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GAME NIGHT: Penguins at Flames

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CALGARY FLAMES (12-4-5) vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 10-7-4

Monday, 7 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome, TV: Sportsnet One; Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan

WHY WATCH? MARKY OR VLADDY?
Jacob Markstrom posted a 45 save shutout in a 4-0 Calgary win at Pittsburgh on Oct. 28, which was the last time these two teams met. It’ll be interesting to see who the Flames start on Monday, although all signs point to Markstrom when you analyze the week ahead. The Flames depart Wednesday for L.A., the start of a four-game road trip which kicks off with a back-to-back against the Kings (Thursday) and Anaheim Ducks (Friday). Starting Vladar against the Kings would make sense, so they could give Markstrom a rest until Friday versus the Ducks.

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POINTS LEADERS

Flames

Johnny Gaudreau — 21 GP, 9 G, 16 A, 25 PTS, +14

Elias Lindholm — 21 GP, 9 G, 14 A, 23 PTS, +18

Matthew Tkachuk — 21 GP, 10 G, 9 A, 19 PTS, +11

Penguins

Jake Guentzel — 20 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 18 PTS, -2

Evan Rodrigues — 21 GP, 8 G, 7 A, 15 PTS, +3

Kasperi Kapanen — 21 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 PTS, +3

SPECIAL TEAMS

Penguins: PP — 12.9% (T28th) PK — 90.9% (1st)

Flames: PP — 24.6% (7th) PK — 88.2% (2nd)

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

1. Monday’s game kicks off a 10-day Pacific Division road swing for the Penguins that also features stops at Edmonton (Wednesday), Vancouver (Saturday) and Seattle (Dec. 6). But it’s only been a month since these teams have seen each other. The Flames blanked the Penguins 4-0 on Oct. 28 at PPG Paints Arena.

2. The Penguins suffered a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, which snapped a five-game win streak for Pittsburgh. They also lost top-line winger Bryan Rust with a lower-body injury he suffered during warm up of Friday’s 1-0 win over the New York Islanders. Pittsburgh placed Rust on injured reserve and recalled Drew O’Connor from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. The 23-year-old has five appearances at the NHL level already this season with three goals and two assists in that span.

3. You can’t talk about the Penguins and not mention Sidney Crosby, who has only logged nine games this season. He missed the entirety of training camp and the first seven games of the season after undergoing left wrist surgery. Then, following his first game back on Oct. 30 against New Jersey, a symptomatic case of COVID-19 sidelined him. His most recent performance was a goal and two assists in the loss to the Canadiens, which saw him finish the game with five shots on net, showing a glimpse of his former self and the damage he is able to inflict when healthy.

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