Vancouver @ Calgary preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 5, 2019 ) Vancouver 0, Calgary 3

The Vancouver Canucks have three wins in their last 14 visits to Calgary but will take a four-game win streak into Sunday’s road contest against the Flames. Calgary couldn’t have gotten off to a better start Friday against the Oilers as Andrew Mangiapane scored 11 seconds into the first period, propelling the Flames to a 5-1 victory that leapfrogged them past Edmonton in the Pacific Division standings.

Sean Monahan scored his 12th goal of the season 1:08 into the second period Friday while Mikael Backlund sealed the road victory with a short-handed marker 57 seconds into the third. “Any time you can score as quickly in periods as we did, it’s helpful,” Flames interim coach Geoff Ward told reporters after improving to 9-3-1 since taking over from Bill Peters. “I thought it was our most complete hockey game in a long time. I thought the guys did a good job playing the right way.” Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom was outstanding Saturday during a 3-2 victory over the Kings as the 29-year-old Swede made a career-high 49 saves and recorded his 100th NHL victory. “He stood on his head again today,” Canucks forward Elias Pettersson told reporters after scoring his team-leading 18th goal which ended up being the game-winner. “We didn’t have our best game but he got us the win.”

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-15-4): Pettersson also assisted on Tyler Motte’s first period goal Saturday for his 12th multi-point game after totaling 15 such efforts as a rookie last season. Right winger Brock Boeser extended his point streak to four games with an assist Saturday and has been held off the scoresheet only twice in December while recording three goals and 10 assists in 12 games this month. Jake Virtanen opened the scoring for the Canucks on Saturday with his 11th goal of the season while J.T. Miller has a goal and four assists during a four-game point streak.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (20-15-5): Forward Elias Lindholm netted his team-high 16th goal while adding an assist against the Oilers and has seven points in his last four games. Left winger Matthew Tkachuk has three goals and three assists over his last four games and is the team’s top point-getter with 15 goals and 18 assists on the season. Goaltender David Rittich is tied for third in the league with 17 wins and has allowed one goal in each of his last two starts while stopping 54 of the 56 shots he’s faced.

OVERTIME

1. Markstrom improved to 13-4-4 when making 40 or more saves since joining Vancouver in 2014.

2. Flames D Mark Giordano finished third among NHL defensemen with 17 goals a season ago but has managed four through 40 games this season.

3. Vancouver G Thatcher Demko (7-4-1, .906 save percentage) is expected to start Sunday for the first time since suffering a concussion in practice Dec. 11.

PREDICTION: Vancouver 5, Flames 4