flames News & Rumours: Zary, Wolf, Farabee & More open-ice hit just after he had skated into the Canucks zone though his reaction in doing so was out of line and warranted the penalty he was assessed the ruling handed to him on Thursday by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety was the wrong decision Zary certainly isn’t a soft type of player He doesn’t back down from physicality and doesn’t play a perimeter game in any sense he’s not known for dishing out a ton of punishment this was his first time getting any sort of discipline from the NHL’s DoPS Past discipline plays a large part in the length of suspensions. Repeat offenders often get harsher punishment than players who have a clean book like Zary. That makes the decision by the NHL’s DoPS to hand him two games an extremely confusing one Though Zary did ride up and make contact with Pettersson’s head he didn’t go flying in with a blatant elbow or have his hands up high he hit a player who was already down on his knees from his prior collision with Kadri Making contact with his head as he did was incidental What makes it all the more confusing is that players with much longer rap sheets have gotten off easier than Zary. Take Matt Rempe, for example, who delivered a forearm shiver to the head of Nashville Predators’ defenceman Nick Blankenburg The Preds blueliner immediately hit the ice in clear discomfort and Rempe was assessed a two-minute minor on the play Despite what appeared to be a clear head shot Rempe (who has a long rap sheet) did not receive any form of supplemental discipline When discussing whether or not Zary would be suspended for his hit on Pettersson, the Sportsnet panel seemed to be quite divided Trying to predict NHL suspensions has become a nearly impossible task as there seems to be zero consistencies in the rulings Related: Flames’ Joel Farabee Takes Shot at Former Head Coach John Tortorella If they believe the right decision was to hand Zary two games Given his lack of discipline to this point in his career one game maximum would have been a seemingly fair punishment they seemed to have a completely different idea than the on-ice official on the apparent severity of the matter but one that the Flames are going to have to live with Zary’s suspension comes at the worst time possible, as Mikael Backlund was injured early into the Canucks game and is now being deemed week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The Flames were forced to recall Dryden Hunt from the Calgary Wranglers as a result and will be playing Yegor Sharangovich down the middle of the ice for the time being he likely would have been the one playing centre in the absence of the Flames captain The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide our articles are read millions of times every month Some good news for Connor Zary and Flames fans in Calgary The centre is expected to start skating again next week according to head coach Ryan Huska albeit in a "very limited capacity" and without a clear timeline for his return Zary has missed nine consecutive games due to a knee injury suffered on Jan. 7 in a 3-2 overtime win against Anaheim. He went knee-on-knee with Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson and left immediately after just 6:37 of ice time. Meanwhile, Helleson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for his part in the collision. The 23-year-old Zary was having yet another productive season before the injury, logging 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) through 40 games. Despite his missed time, Zary still ranks fifth on the Flames roster for goals and face-off wins and is sixth in assists and total points. Calgary has stayed afloat without the impactful youngster, going 5-4 without him. They're now 24-18-7 and fifth in the Pacific Division with 55 points. The Flames return to action on Thursday at home against the Ducks. It'll be the first time the Pacific rivals have faced since Zary's injury. Barrie hopes to be regular contributor as Flames search for offenceAndersson-Wilson sideshow steals spotlight as Flames fall to CapitalsCOMMENTS where he’ll return to the lineup against the New York Rangers after serving a two-game suspension I obviously had no intention of going in there to hurt someone but like I said I made a mistake and I had to live with it and I own up to it and kind of move on from there and make sure I don’t do something like that against to take myself out of the lineup.” Zary hit Petterson after the Canucks blueliner had landed a big clean hit on Nazem Kadri as he crossed the blue line Replays showed that he struck him with an elbow and given that Petterson did not return to the game it was inevitable that Zary was going to face some discipline The NHL’s Department of Player Safety described it as a “late retaliatory hit” when announcing their decision Speaking after the suspension was announced head coach Ryan Huska didn’t have any complaints about the NHL’s decision but did like that Zary stood up for a teammate “I love that Connor went in and stood up for a teammate,” Huska said I don’t think he’s ever going to put himself that’s not Connor so I don’t worry about that I just love the fact that he was there for a teammate.” “You want to be around and want to stick up for your teammates and help but you’ve got to do it the right way and be smart about it,” Zary told Flames TV “I never had any