The Calgary Flames are off to an 0-3-0 start to the 2026/27 campaign, and unfortunately for anyone hoping to see them turn things around, the upcoming schedule for the organization is an absolutely brutal one.
That begins on Thursday when the team take on the high-powered offense of the Colorado Avalanche, and unless the team can pull off a miracle, this one could get ugly after being outscored 16-3 in their first three games.
Ahead of Thursday's battle, Ryan Huska has once again made some changes, and given what we saw at practice hours before the game, some of those changes have now officially been confirmed.
Devin Cooley Starts for the Calgary Flames
Perhaps the biggest decision facing Ryan Huska ahead of Thursday's game was who to go with in net, and while Dustin Wolf has struggled through two games, Devin Cooley hasn't exactly been great either. However, with Wolf giving up six goals in each of his two starts against Seattle this season, the expectation was that Cooley would play in this one, and now, it's been confirmed at Flames training.
Devin Cooley is confirmed as tonight’s starter. #Flames https://t.co/naWGsOjdiE
— Pat Steinberg (@SteinbergYYC) October 8, 2026
In one game, Cooley struggled too, allowing three goals on 25 shots against the Vancouver Canucks, but after outplaying Wolf a year ago, the Flames are hoping that he can once again find his groove, beginning on Thursday.
Calgary Flames Lines Shaken up Once More
However, that's not the only decision that Huska needed to make, as the Flames promoted both Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna from the AHL on Wednesday, with fans begging to see both in action on Thursday. While there wasn't confidence that they would both be in the lineup, that has now been confirmed, as the two will play together on the fourth line alongside Adam Klapka, but if they're given time, this is a line that could potentially make an impact.
#Flames tonight vs. Colorado:
— Pat Steinberg (@SteinbergYYC) October 8, 2026
Gridin-Frost-Coronato
Sharangovich-Backlund-Farabee
Honzek-Pospisil-Strome
Suniev-Castagna-Klapka
Bahl-Whitecloud
Kuznetsov-Nemec
Middleton-Parekh
Cooley
Beyond that, the biggest changes come in the Flames middle-six, with Yegor Sharangovich now alongside Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee on the second line while Samuel Honzek falls to the third line to play alongside Martin Pospisil and Ryan Strome.
Defensively, the Flames have now placed Simon Nemec with his third partner of the season, as he will play on the second pairing with Yan Kuznetsov, with the other two pairings remaining the same from their last matchup. Ultimately, this is a team that's scored just three goals in three games while allowing 16, and while these changes could see a positive impact, against a Stanley Cup favourite like Colorado, this could get ugly.
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