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Blue Jackets-Flames Preview

Jan 8, 2010 - 6:52 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Columbus (16-20-9) at Calgary (25-13-5), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Calgary Flames' top line was a big part of the team's season-best five-game winning streak, and its lack of production helped that run come to an end.

As the Flames look to re-establish themselves offensively, a visit from the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night might be just what they need.

Calgary (25-13-5) saw its five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday with a 4-1 loss at Minnesota. The Flames' top line of Jarome Iginla, Curtis Glencross and Daymond Langkow mustered five shots and no points against the Wild after combining for five goals and nine assists during the winning streak.

"We just weren't quite on top of our game," defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "There were passes that we could have been a lot better with. There were opportunities that we normally take advantage of, or make, that we didn't do. All sorts of stuff like that, and it just leads to giving the other team momentum."

Calgary may have an ideal chance to rebound before Saturday's visit to Vancouver, with which it shares the Northwest Division lead, as it hosts Central Division cellar-dwelling Columbus (16-20-9).

The Flames have taken two of three from the Blue Jackets this season, including a 6-3 victory Oct. 20 to extend their winning streak over Columbus at Pengrowth Saddledome to four.

Calgary is 12-3-2 all-time at home in this series.

Iginla, who leads the Flames with 21 goals and 42 points, has been a key factor in that success with 13 goals and 14 assists in the 17 games, including a goal and two assists Oct. 20.

The Calgary captain has 20 goals and 21 assists in 35 meetings with the Blue Jackets overall.

Columbus does enter this matchup with some rare positive momentum. The Blue Jackets won 4-2 at Edmonton on Thursday to snap a four-game slide and earn their fourth victory in the last 25 games (4-14-7).

"All we needed was a win. We didn't care who it came against," said Mathieu Garon, who made 24 saves against the Western Conference-worst Oilers. "I think it was a desperate game for both teams. Both teams needed this badly, and we played well and came out on top."

The Blue Jackets will likely have Steve Mason back in net after Garon spelled him Thursday, but that may not help much.

Mason is 1-7-1 with a 3.38 goals-against average in his last nine starts, getting pulled twice in that span. He was chased midway through the second period of Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Canucks after allowing six goals on 17 shots.

Mason, last season's Calder Trophy winner, is 0-2-1 with a 4.23 GAA in three visits to Calgary.

Columbus captain Rick Nash, the team leader with 19 goals and 41 points, is trying to snap out of a season-high seven-game goal-scoring drought. He's found the back of the net just once in his last 10 games.

Nash hasn't gone eight games in a row without a goal since a nine-game drought Oct. 24-Nov. 8, 2008.

He has three goals in 13 career visits to Calgary, including one in the Oct. 20 loss.