A light night in the NHL Monday with only two games and one Canadian team playing.
Here are a few of the storylines we’re following:
GOALIES FRONT AND CENTRE
Goaltenders will be in the spotlight when the Calgary Flames continue their six-game road trip against the New York Islanders. Calgary’s Brian Elliott and New York’s Thomas Greiss are the projected starters.
Elliott has struggled so far this season, posting a 3-9-0 record in 12 starts with a 3.43 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. Greiss has been slightly better in seven starts, going 3-4-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.
When Elliott was traded from the St. Louis Blues to Calgary in June, it was assumed that he would be the No. 1 goalie with the Flames. But with the emergence of Chad Johnson, who has gone 6-3-0 in November, Elliott has been put on the back burner.
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As my colleague Rory Boylen wrote on Saturday, having competition between the pipes is nothing new for the 31-year-old Elliott.
The funny thing is, history suggests Elliott likes a little competition too. In St. Louis, he always had Jake Allen pushing him for time, limiting the amount of starts Elliott got. He was never a No. 1 in St. Louis and the 45 starts he got in 2014-15 was the most in his time with the team. It was the only season where he played more than half of the games on the schedule.
Elliott’s last win came exactly one month ago on Oct. 28 against the Ottawa Senators. He’s facing a New York team that has won just twice in November, so a much-needed victory is quite possible. The Flames (10-13-1) are just two points out of a playoff spot so there’s no need to panic yet.
Greiss has often had to step in the struggling Jaroslav Halak, who’s been surprisingly spotty considering a strong start to the season during the World Cup of Hockey with Team Europe.
With the Islanders’s (6-10-4) current struggles putting them in last place in the Eastern Conference, consistency in net would go a long way towards improvement.
REMATCH TIME
Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars renew acquaintances tonight in St. Louis against the Blues in a Central Division matchup. It’s a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinal, which saw St. Louis beat the Stars in seven games.
Seguin led Dallas with four assists during the first meeting between the two teams earlier this month when the Stars won 6-2.
The Stars (9-8-5) have been struggling for consistency so far this season are are currently on the outside looking in for a wild-card spot. If they’re going to get going, they’ll need Seguin to lead the charge.
The 24-year-old is tied for fifth in league scoring with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) but hadn’t scored since Nov. 8 against the Winnipeg Jets. Seguin has also been held off the scoresheet in Dallas’s last two games.
Speaking of top scorers, Vladimir Tarasenko is tied with Seguin for fifth in NHL scoring (nine goals, 13 assists). St. Louis (12-7-3) has been flying of late as well, losing only once in its last six games.
Tarasenko is coming off a two-goal performance last week against the Washington Capitals and with Kari Lehtonen and his .884 save percentage expected to start for the Stars, it could be a good opportunity for the Russian to find the back of the net.
