Flames at Canucks preview
Calgary has lost five of six; Pettersson returns for Vancouver
by Kevin Woodley / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
FLAMES (27-22-6) at CANUCKS (30-20-5)
10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, SN360, SN1, CITY, NHL.TV
The Game
Elias Pettersson will return to the lineup for the Vancouver Canucks when they host the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena on Saturday.
The forward, who leads the Canucks in goals (23) and points (55), was a late scratch prior to a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
Vancouver is 0-2-1 in its past three games but has won nine in a row at home dating to Dec. 17, two shy of tying its record set from Feb. 3-March. 19, 2009.
Calgary will play its second straight game without captain Mark Giordano, who is week to week because of a hamstring injury. The Flames have lost three in a row and are 1-4-1 in their past six games.
Players to watch
Flames forward Elias Lindholm has five points (two goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak.
Canucks forward J.T. Miller has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past 11 games.
They said it
"It's a big statement game for our team. It's just about everyone individually focusing on what they can control and going out and bringing their best game." -- Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin
"I wanted to go out there and try and I didn't feel 100 percent (before the last game). But I got some rest, got some treatment over the last few days, and I feel good." -- Canucks center Elias Pettersson
Flames projected lineup
Johnny Gaudreau -- Sean Monahan -- Elias Lindholm
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Matthew Tkachuk
Tobias Rieder -- Mark Jankowski -- Sam Bennett
Milan Lucic -- Derek Ryan -- Dillon Dube
TJ Brodie -- Travis Hamonic
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Oliver Kylington -- Michael Stone
David Rittich
Cam Talbot
Scratched: Zac Rinaldo, Brandon Davidson, Buddy Robinson
Injured: Mark Giordano (hamstring)
Canucks projected lineup
J.T. Miller -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Tanner Pearson -- Bo Horvat -- Brandon Sutter
Antoine Roussel -- Adam Gaudette -- Jake Virtanen
Tim Schaller -- Jay Beagle -- Loui Eriksson
Quinn Hughes -- Christopher Tanev
Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher
Jordie Benn -- Tyler Myers
Jacob Markstrom
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: Guillaume Brisebois, Justin Bailey, Zack MacEwen
Injured: Oscar Fantenberg (concussion protocol), Tyler Motte (upper body), Josh Leivo (kneecap), Micheal Ferland (concussion), Tyler Graovac (lower body)
Status report
Calgary moved Monahan back to the top line and shifted Lindholm from center to right wing. … Brisebois, a defenseman, was recalled from Utica in the American Hockey League on Friday after Fantenberg was injured against the Wild. … Ferland, a forward who has missed 41 of the past 43 games, skated with the team for the first time on Saturday and expects to go to the AHL on a conditioning stint after one more practice.
Stat pack
Tkachuk has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past five games. … Hughes has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past five games.