Philadelphia @ Calgary preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2017 ) Philadelphia 5, Calgary 2

Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters has seen his team's spirited 9-2-1 surge over the last 12 games add up to a spot atop the Pacific Division in addition to a place in the conversation among the Western Conference's elite. The high-octane Flames aim to rebound from a shutout loss to a bitter rival when they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

"Lots of hockey left. If I do the math right, there's 51 games left," Peters said, via the Calgary Sun. "So we can prove to be elite over the next 51 -- if that's the case, right? I think we could become elite. I don't think we're there yet. But we could become elite if we continue to follow the process and continue to make steps each and every month." The Flames' fifth-ranked offense was held in check in Sunday's 1-0 setback in Edmonton, but the club returns home where it boasts a 10-3-2 mark. Dousing the Flames will be a tough task for a Philadelphia team that is allowing a 29th-ranked 3.61 goals per contest and has dropped eight of its last 11 (3-6-2) following Sunday's 7-1 shellacking at Winnipeg. Jakub Voracek scored in the first period to extend his point streak to five games, during which he has three goals and three assists.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, Sportsnet (Calgary)

ABOUT THE FLYERS (12-13-3): Brian Elliott could be ready to walk back through the revolving goaltending door during the final three contests of the five-game road trip for Philadelphia, which has used five netminders this season. The 33-year-old former Flames goaltender permitted two goals or fewer in each of his last seven appearances since being sidelined with an apparent groin injury since Nov. 15. While Elliott's potential return date is unknown, center Sean Couturier is in line to re-insert his name back in the lineup on Wednesday after missing two games with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

ABOUT THE FLAMES (19-10-2): Johnny Gaudreau earned NHL Third Star of Week honors after collecting six assists and eight points in his last four contests to push his team-leading totals to 27 and 39, respectively. While the offense is receiving plenty of fanfare, goaltender Mike Smith has been rather stingy while yielding nine goals during a flawless six-game run since Nov. 15. "There have been a few blips on the screen, but if you look at our data with chances, shots against, we've cleaned up a lot defensively," Flames general manager Brad Treliving said, per TSN. "We're spending less time in our end, giving up less. Our young defense has been a stabilizer for us."

OVERTIME

1. Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux, who leads the team in goals (11), assists (25) and points (36), has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last three encounters with Calgary.

2. Flames C Sean Monahan has netted six of his team-leading 18 goals and added four assists in his last eight contests.

3. The Flyers' 30th-ranked power play is 0-for-13 in the last eight games.

PREDICTION: Flames 4, Flyers 2