The Calgary Flames can match the longest winning streak in franchise history when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday afternoon.
The Flames have won nine in a row to move atop the Pacific Division standings.
Calgary has won 10 straight games twice in team history. The then-Atlanta Flames accomplished the feat during the 1978-79 season, while Calgary also won 10 in a row during the 2016-17 campaign.
“Right now, we just want to win,” Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom said. “We want to keep the momentum and keep getting two points. That’s the only thing that matters right now. Short memory, and right now we’ve got to look at the next game and get ready and prepare.”
Markstrom and Elias Lindholm have led the charge for the Flames.
Markstrom has won seven straight decisions, allowing two goals or less in those contests.
Lindholm has scored at least one goal in seven straight games. He had two tallies and an asisst in Wednesday’s 6-2 romp over the Anaheim Ducks.
Lindholm collected a goal and an assist and Markstrom stopped 22 of 23 shots in a 2-1 win against the visiting Seattle Kraken on Saturday night.
“This is a good league; any team can beat anyone out there,” Lindholm said. “We were on a roll there, won with a couple of goals, but the reality is you’re not going to do that every night. It’s going to be nights like (Saturday) where you have to find a way and keep grinding, and when the chances come you have to put them in.”
The Flames will be up against a Winnipeg team having its depth tested after losing two more forwards to upper-body injuries last week.
The Jets lost center Andrew Copp to a hard hit against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, and center Cole Perfetti to another hit versus the Kraken the following night.
Winnipeg already was without left wing Nikolaj Ehlers, who sustained a knee injury against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 18. He’s been skating, Jets interim coach Dave Lowry said, but is “not ready to, or near close enough to ramp up and be part of the group.”
Injured forward C.J. Suess and defensemen Dylan Samberg also are close to returning, but it won’t happen against the Flames.
The short-handed Jets took on the streaking Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night and lost 4-2 in the finale of a four-game homestand. Winnipeg is 4-2-1 since the All-Star break.
“This time of year, you can’t dwell on losses too much,” Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. “We have to move on and play again in 48 hours, so a good opportunity to be ready to go in that game. Another big game against a top team in the league right now, so we’ve just got to look forward to that.”
Adam Brooks, who was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, appears in line to make his Jets debut. He practiced with leading scorer Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois on the second line on Sunday.
Evgeny Svechnikov had replaced Perfetti in that spot on Saturday against Edmonton; however, he committed an interference penalty and an unsportsmanlike penalty. That gave the Oilers a four-minute power play while leading 3-0 midway through the third period.
–Field Level Media
