Flames at Blue Jackets
THE STORY: The World Junior Hockey Championship has settled
into the Scotiabank Saddledome, thus causing the Calgary Flames to put
their frequent flier miles to the test. In fact, the Flames will travel
nearly 12,000 miles during their season-high seven-game road trip. When
asked how he's preparing for the trip, Calgary captain Jarome Iginla
elected to crack a joke. "You pack a lot," he said. "That's a longer one
than we've had in a long time, (but) it's going to be an important
trip." The Flames will play the second contest of a trip and vie for
their fourth straight win on Tuesday when when they face the struggling
Columbus Blue Jackets. With Columbus mired in a five-game losing skid
and the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators on the horizon, the
Flames can certainly make some headway in the Northwest Division and
Western Conference. The Flames can pull into third place in the division
with a victory.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RS West (Calgary), FS Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (17-15-4):
Coach Brent Sutter's club began its lengthy trek away from Alberta with
a 3-1 triumph against the Vancouver Canucks. The victory snapped a
five-game road losing skid for the Flames. Left wing Curtis Glencross
scored to extend his goal-scoring streak to five games. Iginla sits
three goals shy of becoming the 42nd player in NHL history to reach 500
in his career. He has 23 goals and 48 career points in 42 contests
versus the Blue Jackets.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (9-22-4):
Steve Mason made his first start in more than a week and was done in by a
trio of second-period goals in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on
Monday. Curtis Sanford will likely get the nod Tuesday and attempt to
douse the Flames for the third time this season. He stopped 27 shots in a
4-1 victory Nov. 21 and turned aside 32 shots in a 4-3 win Dec. 1.
After going 6 for 14 on the power play in its previous three games,
Columbus failed to score on its only two opportunities with the man
advantage on Monday.
OVERTIME:
1. Although goaltender Leland Irving notched his
first NHL win in his second career start, Miikka Kiprusoff is expected
to resume his traditional post between the pipes for the Flames.
2. The Blue Jackets have defeated the Flames in nine of their last 12 meetings in Columbus.