Coyotes at Flames
Fresh off a five-game road trip, the Calgary Flames begin a similar stretch at home when they welcome the Arizona Coyotes to Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday. It will be the second five-game homestand of the season already for Calgary, which went 2-1-2 on its first before posting a 3-2-0 record on the trek that concluded with a 4-1 loss at Carolina on Monday. The Flames scored a total of 16 goals in the victories while tallying only three times in the defeats.
Arizona has dropped two straight following a three-game winning streak, with both losses coming at home. The Coyotes are just 2-4-1 on the road this season but have won each of their last two away from the desert. Arizona netted the first two goals against Dallas on Tuesday but was unable to hold the lead, suffering a 4-3 loss on a short-handed goal by Ryan Garbutt with 1:16 remaining in the third period.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, RSN (Calgary)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (6-8-1): While Arizona hasn't won three in a row on the road since Oct. 2-13, it's been even longer since it posted a victory in Calgary. The Coyotes haven't left the Flames' building with a win since Feb. 23, 2012, when it escaped with a 4-3 shootout triumph. Arizona has lost its last five visits to Calgary, averaging two goals per game during the slide.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (9-6-2): After alternating goaltenders over the first 10 games of the season, coach Bob Hartley has hitched his wagon to Jonas Hiller. The 32-year-old Swiss netminder has started six of Calgary's last seven contests, going 3-2-1 while also picking up a victory in relief of Karri Ramo. Left wing Sven Baertschi is expected to return to the lineup Thursday after missing one contest with a virus. "My hands and my feet were on fire," he told the team's web site. "It was something that kind of came out of nowhere. For me, I'm glad it's over."
OVERTIME
1. Calgary captain Mark Giordano, who leads all NHL defensemen with 19 points, has collected four goals and eight assists during his seven-game point streak.
2. Arizona is 0-for-18 on the power play over its last four contests.
3. The Flames have played only six home games this season, tied for the second-fewest in the league behind San Jose (five).