Flames at Stars preview

FLAMES (22-10-2) at STARS (16-14-3)
8:30 p.m. ET; FS-SW+, SNW, NHL.TV

The Flames have scored at least five goals in four of their past seven games. They are trying to sweep a three-game road trip.
The Stars return home following an 0-4-0 trip. The four-game losing streak is their longest this season.
Dallas won 4-3 in overtime at Calgary on Nov. 28 when center Tyler Seguin scored 24 seconds into overtime and has won four in a row against the Flames.
Flames forward James Neal (upper body) and Stars forward Jason Spezza (illness) each will miss his first game this season.

Players to watch

Flames forward Elias Lindholm has 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists). He has equaled his NHL career high in goals and is eight short of matching his career best in points.
Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen leads NHL rookies in average time on ice (23:06) and ranks fourth in goals (seven). He has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past eight games.

They said it

"They beat us in our building last time, so that's fresh in our minds. We've got to get a measure of revenge here today. I remember us not being as good as we would have liked, then we turned it over on the game-winner." -- Flames coach Bill Peters
"You've just kind of got to know where everyone is on the ice. They look for each other. They're good at finding each other. They've played together for a long time now that group." -- Stars forward Tyler Seguin on Calgary

Flames projected lineup

Johnny Gaudreau -- Sean Monahan -- Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk -- Mikael Backlund -- Sam Bennett
Austin Czarnik -- Derek Ryan --
Kerby Rychel
Alan Quine
-- Mark Jankowski -- Garnet Hathaway
Mark Giordano -- TJ Brodie
Noah Hanifin -- Travis Hamonic
Oliver Kylington -- Rasmus Andersson
David Rittich
Mike Smith
Scratched:Dalton Prout
Injured:James Neal (upper body), Juuso Valimaki (lower body), Michael Stone (blood clot), Michael Frolik (lower body)

Stars projected lineup

Jamie Benn -- Tyler Seguin -- Denis Gurianov
Valeri Nichushkin -- Devin Shore -- Alexander Radulov
Radek Faksa -- Martin Hanzal -- Tyler Pitlick
Mattias Janmark -- Jason Dickinson -- Blake Comeau
Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen
Gavin Bayreuther -- Roman Polak
Joel Hanley -- Taylor Fedun
Ben Bishop
Anton Khudobin
Scratched:Julius Honka, Brett Ritchie
Injured:Jason Spezza (illness), Stephen Johns (upper body), Connor Carrick (lower body), Marc Methot (lower body), John Klingberg (broken hand)

Status report

Bennett missed Calgary's 7-2 win at the St. Louis Blues on Sunday with an upper-body injury and will be a game-time decision. If he can't play, Calgary will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Neal will be re-evaluated after the Flames return to Calgary. … Klingberg, out since Nov. 8, is aiming to return Thursday at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. Hanley was placed on waivers Monday and cleared Tuesday.

Stat pack

The Flames have scored a shorthanded goal in each of their three previous games, one game short of the franchise record. Gaudreau has 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in his past 15 games. … Dallas is 10-3-1 at home.