Flames at Avalanche
A pair of teams sitting just outside playoff position in the Western Conference clash Saturday when the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. Colorado climbed back into contention with a 9-3-2 December after Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to Chicago and is four points out of the postseason picture while Calgary went 9-4-0 in December after a 4-1 setback to Los Angeles on Thursday and is three points out of a tie for second in a tightly packed Pacific Division.
Each team ended the month poorly, however, as the Avalanche lost three of their last four games (1-1-2) while the Flames dropped four of their last six (2-4-0). "If you told us at the start of the month that's what we'd do, we'd take it,'' Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson told reporters. "That's a really good month and something to build off coming into the new year.'' The Avalanche must avoid playing down to their competition as they are 7-2-1 against the Central Division - arguably the toughest group in the NHL - and 11-15-2 against everyone else. Calgary, which is coming off a 2-2-0 homestand and returns to the Scotiabank Saddledome for another four-game set after Saturday, has won four straight contests after losing its previous game by three of more goals.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CBC, TVAS, Altitude2 (Colorado)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (17-18-2): Calgary allows the most goals per game in the NHL at 3.24 and has scored only once in its last two contests. Part of the problem has been the power play, which is 0-for-7 in the last two games after going 4-for-11 in its previous three contests. Johnny Gaudreau leads the team in goals (17), assists (22), plus-minus (plus-5), shots (102) and shooting percentage (16.7) after scoring five goals in the two games prior to Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Anaheim.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (18-17-3): For the second straight game, coach Patrick Roy had what he considers a power forward on each line Thursday. The most intriguing combination is rookie left wing Andreas Martinsen (6-3, 200 pounds) playing with center John Mitchell and Matt Duchene (team-high 17 goals). Cody McLeod, the power forward on the fourth unit, scored his sixth goal of the season Thursday and is on pace for 13 - two shy of his career high set in 2008-09.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado RW Jarome Iginla, whose minus-11 rating would be a career low, needs one goal to become the 19th player in NHL history to reach 600.
2. The Flames allowed a power-play goal Thursday after not yielding one in seven games (12 chances) while the Avalanche have scored with the man advantage in five consecutive contests and are 8-for-17 during that span.
3. Colorado prevailed 6-3 on Nov. 3 in the first of three meetings this season with Duchene and Iginla each scoring twice, giving the home team four straight victories in the series.