Preview - Flames @ Canucks

FLAMES (21-17-2) VS. CANUCKS (19-18-3)
BROADCAST: 8:00 PM MT; Sportsnet West (TV), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (radio)
SEASON SERIES: Friday's game is the third in a five-game season series between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. The clubs split the opening two skates, with Vancouver picking up a 2-1 overtime win on Oct. 15 and Calgary collecting a 4-1 victory on Dec. 23. Brian Elliott was in net on Dec. 23, making 13 saves on 14 shots, and kicked off a five-game winning streak for the goaltender. Mark Giordano, Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik, and Dougie Hamilton all had two points in that 4-1 win. The Flames and Canucks will meet again on Saturday when they face off in Calgary at 8:00 PM MT.

FLAMES' SEASON SCOPE: With a 21-17-2 record and 44 points on the year, the Flames hold the first Wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They are 11-7-2 on the road and are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the most road wins in the Western Conference. Calgary is coming off of a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, which saw Backlund extend his scoring streak to five games thanks to his second period goal. During his point streak, Backlund has six goals and nine points. Matthew Tkachuk also extended his point streak to seven games in the win. The rookie has one goal and eight points during that stretch.
CANUCKS' SEASON SCOPE:After dropping a 4-1 decision to the Flames on Dec. 23, the Canucks have won five straight games. Their surge has sitting just one point behind the Los Angeles Kings, who hold the second Wildcard spot in the West with 42 points. Bo Horvat (27 points), Henrik Sedin (26 points) and Sven Baertschi (23 points) lead the Canucks in scoring. Goaltenders Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom have split the workload in net; Miller has a 11-10-1 record with a 2.65 GAA and a .912 save percentage while Markstrom holds a 8-8-2 record with a 2.60 GAA and a .913 save percentage.