Tonight at 10 p.m. ET, the Calgary Flames (45-30-7, 97 points) and Vancouver Canucks (48-29-5, 101 points) skate against each other in Game 1 of their Round 1 best-of-seven series as part of the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs live from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Calgary is in the postseason for the first time since 2009 and played strong enough down the stretch to earn the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Flames also ousted the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.
Vancouver, meanwhile, bounced back from missing the playoffs for the first time in five springs last season by earning second place in the division and home-ice in the first round under head coach Willie Desjardins.
The Canucks and Flames split their head-to-head meetings this season with each team notching a home and road victory. Three of the four games finished with a one-goal differential.
This game can be live streamed for free by clicking here.
The Flames have been carried by their top line this season as Calder trophy candidate Johnny Gaudreau, resurgent veteran Jiri Hudler and sophomore sensation Sean Monahan all had big years.
Hudler was first on the team with 31 goals, 45 assists and 76 points while Monahan also had 31 goals and finished with 62 points. Gaudreau found the twine 24 times in his first NHL season and finished second on the club with 64 points.
Monahan was given special rest to make sure he's good to go for this series.
"That was part of our plan," coach Bob Hartley said per NHL.com. "He's been playing tons of hockey and we want to make sure that he's as rested as he can be. That was set right from the start."
The Canucks, meanwhile, were once again paced by the Sedin twins. Daniel Sedin led the team with 56 assists and 76 points while Henrik Sedin ranked second on the team in points (73) and helpers (55). Radim Vrbata (31 goals, 65 points) also had a big first year with the club.
In the crease, Vancouver is set to turn to Eddie Lack, who went 18-13-4 this season with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
"It's been six days between games and I'm not used to that," Lack told the Canucks website. "I just want to get out there and play."
Calgary counters with Jonas Hiller in between the pipes and he is coming off of a season that saw him finish with a 26-19-4 mark along with a 2.36 GAA, .938 save percentage.
The road to the Stanley Cup begins when the puck drops on the playoffs live tonight from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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