As the Flames and Lightning go head to head …

Calgary Flames (30-26-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (27-24-8)

5:30 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 960 The Fan

WHO TO WATCH — FLAMES D Michael Stone

Not bad, new guy. Just one day after arriving via trade from the Arizona Coyotes, Stone made a positive first impression in Tuesday’s thrilling 6-5 win in Nashville, even earning an assist on Mikael Backlund’s tying tally in the third period. The 26-year-old was credited with one hit and was even-par in 17:09 of ice time against the Predators. “I thought Stoney settled in,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “When we started, he was just kind of feeling it out. And by the end, I thought he was rising up and taking charge.”

WHO TO WATCH — LIGHTNING RW Nikita Kucherov

Kucherov is always worth watching. Just be warned, if you blink, you might miss him. With blazing speed and plenty of offensive skill, Kucherov is even better than most fans probably realize. The 23-yearold star racked up four points in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Oilers, scoring once and assisting on the other three goals. Most guys go through their entire careers without a four-point outburst. Kucherov has done it three times this season. Wow. With 22 goals and 31 assists in 52 games, the Russian speedster is on the short-list of NHLers currently averaging better than a point per game.

SETUP NOTES

With the Harlem Globetrotters performing Wednesday at Amalie Arena, about half of the Flames hit the hard court after their afternoon video session and off-ice workouts. A few of the Globetrotters even joined them for a friendly game of bump. There’s no word on whether the Flames offered better competition than the Washington Generals … Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau racked up a career-high four assists during Tuesday’s 6-5 victory in Nashville, the second time this month that one of Calgary’s go-to guys has been credited with four setups in a single outing. D T.J. Brodie achieved that same feat on Feb. 3 against the New Jersey Devils. Prior to that, the last Flames skater to collect four assists in one night was Todd Bertuzzi in February 2009 … With Tuesday’s 4-1 victory against the Oilers, the Lightning extended their point streak to seven straight games. They own a 5-0-2 record during that superb stretch … The Bolts doubled up the Flames in their first meeting of the season, snapping Calgary’s six-game winning spree with a 6-3 victory at the Saddledome in mid-December. Lightning C Brian Boyle and LW Alex Killorn each tallied twice that night. Brodie and RW Troy Brouwer led the local favourites with a pair of points apiece … The Lightning announced Wednesday that RW Ryan Callahan needs followup surgery on his right hip and is out of action indefinitely.

INJURIES

Flames: None. Lightning: RW Jonathan Drouin (maintenance) missed Wednesday’s practice. RW Ryan Callahan (hip) and C Steven Stamkos (knee) are out.