Hot sticks collide: Gaudreau vs. Voracek
Flames welcome back captain Giordano as they host Flyers on Wednesday night
CALGARY — Streaking, anyone?
Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau is shooting to start a new streak, while Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek is aiming to keep his alive when the Flames battle the Flyers on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Gaudreau was saluted as the NHL’s third star of the week, but that time frame ended with a bit of a bummer — his seven-game point spree was snapped in Sunday’s 1-0 shutout loss to the Oilers in Edmonton. He piled up four goals and nine assists during that wicked run.
Voracek, meanwhile, arrives in Calgary on a fivegame tear. The 29-year-old has scored three times and added a hat trick of helpers during his heater.
Here are 5 Things to Watch for when the Flames (19-10-2) host the Flyers (12-13-3):
1 WELCOME BACK, CAP
Calgary’s club captain and defensive stalwart Mark Giordano returns to action against the Flyers after serving a two-game suspension for a knee-on-knee knock on Minnesota Wild centre Mikko Koivu. The Flames allowed only a grand total of three goals during Giordano’s absence, but their first powerplay unit seemed out of sync without the 35-year-old at quarterback.
2 CENTRE OF ATTENTION
The Flyers could also welcome back a key piece at the Saddledome. Sean Couturier is expected to return to the’ lineup after missing a pair of contests due to an undisclosed lowerbody ailment. Philadelphia’s injured list still includes ex-Flames netminder Brian Elliott, who has been out since mid-November with what is believed to be a wonky groin. The 33-year-old Elliott is travelling with the team, a hint he could soon be back between the pipes.
3 DANDY DOZEN
Despite Sunday’s 1-0 blanking in the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta, the Flames have been on a remarkable roll, with a 9-2-1 record in their past dozen dates — a points haul that helped them surge to the top of the Western Conference. They have outscored opponents 49-26 during that stretch.
4 FEELING THE LOVE
While his skating stars enjoyed an off-day Monday, Flames bench boss Bill Peters was a guest on the Jim Rome Show, proof the sports world is taking notice of this recent roll. “Obviously, any type of national recognition — on either side of the border — is good,” Peters said after Tuesday’s practice. “But it’s a good team. It’s an exciting team. It’s a fun team. It’s a team worth watching. It’s a team that can explode offensively. People love to see the offence, the goals. The power-play has been real good recently. Both goaltenders are playing well. Everybody is finding a way to contribute … So we like the way we’re playing.”
5 THIS AND THAT
Flyers leading scorer Claude Giroux missed Tuesday’s practice, but it was reportedly just a maintenance day for the first-line centre … Flames rising star Matthew Tkachuk celebrated his 21st birthday Tuesday … The Flyers’ dreadful start cost Ron Hextall his jobasgeneralmanager,with Chuck Fletcher hired last week as his replacement. The boys from the City of Brotherly Love have a 2-2-1 record since Hextall’s ouster.