Bruins at Flames
A pair of teams holding down the final playoff spots in the respective conferences will square off when the Calgary Flames host the slumping Boston Bruins on Monday night. The Flames have won 10 of 14 but are trying to hold off the red-hot Minnesota Wild and resurgent Los Angeles Kings in the West. "We are in a really good spot. Everybody loves to play these games," goaltender Karri Ramo said. "I don’t think anybody feels the pressure that it would be too much."
Calgary is coming off a 3-2 home victory over Vancouver 24 hours after the Bruins were demolished by the Canucks for their third straight loss in the opener of a five-game road trip. Boston has been outscored 13-6 during the three-game skid while allowing five goals in each of its last two defeats. "It's obviously frustrating," Bruins center Chris Kelly said. "But at the end of the day, we're the only ones that can correct it and we need to in order to have any chance at the postseason."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), RSN West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (28-20-7): Boston closed out January on a 8-1-1 run to seize a firm grip on the final postseason slot in the East but has dropped four of five this month while managing a total of 10 goals. Patrice Bergeron has been one of the few consistent performers during the tailspin, scoring in back-to-back contests and notching five goals in seven games since the All-Star break to hike his team-leading total to 16. The Bruins' power play has dipped to No. 23 in the league after converting on only 3-of-27 chances over the past 12 games.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (31-22-3): Ramo had 28 saves Saturday in his first start since Jan. 7 and will be in net again versus Boston, marking the first time he's made back-to-back starts since Dec. 4-6. "I had no doubt in my mind that he would be ready," Calgary coach Bob Hartley said. "We played him twice in the last couple of weeks coming in relief of (Jonas Hiller), and it was by design." Second-year center Sean Monahan, who labored through a 13-game goalless drought from Dec. 12 to Jan. 10, has rebounded with eight tallies in his last 13 contests.
OVERTIME
1. Calgary has killed off 16 straight penalties over the past eight games.
2. Boston has yielded the first goal in five straight contests.
3. Former D Steve Montador, a member of the Calgary team that advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2004, died early Sunday morning.