The phrase flames vs stars fits Monday night in Dallas: one team arriving with a bit of momentum, the other still sorting through injuries and depth calls. The Calgary Flames are coming off a 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks, and the Dallas Stars are trying to keep their shape as absences continue to define the roster.
What does the Flames vs Stars matchup look like on paper?
On paper, the setup is straightforward. Calgary is expected to make only one lineup change, with Aydar Suniev set for his season debut on the third line. He would replace Victor Olofsson, while the rest of the forward group stays intact from the win in Anaheim. That gives the Flames a familiar structure in a game that still carries meaning for evaluating younger players.
The projected Calgary lines show Blake Coleman with Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee with Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin, Suniev with Ryan Strome and Martin Pospisil, and Yegor Sharangovich with Connor Zary and Adam Klapka. The scratches list includes Ryan Lomberg, John Beecher, Tyson Gross, Brayden Pachal and Olofsson. Injured players include Jake Bean, Samuel Honzek, Jonathan Huberdeau and Joel Hanley.
Why are the Stars managing this game differently?
Dallas enters the game in a very different place. The Stars are firmly in playoff position, but the roster has been stretched by a long injury list. Radek Faksa remains unavailable, even after taking part in a full practice Monday. Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said Faksa will not return yet, and he has not played for Dallas since Feb. 4 after being hurt while competing for Team Czechia at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
That leaves Dallas leaning on depth. The projected forward groups include Jason Robertson with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen, Jamie Benn with Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell, and Oskar Back with Justin Hryckowian and Mavrik Bourque. On defense, Lian Bichsel is projected to return in a depth role after missing time, while the Stars continue to rotate their blue line carefully.
The injury list remains long: Nathan Bastian, Michael Bunting, Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin and Sam Steel are all listed as unavailable. Even with those absences, Dallas is working from a position of strength compared with many teams this late in the season.
What is Calgary trying to learn from this stretch?
For Calgary, the game is about more than one result. The Flames are 32-36-8, and the recent win over Anaheim gave them a chance to build on something positive. Suniev’s debut adds another layer, because it places a younger player into the lineup without forcing major disruption.
That balance matters. The Flames vs Stars game is not only about two points, but about how Calgary uses the final stretch to test combinations while staying competitive. The projected group suggests the coaching staff wants continuity, with one controlled change rather than a broader shuffle.
How do injuries shape the larger story?
Injuries are the clearest difference in this matchup. Dallas can absorb them because of its record, its position, and the depth it can still call on. Calgary, meanwhile, is making decisions that reflect both evaluation and availability. The result is a game that reveals two kinds of pressure: one team trying to maintain pace, the other trying to make every remaining night count for development.
That is what gives flames vs stars its human edge. A season debut, a delayed return, and a lineup held together by depth all sit inside the same game. In Dallas, the opening shift will not just begin a matchup; it will show how each team is choosing to carry the end of the season.
