Flames at Islanders
The Calgary Flames continue their three-game Eastern Conference road trip Thursday with their first contest against the New York Islanders since 2011. The Flames and Islanders have met just six times since the 2004-05 lockout, with New York winning five times. Calgary owns a 9-14-4 mark on the road but is 5-3-3 versus Metropolitan Division opponents - the only division against which it has a winning record.
The Islanders snapped a five-game winless skid and are returning home with the hope of turning around their 8-12-8 record at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Evgeni Nabokov is expected to start in goal for New York after earning his 57th career shutout in a 1-0 win over Washington on Tuesday, while Reto Berra is confirmed as starter for the Flames. Calgary and the Islanders enter Thursday’s game with a combined goal differential of minus-74, highlighting the struggles both teams have endured this season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Calgary, MSG Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (21-28-7): Goaltender Karri Ramo’s MCL injury will keep him out until after the Olympics. Defenseman Kris Russell rejoined the lineup Tuesday after missing Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury. Jiri Hudler has been Calgary’s most consistent scorer on the road, with a team-leading 10 goals and 22 points in 27 games.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (22-28-8): Captain John Tavares is mired in a four-game point drought - his longest slump of the season - after finishing January with 20 points. Thomas Vanek has also been held off the scoresheet in the last four games as trade speculation heats up. Vanek was the last Islanders player to score a power-play goal, doing so on Jan. 21. The team has since failed on its last 25 opportunities with the man advantage.
OVERTIME
1. Calgary has just two regulation road victories since Nov. 30.
2. Nabokov has a .909 save percentage in 31 career starts against the Flames.
3. The Flames and Islanders meet again at Calgary on March 7.