intention or want to see a guy get hurt but at the end of the day we want to be a team that sticks up for each other The Flames lost both games Zary missed and will be desperate for him to provide an offensive spark on his return The team hasn’t been scoring enough goals recently Zary has managed two goals in nine games since returning to the lineup from a knee injury but proved earlier this season that he is a dangerous and valuable offensive weapon He was third on the Flames in goals and points when he got hurt against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan and as his team fights for its playoff life they’ll need more from him doing the things that make me successful,” Zary told Postmedia before the suspension It’s obviously trying to play with the puck and play with speed and make those skill plays that I do well and be creative and try to work through those things and build those things Flames forward Connor Zary was an early exit after taking a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson in the second period Helleson was given a game-misconduct for the hit, but the NHL is not adding supplemental discipline. The Flames are still unable to get a full update on Zary’s condition According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli the Flames are waiting for inflammation in Zary’s knee to subside before they can take him for imaging Further details should come out within a day Connor Zary update: #Flames are waiting for inflammation in Zary's knee to subside before imaging tomorrow will determine full extent of damage Calgary has only been able to rule out that there is no fracture The Flames have at least been able to determine that Zary didn’t fracture anything in his leg The kneeing incident forced Zary’s knee to hyperextend in the wrong direction and he fell to the ice in clear pain after the hit Zary grasped at his knee right away and needed help off the ice Zary has been a key piece to the Flames’ success up to this point of the 2024-25 season. The 23-year-old has 22 points (10G-12A) in 40 games played and has been a force on Calgary’s third line. Zary is taking full advantage of his second season in the NHL Only time will tell how long Zary will be out of the Flames lineup, but he will at least miss one game. The contest with the Ducks was the first half of a back-to-back for the Flames. They are slated to face off against the Los Angeles Kings, but the Pacific Palisades Fire might postpone that game. Not to heap too much pressure on the sophomore forward but his team is desperate for a spark as they hit Manhattan for a matchup with the Rangers While the Flames remain only two points out of the final wild-card in the Western Conference they have now lost three straight — they are 0-2-1 during that slide — and were throttled Monday by the Maple Leafs Zary is an important part of the attack and yet in nine outings since he recovered from a knee injury he’s managed only two goals — both in the opening period of a March 4 victory in Philadelphia — and zero assists doing the things that make me successful,” Zary told Postmedia shortly before his suspension “I think for the first however many games I played before I got hurt I was really successful in doing those things And then obviously when you miss six or seven weeks and quite a bit of games you miss a little bit and you really work to get that back.” It’s understandable that Zary was a little rusty as he returned from injury 47 to be an offensive factor as they enter the final month of their regular-season schedule he was sitting third on the team in both and points Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri can’t do it all so Zary needs to be part of the solution to Calgary’s secondary-scoring woes You start to feel good physically but I think it’s just as big of a thing mentally just trying to come back and have that confidence to make those plays and be that creative player I’ve always been.” the Flames will welcome the boost that Zary could potentially provide It will be interesting to see where he slots in the lineup Does he get a look with Huderdeau and Kadri on the top trio or will he perhaps be skating alongside Yegor Sharangovich We’re right back in a playoff spot if we win (Tuesday) night — Flames alternate captain MacKenzie Weegar after Monday’s lopsided loss in Toronto • Flames backup Dan Vladar worked the final 20 minutes in Toronto with Dustin Wolf hooked after allowing five goals in two periods of action While Wolf has impressed with his bounce-back abilities we’d still expect Vladar to be between the pipes for the second stop on this back-to-back The 27-year-old has been solid in his past three starts with a 2.28 goals-against average and .928 save percentage • The Flames were 0-for-3 on the penalty-kill against the Maple Leafs • Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin has been red-hot since the calendar flipped to March Panarin is riding a nine-game point streak with six goals and seven assists over that span • Bad news for a Flames squad that struggles to light the lamp … The Rangers are tied for the league lead with eight shutouts • Reports from the Rangers’ morning skate indicated that Igor Shesterkin will get the start for the New Yorkers. Flames captain Mikael Backlund is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, while Justin Kirkland (knee) and Anthony Mantha (knee) are both done for the season.