Mikael Backlund’s absence creates a massive hole in the Calgary Flames lineup tonight as they prepare to host the Colorado Avalanche.

The captain played just a handful of shifts in Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks and is now out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Backlund has taken more defensive-zone faceoffs than anyone else in the league this season. Facing MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon, head coach Ryan Huska is down his shutdown centre and security blanket.

"I use him in situations against top players all the time, so I haven't really had to second-guess who's going out there against a MacKinnon for a defensive-zone faceoff,” Huska said. “It's been Mikael.”

That responsibility now shifts to centres Nazem Kadri, Kevin Rooney, and

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