Penguins at Flames
The Calgary Flames are the hottest team in the NHL and have used the stellar play of Brian Elliott to better their position in the Western Conference playoff race. Calgary looks to match the franchise record of 10 straight victories when it hosts the also-streaking Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday in the opener of a four-game homestand.
The Flames posted their ninth consecutive win with a 3-0 triumph at Winnipeg on Saturday - which also was the second shutout in a row by Elliott, who has captured eight straight victories and is 12-1-1 in his last 14 decisions. Calgary is two points behind second-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division with a game in hand and nine in back of San Jose for the top spot. Pittsburgh also posted a 3-0 victory Saturday, blanking Vancouver for its fifth consecutive win overall and third through the first three contests of its five-game road trip. Evgeni Malkin was kept off the scoresheet after collecting nine points over his previous four games for the Penguins, who are one point behind Washington for first place in both the Metropolitan Division and the battle for the Presidents' Trophy.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), Sportsnet West (Calgary)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (43-16-8): A two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, Malkin is fourth in the NHL in scoring with 71 points and two goals behind teammate Sidney Crosby (34) for the league lead. The 29-year-old Crosby notched a pair of assists against the Canucks but has gone seven games without a tally. Pittsburgh may be without Carl Hagelin for the remainder of the regular season as the 28-year-old Swede, who has recorded only six goals and 16 assists in 61 games, is expected to miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered in Friday's shootout win at Edmonton.
ABOUT THE FLAMES (38-26-4): Calgary, which has not lost since dropping a 2-1 overtime decision at Vancouver on Feb. 18 and is 10-0-1 since being blanked by Arizona five days earlier, looks to match the franchise mark of 10 straight victories set from Oct. 14-Nov. 3, 1978 - when the club called Atlanta its home. "I think everybody's just approaching it a game at a time and building those two points at a time," Elliott told reporters. "This time of year, it's essential that you get those two points. We have to keep doing the same things. You can't sit back and look at the little run we've been on." Defenseman Michael Stone could miss his second straight game after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday's victory over Montreal.
OVERTIME
1. Penguins D Ron Hainsey's next game will be his 900th in the NHL.
2. Calgary C Matt Stajan is two points shy of 400 for his career while RW Alex Chiasson needs one to reach 100.
3. Pittsburgh has gone 13-3-3 since the All-Star break despite losing LW Hagelin, Ds Kris Letang (upper body), Trevor Daley (knee) and Olli Maatta (hand), RWs Patric Hornqvist (concussion) and Bryan Rust (upper body) and C Matt Cullen (undisclosed) along the way.