Calgary Flames (17-15-2) at Vancouver Canucks (18-11-2), 10 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - A power-play outage has been a factor in the Vancouver Canucks' five-game losing streak. They'll hope to get things going on Saturday night as they take on the rival Calgary Flames.
The Canucks have been held to just a pair of goals over their last three games and are coming off a 2-0 setback to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. They failed to score on four chances with the man advantage and have not lit the lamp on the power play in six straight (0-for-18) since netting three in a win over Washington on Dec. 2.
Vancouver fell to 0-4-1 in its past five with the loss to Dallas, one that featured a 27-save effort by backup goaltender Eddie Lack.
However, Lack would have loved to get back the only goal he gave up, which came early in the second period when he failed to sweep the puck with his glove on a backhander by the Stars' Colton Sceviour.
"We were controlling the first and beginning of the second, and I gave them momentum and it's a weak goal. What else can I say?" said Lack.
The Canucks have lost the first two of their four-game homestand and are likely to start Ryan Miller tonight.
Miller, who allowed five goals on 23 shots in a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers a week ago in his most recent outing, is 3-2-0 versus the Flames with a 2.92 goals against average and .901 save percentage.
The Canucks won the first of four meetings this season with the Flames 4-2 in Calgary on Oct. 8 in their season opener. That pushed Vancouver's winning streak in this series to eight in a row.
Henrik Sedin had a goal and an assist for the Canucks and Miller made 23 saves.
Jonas Hiller allowed three goals on 32 shots in his first game with the Flames, who also have lost seven straight in Vancouver.
Not only have the Flames struggled as of late versus the Canucks, but they come into this matchup having lost seven straight games in regulation. That is the longest losing streak for the club since an 0-6-3 skid from Jan. 11-28, 2010.
Winless since Dec. 4, Calgary was dealt a 2-1 loss by the Dallas Stars last night. Mark Giordano had the goal and Hiller made 19 saves.
"These are the tough lessons but I think it's going to make us stronger," said Flames coach Bob Hartley.
Calgary has scored more than two goals only once during its losing streak.
Hartley could go with Karri Ramo tonight in an effort to shake his club out of its slump. Ramo is 1-2-1 in his career versus the Canucks with a 3.03 GAA and .894 save percentage.