10:37 pm
December 2
• The Flames are coming off a 2-1 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. They’ve won five of six overall and three straight on the road by a combined score of 14-2.
• The Kings have been anything but consistent this season. They had a seven-game winning streak sandwiched around losing streaks of six and five games, respectively. Los Angeles came back from a three-goal, third-period deficit on Tuesday against the visiting Anaheim Ducks, only to lose 5-4 in a shootout.
• The Kings welcomed defenseman Drew Doughty back against the Ducks after he missed the previous 16 games with a knee injury. Doughty, the 2016 Norris Trophy winner, picked up where he left off and played 27:55 while contributing an assist.
• Another positive to take forward for the Kings was the tying goal scored by Dustin Brown with 4:26 left in the third period, which allowed Los Angeles to get to overtime and earn at least a point. Brown, who led the Kings with 17 goals his 17th year with the team last season, had gone 15 games without a goal before scoring against Anaheim, forcing McLellan to move him around the lineup.
• The Flames have stayed away from long losing streaks this season by getting solid goaltending and averaging 3.23 goals a game, eighth best in the NHL. Calgary averaged 2.77 goals last season, which was 20th in the NHL.
• Calgary’s style of play has caught the attention of other head coaches in the league. “They play a high-pressure game,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “They put a lot of pucks in deep. You’ve got to be able to handle their pressure.”