Preview - Flames vs. Capitals

CAPITALS (4-2-1) VS. FLAMES (4-4-1)
BROADCAST: 7:30 PM MT; Sportsnet Flames (TV), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (radio)
SEASON SERIES: Sunday's contest will be the opening tilt in a two-game series between the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals in 2016-17. The Flames went 1-1-0 against the Capitals last year, picking up their victory in Washington on Nov. 13, 2015. Sean Monahan led the Flames in scoring against the Capitals in 2015-16 with three goals in two skates. Michael Frolik and Johnny Gaudreau trailed him with two points against Washington. Evgeny Kuznetsov led Washington in scoring against Calgary with three assists.

CAPITALS TEAM SCOPE:The Capitals will be playing their second game in as many nights when they square off against the Flames on Sunday. Washington picked up a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer got the start in Vancouver, making 23 saves on 25 shots. Marcus Johansson led his team with three points in the win against the Canucks. The Capitals are in the midst of a Western Canadian road swing, which will wrap up on Tuesday in Winnipeg. They opened the trip with a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Captain Alex Ovechkin leads his team in scoring with four goals and five points in six games. Netminder Braden Holtby, who is expected to get the start in Calgary, is 2-2-1 this season with a 2.38 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
FLAMES TEAM SCOPE:The Flames have won three consecutive games, outscoring their opponents 12-5 in that stretch. Goaltender Brian Elliott has played in the past three games, posting a 1.63 GAA and a .944 save percentage. Centre Sam Bennett heads into the game on a four-game point streak. During that span, the 20-year-old has registered three goals and six points. He is now tied with Troy Brouwer for second in team scoring with six points each. Gaudreau is leading the Flames with seven points through nine games. Sunday's game will cap off the Flames' two-game homestand. They depart for a four-game road swing on Monday, which will see them make stops in Chicago, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim.