5 THINGS - FLAMES @ STARS

FLAMES (22-10-2) at STARS (16-14-3)

US

The Flames are closing out a three-game road trip that began with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, and hit the midway mark less than 24 hours later when they ran roughshod on the St. Louis Blues, winning 7-2. Johnny Gaudreau and Alan Quine each had a pair, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano added singles, and David Rittich made 26 saves in the victory. … Calgary's red-hot powerplay, which ranks ninth in the NHL at 23.3%, went 3-for-4, while their penalty kill was a perfect 2-for-2, and included a shorthanded goal (Lindholm) for the third straight game. … Mikael Backlund (upper body) was back in the rotation after missing four games, while Mike Smith ("body soreness") backed up Rittich after exiting last Wednesday's win over the Philadelphia Flyers after 40 minutes of action. … The Flames are 12-2-1 in their last 15 and lead the Pacific Division by three points over the surging Anaheim Ducks. … "The belief is there right now and we've got to continue that feeling," Giordano said. "Games are going to get tighter and tighter as the year goes along here. But anytime you can pile up some points before the halfway point of the season and get into a good spot, it's a good thing." … Following tonight's game, the Flames will head home to face the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

THEM

The Stars are back on home ice after losing all four on a weeklong road trip through the Pacific and Mountain time zones. As a result, they're now four points back of a wild-card playoff spot, but do play seven of their next nine, and 13 of their next 18 at the American Airlines Center, where they've built a 10-3-1 record so far this year. … No. 1 defenceman John Klingberg(hand) is working toward a return after missing 17 games, but will not ready for tonight's contest. He could be back for Thursday's tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks. Fellow blueliners Connor Carrick, Stephen Johns and Marc Methot are also out, but are inching closer as well. … In their absence, others have had to step up, and look no further than rookie Miro Heiskanen. The third pick in the 2017 Draft, Heiskanen has nine points (5G, 4A) in his last 11 games, and had a four-game point streak (3G, 2A) snapped in Saturday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche. … 2015 first-round pick Denis Gurianov practiced on the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin on Monday. The 21-year-old has just four games of NHL experience under his belt, but scored his first goal Dec. 10 in Nashville, and picked up an assist on Saturday in Denver. "He's looking like he's an NHL player," Stars coach Jim Montgomery told Mark Stepneski of DallasStars.com. "He's not just a player that is good in flashes; he just seems to be good all the time now. He's looking dominant out there."

US VS. THEM

This is the second of three meetings, and the only to be played in the Lone Star State this year. In their first meeting back on Nov. 28, the Flames rallied from a 2-1 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the third period, but Gavin Bayreuther tied the game with 6:45 to play before Tyler Seguin struck in overtime as the Stars took a 4-3 decision at the Scotiabank Saddledome. … Garnet Hathaway, Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano supplied the offence for the homeside, while David Rittich made 24 saves in the OTL. ... The teams will close out the season series on Mar. 27 back at the 'Dome.

THIS, THAT & THE OTHER

THIS: Sunday's win over the Blues was the fourth time this year the Flames have scored at least seven goals in a game. Their 122 goals are second in the NHL behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (136) and ahead of the Colorado Avalanche (121). THAT: The Flames also scored at least four goals in a period for the sixth time, the highest total in the NHL. Three teams have done it four times: The Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers. THE OTHER: With 45 points in his first 34 games, Johnny Gaudreau is on pace for 108 points, which would be a career high. Most recently, though, he's been on a ridiculous tear, shredding the NHL with 16 points (5G, 11A) in his last eight games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Flames - Mark Giordano
Giordano has goals in three straight games and the Norris Trophy talk hasn't quieted one bit as a result. In fact, the skipper's play is earning some national recognition, too, as 'Gio' was the subject of a passionate soliloquy by Don Cherry during Coach's Corner on Hockey Night in Canada. "He does everything," Cherry said. "He scores goals. He hits. He fights. He blocks shots. He got out of the way there so Smith could see it. He does everything. He's never, ever mentioned. I don't understand it. He is a tough guy and they're lucky to have him." ... Giordano, 35, has that many points (6G, 29A) in 32 games and is third among defencemen in league scoring.
Stars - Gavin Bayreuther
Bayreuther scored the game-tying goal the last time these teams met as part of his first-ever multi-point game at the NHL level. The 24-year-old is one of many Dallas defencemen summoned from the farm in the absence of their Top 4, and at one point was playing upwards of 20 minutes per game. More recently, he's had his ice time cut back (playing a season-low 13:08 on Saturday), but remains an offensive threat, even in a more limited role.