5 THINGS - FLAMES VS. SABRES

Flames (30-13-4: 64 pts.) @ Sabres (23-17-6: 52 pts.)

US

The Flames were anything but good hosts Sunday night, demolishing the visiting Arizona Coyotes 7-1 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan staked the Flames out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. Matthew Tkachuk and Gaudreau made it four-zip before Jordan Oesterle finally put one by Mike Smith. However, the homeside piled on in the third, with Tkachuk and Giordano scoring again before Sam Bennett rounded things out with his seventh of the season … The Flames improved to 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, including five straight wins. Calgary matched a franchise record for fewest games to record 30 wins in a season (47 GP), a mark set in 1988-89 (30-10-7, 67 points) en route to capturing the Stanley Cup.

THEM

A day after the Flames shelled the Coyotes, the Sabres took it on the chin in Edmonton, getting pummelled 7-2 by the Oilers. Casey Mittelstadt got Buffalo off on the right foot just a minute into the game but then Zach Kassian had a pair and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied before Evan Rodriguespulled his team back within one after 20 minutes. Connor McDavidmade it 4-2 before Milan Lucicscored two in a row - one in the second and another 3:50 into the third period - to blow it open. Leon Draisaitlput the final nail in the coffin. Carter Hutton gave up five goals on 12 shots before being yanked for Linus Ullmark … The Sabres have now lost three straight and been outscored 16-9 in the process.

US vs. THEM

The two clubs met up way back on Oct. 30 in Buffalo in the second game of back-to-backs, the Flames dumping the Leafs 3-1 the night prior in Toronto. Jack Eichel scored in the first period for the homeside and it looked as if that goal would hold up as the winner. That was until Tkachuk deflected Elias Lindholm's shot past Hutton with just 56 ticks left to play. In OT, Gaudreau skated slowly into the Buffalo zone allowing Giordano to catch up for a two-on-one, passing and then taking a feed back from the captain for an easy shot into a wide-open net. David Rittich made 28 stops in the win … The Flames are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games against the Sabres.

THIS, THAT, & THE OTHER

THIS: Sunday's win over Arizona was the 12th time this season in which Giordano, Tkachuk, Gaudreau, Monahan and Lindholm each collected at least one point. The Flames improved to 11-0-1 in those contests … THAT: The Flames are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most home goals with 100 … THE OTHER: Mikael Backlund is just two points away from reaching 300 in his career.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Flames: D Mark Giordano
Gio scored two goals and added a helper in the beat-down of Arizona. One of the early favourites for the Norris Trophy, he now has nine goals and 47 points in 45 games this season.
Sabres:LW Jeff Skinner
Skinner was kept off the scoresheet in the loss to the Oil buty had two goals and three points in his previous three outings.