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Predators-Flames Preview

Jan 14, 2010 - 5:49 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Nashville (28-16-3) at Calgary (26-15-6), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Nashville Predators seem to be winning all the close games on the road. The Calgary Flames, meanwhile, are seeing tight contests at home go the other way.

The Predators look for their first five-game road win streak in three seasons Friday night when they try to hand the Flames a fourth straight home loss.

Nashville (28-16-3) is seeking to sweep a road trip in Western Canada for the first time since its seven-game road win streak Oct. 16-Nov. 4, 2006. The Predators entered this trip after a 2-2 homestand before winning 3-2 at Vancouver on Monday and 5-3 at Edmonton on Tuesday.

"We were struggling a little bit at home of late," coach Barry Trotz said. "Sometimes getting on the road can be good for your hockey team and you can get things in order. I thought we did a really good job of getting on top of them quickly. Their confidence is shaken a little bit and that really helped."

Three of Nashville's last four road wins have been by one goal. That's the margin that Calgary (26-15-6) has lost by in two of its last three at home, and the Flames fell 3-1 to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

The Flames trailed by one for most of the third period before allowing Tyler Kennedy's goal with 1:40 remaining. Calgary outshot Pittsburgh 16-5 over the final 20 minutes.

"We had like 18 or 19 quality scoring chances here tonight and were only able to capitalize on one of them," coach Brent Sutter said. "So obviously, we're doing the right things to create the opportunities, but we're not getting the job done when it's there for us."

Calgary superstar Jarome Iginla has gone five games without a point. That's his longest such stretch since a five-game drought Dec. 12-21, 2001.

"It's tough to take," said Iginla, an eight-time 30-goal scorer. "Guys are playing hard, guys are doing the right things. In the one-goal games, when you're on a scoring line and you're not producing at all, you definitely feel it and take a lot of responsibility."

Iginla could break out against the Predators since he has three goals and three assists in three meetings this season. The Flames have won two of three in 2009-10 and six of their last seven against Nashville.

Sutter doesn't want Iginla and the Flames to change their approach.

"Our team game has been pretty good," Sutter said. "We have been getting 35-40, 40-plus shots a night. We're getting some high-quality scoring chances, we're just not capitalizing on 'em. All of a sudden, you can't go the other way. And that's where you have to be really careful, it's such a fine line there."

Ryan Jones and defenseman Shea Weber are the only Predators to score in the first two games of this trip. Jones had a goal and two assists and Pekka Rinne made 38 saves against the Oilers on Tuesday.

"We did a good job of getting the lead early and then Pekka kind of held us in after that," Weber said. "We were just fortunate enough to have good goaltending tonight."

Rinne is 0-2-0 with a 4.83 goals-against average in three career starts against the Flames.

Patric Hornqvist continued his stellar play with a goal and an assist Tuesday, giving the second-year forward 12 goals and 18 points in his last 15 games.