The Calgary Flames continue their quest to get a divisional playoff spot tonight when they host the Montreal Canadiens.
This should be a fantastic game as it's a battle between the two hottest teams in hockey.
The Flames have won seven in a row and own a 12-2-1 record over their last 15 games.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, have found their footing under new head coach Claude Julien and are piling up the wins having also won seven in a row.
Despite the excellent runs both teams are enjoying, there is still a ton to play for on both sides.
The Flames, whose season appeared to be in jeopardy early on, are just two points away from 2nd in their division. Getting that spot, of course, would mean hosting a playoff series in Round 1.
Montreal is in a better spot -- they lead the Atlantic -- but the Senators have won four in a row and are four points back with two games in hand. They're within striking distance of the Habs, which puts pressure on them to keep winning.
This is going to be a good one.
Here are the expected line combinations for the Flames:
Matthew Tkachuk - Mikael Backlund - Michael Frolik Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Micheal Ferland Kris Versteeg - Sam Bennett - Troy Brouwer Lance Bouma - Matt Stajan -…‹ …‹Alex Chiasson
Mark Giordano - Dougie Hamilton T.J. Brodie - Michael Stone Matt Bartkowski - Deryk Engelland
Brian Elliott
And the expected lines for the Canadiens (via dailyfaceoff.com):
Max Pacioretty - Phillip Danault - Brendan Gallagher Dwight King - Alex Galchenyuk - Artturi Lekhonen Paul Byron - Torey Mitchell - Andrew Shaw Andreas Martinsen - Steve Ott - Brian Flynn
Andrei Markov - Shea Weber Brandon Davidson - Jeff Petry Nathan Beaulieu - Jordie Benn
Carey Price
A few notes:
1) Elliott has allowed two goals or less in seven of his last eight starts while Price has allowed two or less in eight straight games. Don't expect a high-scoring affair.
2) Ferland outplayed Brouwer and was rewarded with his spot on the top line. Ferland has continued to play well and now he's taking Brouwer's spot on the top PP unit as well. It'll be interesting to see how much of an impact he makes on the man advantage.
3) Pacioretty has six points and 34 shots(!) over his last six games. He's one of the most underrated stars in the league and when he's on it's scary. Right now he is on.
Tonight's game is scheduled for 9:00 eastern and can be seen on SN-W, SN-E and RDS.