Coyotes at Flames
The Calgary Flames held up well on their recent road trip, earning seven of a possible 10 points, and how face one of the most favorable schedules entering the stretch run. That is, of course, if Calgary can improve its performance at Scotiabank Saddledome, where it will play 10 of its final 14 games, starting with Friday's clash versus the Arizona Coyotes.
The Flames fell into an early two-goal deficit versus Columbus and appeared headed for their seventh home loss in eight games before rallying for a 3-2 overtime victory. "You know, it's big. Getting the first game at home, coming back like that," defenseman T.J. Brodie said. "Anytime you can get some confidence with a win like that, you try and carry it over to the next game and hope it snowballs." Calgary is holding down third place in the tightly bunched Pacific, just above a cluster of five teams that includes Arizona, which has won two straight and three of four to bolster its hopes for a wild-card slot. ""We have 14 games left and every point is huge, it's a lot of fun right now, this is fun hockey," forward Lawson Crouse said after the Coyotes scored three times in the third period to open a three-game road trip with a 4-2 victory at Vancouver on Wednesday. "We've got to keep going for the rest of the road trip."
TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: FS Arizona-Plus, Sportsnet West
ABOUT THE COYOTES (33-27-8): Although Nick Schmaltz shares the team lead for points (43) with Clayton Keller, he had been mired in a deep goal funk, going 0-for-February before finally ending the 14-game drought at Vancouver. Captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson has scored a goal and set up another in back-to-back games, but he has failed to dent the scoresheet in three matchups against Calgary this season. Darcy Kuemper has faced the Flames once in each of the last three seasons, turning aside 97 of 98 shots and posting a pair of shutouts.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (35-26-7): Matthew Tkachuk scored his 22nd goal Wednesday and moved into a tie with Johnny Gaudreau for the team lead with 57 points, collecting 19 of them in 18 games since the All-Star break. Tkachuk, who has been held off the scoresheet only three times in that span, scored twice and set up another in two meetings versus the Coyotes this season to boost his career totals to six goals and six assists in 12 matchups. Elias Lindholm has collected points in three straight after scoring his team-leading 29th goal.
OVERTIME
1. Gaudreau has a three-game point streak overall and two goals in three matchups versus Arizona this season.
2. Coyotes F Conor Garland has scored only seven of his team-high 22 goals on the road.
3. Calgary is 3-for-12 on the power play in three meetings versus Arizona.