Flames at Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames look to end their respective losing streaks when the Pacific Division rivals meet at Rogers Arena on Saturday. Vancouver began the month of December with a pair of victories to improve to 3-1-0 on its season-high seven-game road trip before mustering just seven goals during a five-game slide (0-4-1). "You say you should never lose two games in a row. We are at five games in a row," Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa told the Vancouver Sun after Friday's practice. "If it keeps going, it becomes one to remember. We don't want that. We want to put a stop to it."
While the Canucks dropped a 2-0 decision to Dallas on Wednesday, Calgary saw its losing streak reach seven games with a 2-1 setback to the Stars two nights later. Captain Mark Giordano scored late in the first period for the Flames, who have tallied just five times in their last five contests. Giordano had an assist in Calgary's 4-2 setback to Vancouver on Oct. 8.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CBC
ABOUT THE FLAMES (17-15-2): With Jonas Hiller making 19 saves on Friday, Karri Ramo is expected to get the nod versus Vancouver. Ramo had been battling an illness but was able to participate in the morning skate Friday and served as Hiller's backup. Ramo has yielded 11 goals en route to losing his last three decisions and is 1-2-1 with a 3.03 goals-against average in his career versus the Canucks.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (18-11-2): Alex Burrows provided a net-front presence while practicing with the first-team power-play unit on Friday. "I have always enjoyed that role," Burrows told the Vancouver Sun. "It's fun until you take one in the head. ... I like to compete with the net-front 'D' and get in the goalie's kitchen a little bit." Burrows, who scored against Calgary in the first meeting, also skated with Bo Horvat and Derek Dorsett on the fourth line while Jannik Hansen joined Nick Bonino and Chris Higgins on the second for the second straight day.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver is 0-for-18 on the power play in its last six contests.
2. Calgary LW Jiri Hudler scored in the teams' first meeting but saw his four-game point streak end on Friday.
3. Canucks captain Henrik Sedin had an empty-net tally in the teams' first meeting but has been held off the scoresheet in each of the last three contests and hasn't scored a goal since Nov. 28.