Flames at Bruins
Although one streak came to an end in their last contest, the Boston Bruins look to extend another when they host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. Riddled by both injuries and the flu, the Bruins watched as their four-game winning streak snapped like a twig with Saturday's 6-2 setback to Vancouver. Boston looks to rebound and seize its fifth straight home victory following a 3-1-0 road trip.
Tuukka Rask made an early exit after yielding four goals against the Canucks but will attempt to douse the Flames for the third time in as many career meetings. The Finn turned aside 26 shots in a 2-1 victory over Calgary on Dec. 10 - although the game likely will be remembered as Jarome Iginla's return to Scotiabank Saddledome. Iginla missed practice on Monday after injuring his left ring finger versus Vancouver and is uncertain to face the Flames, who dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the New York Rangers on Sunday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RSN West (Calgary), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (13-15-5): Defenseman Mark Giordano, who succeeded Iginla as Calgary's captain, notched an assist versus the Bruins in the first meeting between the teams. Giordano also set up a goal on Sunday for his fourth point in seven games after missing 18 with a broken ankle. Jiri Hudler scored the lone goal for his team against Boston - his fourth in seven all-time meetings.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (22-9-2): Milan Lucic learned the hard way that some Canucks fans still harbor bitter feelings following the 2011 Stanley Cup final loss. The burly winger admitted that he was assaulted both verbally and physically by a man he didn't know in his hometown following Saturday's setback. "It's something I'm not proud of, but it was part of an unprovoked attack on Saturday night where I was punched in the face on two separate occasions - like I said, unprovoked," Lucic told ESPN Boston. "From this point forward, just exploring to pursue this in a legal manner, so that's probably as much as I can say right now."
OVERTIME
1. Boston RW Reilly Smith scored twice against the Canucks and has collected four goals and two assists in his last five contests. He also netted the eventual game-winning tally versus Calgary last week.
2. The Flames are 1-0-1 on their five-game road trip.
3. Boston enforcer Shawn Thornton announced that he plans to appeal the 15-game suspension he was presented following his altercation with Pittsburgh D Brooks Orpik.