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Flames-Sharks Preview

Dec 4, 2009 - 8:08 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Calgary (17-7-3) at San Jose (19-6-5), 10:00 p.m. EDT

With a potent top line featuring Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, Pacific Division-leading San Jose has been tough to slow down.

Calgary likely can't match the Sharks' offensive firepower, but it appears to have the advantage defensively, as goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff has helped lead the Flames to the top of the Northwest Division.

In the first meeting of the season between these Western Conference powers, the high-powered Sharks' offense will be put to the test against Kiprusoff and the Flames on Saturday at the HP Pavilion.

San Jose (19-6-5) has earned an NHL-best 43 points, thanks to an offense that leads the league with 103 goals. The Sharks' top line is the key to the team's success, with Heatley and Marleau each scoring 19 goals and Thornton amassing a team-best 40 points.

San Jose, though, was held to less than three goals for just the second time in 10 games Thursday, falling 3-2 in a shootout to St. Louis to end a three-game winning streak.

The loss was especially disappointing, as San Jose allowed Carlo Colaiacovo to score a short-handed goal with 7 seconds remaining in regulation to tie it. It was the fifth short-handed goal given up by the Sharks, one of the worst marks in the league.

"Our power play let us down," coach Todd McLellan said. "We had five of the greatest hockey players in the world out there and the power play let us down when we needed a goal and again when we gave up a goal. I'm very disappointed and, obviously, not very happy about it."

Getting the offense back on track against the Flames (17-7-3) probably won't be easy.

Calgary's 2.44 goals-against average is one of the best in the league, and Kiprusoff is expected to get the start in net.

Kiprusoff stopped 29 shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss to Phoenix, allowing Taylor Pyatt to score the winner with 3:29 remaining in the third period. The loss snapped Calgary's four-game winning streak and was its first regulation defeat on the road since Oct. 13. The Flames, four games into a six-game trip, were 8-0-2 in their previous 10 away from home.

"You're upset to waste an effort like that from (Kiprusoff)," center Craig Conroy said. "Three minutes to go, you've got to get points."

Kiprusoff, who was coming off consecutive shutouts, is 4-1-1 with a 1.16 GAA in his last six starts. He was in net for all four games against the Sharks last season, going 2-2-0 with a 3.02 GAA. He's 5-2-0 with a 2.95 GAA in his last seven starts versus San Jose.

Evgeni Nabokov has been on the losing end of most of those games. Nabokov went 1-2-0 with a 3.42 GAA in three games against the Flames last season and is 1-3-2 with a 3.67 GAA in his last six versus Calgary.

Thornton, who has three goals and 15 assists during a 10-game point streak, had two goals and three assists against the Flames last season.