VANCOUVER – Sports – Jacob Markstrom stopped 33 shots backstopping the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. This opens a four-game mini-series between the Flames and Canucks.
This was Markstrom’s first game in Vancouver since signing a six-year contract with the Flames on October 9, 2020 after playing seven seasons with the Canucks.
Markstrom won the first two times he was in the net for the Flames with a 3-0 shutout win on January 16 and a 5-2 win on January 18, each in Calgary.
“Before tonight, this is the only building I hadn’t been in the visitor room,” Markstrom said. “It’s weird to land and take the bus, staying at a hotel when it’s been home for so long. But it was nice for us to get a win, and it’s an important one.”
Oilers Shut Out Canadiens
MONTREAL – SPORTS – Mike Smith made 38 saves in his 40th NHL shutout leading the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Edmonton (9-7-0) has won six of its past seven games.
“There’s a lot of people contributing right now, and we’re finding ways to win games, just hanging around hockey games and scoring enough to win,” says Oilers coach Dave Tippett.
Montreal (8-4-2) has lost four of seven since starting 5-0-2. The Canadiens outscored the Oilers 8-2 when they swept a two-game set in Edmonton on January 16 and 18.
Senators vs Jets
WINNIPEG – SPORTS – Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves backstopping the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
“I got into a rhythm and got into it early,” Hellebuyck said. “We killed where they wanted to go with the puck and then we created some battles which we came out on top of. It was getting the puck to stop moving, and then jump on them.”
Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist for the Jets (8-4-1), who have won three of their past four games.
