The Flames (1-2-0) will be hosting the defending Pacific Division champions Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-2) on Tuesday evening.
Despite a two-goal game by Matt Coronato, the Flames came up short 4-2 against the St. Louis Blues in their most recent tilt.
Their opponent on Tuesday evening, the Golden Knights, will be tough competition considering they are amongst the favorites for the Stanley Cup, as has been the case every year since the team's first season in 2017-18.
The team made headlines in the off-season by acquiring winger Mitch Marner on July 30 from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade for an eight-year $96 million deal.
However, the Knights were not done dishing out lucrative contracts, as just a week ago, they signed alternate captain and forward Jack Eichel to an eight-year $108 million extension, the fifth-richest deal in NHL history.
Both Eichel and Marner scored 100 points last season.
Their first line with Ivan Barbashev has produced the most goals (2) and given up the least (0) while playing the most minutes (28:39) so far this season, as per Natural Stat Trick. So, expect Vegas to run with this again.
Mark Stone is tied with a league-high five assists and certainly doesn't lack the ability in offensive production.
His second line partners include William Karlsson, who with the exception of last season, hasn't scored less than 35 points in his eight years in Sin City.
So far, Vegas has scored 10 goals in the season. Four of those have come off the power play, all by Pavel Dorofeyev.
Dorofeyev for his credit, is also leading the league with five goals.
So, Calgary's penalty-kill needs to watch out for the 24-year-old Russian.
On defence, the biggest name that comes to mind is Shea Theodore, who is one of the league's premier offensive-minded defenceman. He received a vote in last season's Norris Trophy selection, albeit it was for fifth place.
His pairing partner this season, Brayden McNabb, pulled in a rating pf +41 last season, the highest in the league.
So far this season, the pairing of Jeremy Lauzon and Kaeden Korczak has produced the third-lowest Expected Goals Against (xGA) for pairings that have played at least 30 minutes of ice time, as per Natural Stat Trick.
Calgary can breathe a sigh of relief as Alex Pietrangelo, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and another two-way defenceman had pulled out of the season due to an injury that will require surgery.
It will be a added, but welcomed, pressure to another *yet again* offensive-minded defenceman in Noah Hanifin.
Bottom Line
I'm not going to sugar-coat this. This Vegas team is well-balanced offensively and defensively and will be a huge test for the Flames.
If Calgary is to win, it will be a VERY ugly win, but on the bright side, they will have proven their worth to themselves and the league.