Canucks at Flames
The Vancouver Canucks attempt to finish a disappointing season with a winning record on the road when they visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Vancouver enters its final game away from home with a 16-16-8 record but has dropped six of its last eight on the road, including a 6-2 setback at Edmonton on Wednesday in the Oilers' final contest at Rexall Place.
Bo Horvat, who ranks third on the Canucks in scoring (38 points), is riding a four-game point streak during which he has recorded three goals and two assists. Calgary is wrapping up its schedule at home, where it is an impressive 20-16-4 despite losing its last three (0-1-2). The Flames, who failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, need to win their last two games to avoid their lowest total of victories in a full campaign since posting 29 in 2002-03. Calgary, which is even in points with Vancouver, won three of the first four meetings between the Pacific Division rivals this season.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (30-37-13): Captain Henrik Sedin is three assists away from tying Larry Robinson (750) for 42nd place on the all-time list. The 35-year-old Swede has struggled scoring goals, however, as he enters Thursday with an 11-game drought and one tally in his last 22 contests. Vancouver has six players who have reached double digits in goals, with Alex Burrows and Jared McCann on the cusp at nine apiece.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (33-40-7): Captain Mark Giordano scored his career-high 21st goal in Tuesday's overtime loss to Los Angeles, the highest total by a Flames defenseman since Al MacInnis netted 28 tallies in 1993-94. The 32-year-old Giordano leads the team with nine power-play goals — his total in 125 games during the previous two seasons. Lance Bouma, who recorded two goals in 44 games after registering 16 in 78 contests last campaign, is done for the season after suffering an upper-body injury against the Kings.
OVERTIME
1. Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau has notched two points in each of his last two games and has not gone more than one contest without a point since a four-game drought from March 1-7.
2. Vancouver ranks 27th in the league on the power play (15.9 percent) but is a respectable 12th on the penalty kill (81.8).
3. Calgary will have Joni Ortio in net against the Canucks while fellow G Niklas Backstrom is expected to start Saturday's season finale versus Minnesota.