Canucks visit ahead of holiday break
Vancouver Canucks (14-16-3*) at Calgary Flames (17-16-2) *before Thursday’s game vs. Winnipeg Jets 7 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 960 The Fan
WHO TO WATCH — FLAMES RW Garnet Hathaway
The 25-year-old returns to the lineup after watching Tuesday’s game from the press box. And frankly, it was noticeable. Hathaway provides a spark and his added muscle always seems to be a quiet X-factor. Playing on the fourth line with Micheal Ferland and Matt Stajan, the winger has a clear objective — to create energy and keep the team’s momentum going. He does it well.
WHO TO WATCH — CANUCKS LW Sven Baertschi
It seems like forever ago that the Swiss winger was desperately trying to crack Calgary’s roster. But he seems to have found his place in the Canucks lineup. In Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Jets, he displayed this by scoring the goal of the game. He blocked Dustin Byfuglien’s shot at the blue-line, skated in on a breakaway and went glove side on Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck. All of this was done despite not being able to feel his left foot. The 24-year-old had seven goals and 10 assists in 30 games this season and was a plus-1.
SETUP NOTES
The Calgary Flames officially loaned D Oliver Kylington to Team Sweden for the 2017 IIHF world junior championship, which begins on Monday. The 19-year-old is in his second full season of pro hockey in North America. In 72 American Hockey League games, he has scored nine goals and amassed 25 points. His NHL debut came on April 9 at Minnesota, making him the youngest AHL call-up in Flames history ... Prior to Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at San Jose, C Sean Monahan was the first Flames player to reach a 10-game point streak since Kristian Huselius in 2006-07 (10 goals and 11 assists in 15 games played) ... In a weird scheduling quirk, the Canucks played back-to-back games against the Jets at home this week ... Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan was not concerned about his players’ focus heading into the final game before the Christmas break. “It concerns me in the fact that we’re playing a good hockey team that’s played well lately,” he said. “Just the feel of that room, I think we’ll be ready to play.”
INJURIES
Flames: None. Canucks: D Erik Gudbranson (wrist surgery), D Alex Edler (thumb), RW Derek Dorsett (neck) and RW Anton Rodin (knee).