But the Vancouver Canucks (19-8-3) and Calgary Flames (21-17-2) are two of the hottest teams in the NHL as they prepare to face each other here Friday night in the first of back-to-back, home-and-away games against each other.
The Canucks have won a season-high five straight games and four of those are by one goal. The Flames have only lost once in their past six outings.
“To come out of the (Christmas) break with five straight wins, it definitely helps our confidence,” said Vancouver center Bo Horvat, who has stood out offensively and defensively during the victory run. “The whole team is playing better defensively and we’re taking a lot more pride in it. We’re doing the little things in our zone to help translate to the offence and it is helping us.”
The Canucks last won six straight games during a seven-game win streak in December 2013, when former coach John Tortorella was at the high point of his only season with Vancouver. This five-game streak comes after the Canucks endured a nine-game losing streak earlier this season, and has confounded many critics, who expected the team to struggle after Christmas.
“I think it’s huge for us,” Horvat said. “It’s a great confidence boost. Everyone is playing well, and giving that extra to try and win. And, I think that’s been a huge difference for us these past five games.”
The Canucks have posted their wins over talented Los Angeles, Anaheim and Edmonton clubs while also exposing the weaknesses of lowly Arizona and Colorado. Some might argue that the Canucks’ schedule has made them look better than they are.
However, four of Calgary?s six recent wins have come against Colorado and Arizona, who both faced the Flames twice during that span. One of the Calgary’s other wins came in a 4-1 drubbing of the Canucks, who only managed 14 shots, on Dec. 23.
The Canucks have played much better since then and want to keep things rolling.
“Early on, our habits were just a little bit off and when the habits are good you see these kind of results,” said Vancouver goaltender Ryan Miller, who picked up his first shutout in more than a year during Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over the Coyotes. “We’ve) just got to keep this going, keep building some confidence.”
The Flames, who thrashed Colorado 4-1 on Wednesday, are looking to do likewise.
“We talk all the time, and everything we do is, about the mental side of the game, and the mental push and where you should be mentally because it’s hard here in this portion of games, 40 through 65, before you see the daylight,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters in Calgary this week. “This is where, mentally, you have to be sharp and push yourself.”
These days, Calgary’s power play is providing plenty of push. The Flames scored three goals on man-advantage opportunities during Wednesday’s meeting with Colorado. After ranking last in the NHL earlier in the season, Calgary’s power play is making a case to stay in the top 10.
“You have to win the special-teams game in this league, and we’re starting to do that and you can see the results,” Gulutzan said.
The Flames are also getting good results from players other than usual offensive catalysts Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett, who have also been effectively lately. Mikael Backlund is on a five-game scoring streak, producing six goals in that span.
Backlund’s streak is the longest by a Flame since Curtis Glencross scored in seven consecutive outings from Feb. 27 to Mar. 11, 2012.
“(Backlund is) confident and everything that he’s putting towards the net is going in,” Gulutzan said. “He’s getting rewarded for the work he’s done prior.”
Meanwhile, Backlund’s 19-year-old linemate Matthew Tkachuk is on a seven-game points run. Tkachuk’s streak is tied for the longest of the season by a rookie, matching Toronto center Auston Matthews’ current success rate.
“That line (of Backlund, Tkachuk and Michael Frolik), they’ve played 200-foot hockey the right way from training camp until now,” Gulutzan said.
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