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ST. LOUIS BLUES (25-11-5) at CALGARY FLAMES (18-12-6)
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Tonight, 7 p.m. MT, Scotiabank Saddledome
TV: Sportsnet One; Radio Sportsnet 960 The Fan
WHY WATCH?
EYES ON CHUCKY
Matthew Tkachuk grew up rooting for the Blues. His father, after all, was a star power forward and alternate captain for the St. Loo Crew. Now all grown up and a go-to guy for the Flames, Matthew will try to continue his offensive tear in Monday’s tilt with his hometown team. The 24-year-old winger has scored in four straight and totalled 14 points in eight games since the COVID-19/Christmas layoff. Trouble is, the Flames have collected just three victories over that stretch, something that won’t sit well with Tkachuk — or anybody on the roster.
POINTS LEADERS
FLAMES
Johnny Gaudreau — 36 GP, 15 G, 29 A, 44 PTS, +21
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Matthew Tkachuk — 36 GP, 18 G, 19 A, 37 PTS, +18
Elias Lindholm — 36 GP, 12 G, 19 A, 31 PTS, +23
BLUES
Jordan Kyrou — 37 GP, 16 G, 25 A, 41 PTS, +10
Vladimir Tarasenko — 37 GP, 14 G, 24 A, 38 PTS, +3
Pavel Buchnevich — 35 GP, 15 G, 21 A, 36 PTS, +16
SPECIAL TEAMS
FLAMES: PP — 23.1% (11th); PK — 83.2% (7th)
BLUES: PP — 29.4% (2nd); PK — 85.3% (4th)
THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
1. Monday’s matchup features two squads that have been heading separate directions. The Flames have dropped five of their past six. Heading into Sunday’s clash with the Canucks, the Blues had done the exact opposite. Darryl Sutter talks often about teams that have learned how to win and the Blues, with plenty of key holdovers from their Gloria days as 2019 Stanley Cup champs, certainly fit that description.
2. If you snagged Blues forward Jordan Kyrou in the mid- to late-rounds of your hockey pool, you must be thrilled with the production. Prior to Sunday’s showdown in Vancouver, the 23-year-old had already notched new career-highs in goals (15) and points (40) and scored his first invite to the NHL All-Star Game. He won’t be a sleeper next season.
3. The Flames would certainly like to strike first, but that doesn’t typically rattle the Blues. They have celebrated a league-leading 13 comeback victories when their opponents put the first ink on the scoresheet.