Flames at Hurricanes
The red-hot Calgary Flames, fueled by a six-game winning streak, are shooting up the Pacific Division standings and will try to complete a four-game road trip with a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon. Calgary finished off an impressive back-to-back sweep through the state of Florida with a 4-2 victory over the Panthers on Friday, prompting captain Mark Giordano to tell reporters: "You want to ride these as long as you can."
"I think at the beginning of the year we were finding ways to lose and now we're grinding out wins, so it's definitely an added bonus when you don't play your best game and you still get the win," Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk told reporters after recording two points Friday, giving him a goal in each of the last two games. The Flames sit third in the Pacific while Carolina is tied for sixth in the Metropolitan, only one point behind the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes missed an opportunity to sweep a home-and-home, back-to-back series with first-place Washington by allowing two goals in the final 3:08 - including the loser with 1.3 seconds left - in Friday's 4-3 setback to Washington. “They all feel similar to me,” Carolina coach Bill Peters told reporters after the Hurricanes lost for the third time in four games and fell to 2-4-1 in their last seven contests. “It’s a loss, no points.”
TV: 3 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Calgary), FS Carolinas
ABOUT THE FLAMES (24-16-4): Johnny Gaudreau increased his team-leading point total to 52 by scoring in each of the last two games and has two goals and nine assists during a six-game point streak. Sean Monahan (team-high 21 goals) has also registered at least point in the last six contests with four goals and six assists during that span. Mike Smith (19-13-3, 2.50 goals-against average, .922 save percentage), who is 4-0-0, 1.98, .938 in four January starts, is expected back in goal despite a 3-10-4, 2.73, .918 ledger versus Carolina after backup David Rittich made 41 saves Friday.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (20-16-8): Sebastian Aho (club highs of 16 goals and 37 points) has scored in three straight games and boasts nine goals in his last 10 contests. Lee Stempniak made his season debut Friday after missing the first 43 games because of upper-body injuries and recorded an assist. Elias Lindholm (12 goals, 25 points) and Joakim Nordstrom missed Friday's game because of illness, while Derek Ryan (nine goals, 23 points) sat out with an upper-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. Calgary's 17-game stretch of allowing three or fewer goals is the longest such streak in the NHL this season.
2. Carolina C Jordan Staal (13 goals, 28 points this season) recorded his 200th career tally Friday to give him goals in consecutive games and three in his last four contests.
3. Carolina won the first of two meetings this season 2-1 on Oct. 19 with LW Jeff Skinner recording a goal and an assist, giving the road team three straight victories in a series that has been split for the last three campaigns.