5 THINGS - FLAMES @ CANUCKS

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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (31)
Goals - Johnny Gaudreau (13)
Canucks:
Points - Brock Boeser (33)
Goals - Boeser (16)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 20.5% (17th) / PK - 80.8% (11th)
Canucks:
PP - 19.8% (19th) / PK - 78.6% (15th)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 51.82% (9th)
High-Danger Chances: 50.71% (13th)
Canucks:
Shot Attempts: 46.98% (27th)
High-Danger Chances: 47.25% (23rd)

1. US

The Flames fell 5-1 in their last outing, losing the rubber match of a three-game set with the visiting Winnipeg Jets.
Calgary had plenty of scoring chances - leading Winnipeg in that department - but Elias Lindholm's powerplay marker in the first period was the only puck they got by Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets tied the game on a weird play where it appeared Nate Thompson kicked the puck in the net but it was called a goal and withstood review, beginning the five-goal run.
"I thought we had a good start. Obviously, we score the powerplay goal early," said head coach Darryl Sutter. "I thought there was a little bit of sag in our game with the Thompson goal. The review from the league called it a goal and I thought there was a little bit of sag. I thought on the next one, we lost (Mark) Scheifele on the backcheck. And then I thought when they switched lines around, putting Scheifele with the two speed guys - (Nikolaj) Ehlers and (Kyle) Connor - those three guys took the game over late in the first and early in the second. We didn't handle those guys very well."
Matthew Tkachuk said the loss was tough to swallow but the team had to park it and look ahead to this game with Vancouver and the chance to string together some wins as they drive towards securing a playof berth.
"Time's ticking," said the left-winger. "We've been saying this for the past however long, but time's really, really ticking and we've got to be stringing a bunch together.
"Frustration, you can't let it affect the rest of your season, because if we have any hope, any chance, of stringing any together (wins) against all these teams that are in front of us, we have to dig down deep. I certainly have to be a hell of a lot better than I was tonight. The games where we're playing well, we're playing with a lot of of energy, playing with a lot of pace, playing with a lot of physicality. We have to do that in the last 20 games. I don't even know if we have that many left."
The Flames and Canucks last met Feb. 17, the final tilt of a four-game set. The Canucks prevailed 5-1, but the Flames won the prior three: 4-3 in OT (Feb. 15) and a pair of 3-1 finals (Feb 11 & 13).

2. THEM

The Canucks are coming off a long break between games
A very long break.
The last time they took to the ice was waaaaay back on March 24 when they fell 5-1 to the visiting Jets. Two days earlier, they were beaten 4-0 by Winnipeg.
Prior to that, they had been a 4-0-1 run.
Nils Hoglander had the lone goal for the homeside, a late tally that came at 18:35 of the third period.
"Sometimes you play a pretty decent game and things don't go your way," coach Travis Green said after. "Does it sting? Yeah, a little bit. It should, though. That's why we play the games, because they matter, and they feel great when you win and when you lose, they're supposed to hurt."
The Canucks will be without centre Elias Pettersson on Wednesday, the young star already having missed 11 games with an upper-body injury. He will remain on long-term IR.
"Definitely was more serious than we thought originally," Green said Tuesday of the injury. "We didn't think it was going to be this long. It hasn't gotten any better to a point where he can play yet and I still think he's going to be out for a few more games at least."
Also worth noting that forward Adam Gaudette tested positive for COVID-19 and was pulled out of practice Tuesday.
They will, however, welcome newcomer Travis Boyd to the lineup tonight. He was claimed off waivers and spent seven days in COVID protocol. He has practiced on a line with Tyler Motte and Brandon Sutter and also worked with the second powerplay unit.
"I'm very excited to be here and I'm very excited for hopefully what's a very good chance and opportunity for me," said Boyd. "I've been on some good teams with a lot of good players and ... it's been hard, I guess, personally for me to move up the lineup or even stay in the lineup consistently but I truthfully do believe I'm an everday NHL player and this is a big opportunity."

3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER

This:Johnny Gaudreau has 31 career regular-season points vs. Vancouver (10+21=31) in 33 games played, his most against one opponent ... That: Speaking of Johnny Hockey, he made his NHL debut on April 13, 2014 against the Canucks where he scored his first career goal ... The Other: Flames captain Mark Giordano is one point shy of hitting 500 in his career. He is also seven points shy of passing Gary Roberts for seventh in franchise scoring

4. PLAYERS TO WATCH

Flames - Johnny Gaudreau
The speedster - who played his 500th game on Saturday - has two points in his last two games and has been buzzing. He's been creating on offence, using his skating and smarts to produce opportunities. He has three goals and six points to top Calgary forwards in this year's head-to-head battle with Canucks.
Canucks - Brock Boeser
Like Gaudreau, Boeser has three goals and six points in the season series to lead his team in scoring against the Flames. He notched two goals and four points in the five games prior to the club's break.

5. QUOTABLE

"It's my job to keep the puck out of the net and I'm not doing it to the level where I want and there's nothing worse than when you lose and lose games in a row. You win one and then you lose one, and after two days you're right back (in the same spot). You want to win the goalie battle against the other goalie and I'm not doing that. It's really frustrating. You've got to work hard in practice, you've got to eat good, you've got to sleep good. ... We've got plenty of time and opportunity to be at the rink and get better and improve in the gym and on the ice. The possibilities are there. We want to turn it around and you've got to stick to it and get better."
- Jacob Markstrom, when asked Tuesday about his play this season