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Flames-Stars Preview

Jan 26, 2010 - 4:37 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Calgary (26-20-6) at Dallas (22-19-11), 8:30 p.m. EDT

As Jarome Iginla moves closer to his career-high goal drought, the Calgary Flames are plummeting down the Western Conference standings.

Iginla looks to end an 11-game stretch without a goal Wednesday night and help the Flames snap a seven-game slide when they visit the Dallas Stars.

Calgary (26-20-6) is on its longest losing streak since a seven-game skid Nov. 7-21, 2002. The Flames haven't lost eight straight since Dec. 22, 1998-Jan. 5, 1999.

Calgary has nine goals during this skid after a 2-0 home loss to St. Louis on Monday.

"We've got to keep forging ahead," coach Brent Sutter said. "We know if you don't score goals, you're not going to win. We know that."

Iginla has been the biggest culprit as he tries to avoid going 12 games without a goal for the first time since a 13-game drought March 12-April 7, 1999. His longest stretch without scoring was during the final 17 games of his rookie season in 1996-97.

"We're obviously in a little bit of a scoring drought," said Iginla, who has 21 goals and 23 assists to lead the Flames.

Iginla, drafted in the first round by Dallas (22-19-11) in 1995, has two goals and two assists to help the Flames split two meetings with the Stars this season. He has five goals and five assists in an eight-game point streak at Dallas.

Calgary has slipped eight points behind Northwest Division co-leaders Colorado and Vancouver, and could be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

"First and foremost it's disappointing to lose the game, but I'm not going to stand here and be negative because everyone else in the world (is)," Sutter said.

Miikka Kiprusoff has started six games during the skid, posting a 2.82 goals-against average. The Flames, though, haven't done much to support him.

"We know it's tough on our fans and we know it's tough on Kipper. He's playing great in there and we aren't getting him any goals," Iginla said.

Scoring was a problem for Dallas as it completed a three-game road trip with a 4-0 loss to Colorado on Sunday. The Stars had scored at least three goals in six straight games before playing for the third time in four nights.

"We were a tired hockey club and we needed to keep it close and we didn't keep it close tonight," coach Marc Crawford said.

Defenseman Trevor Daley had scored in consecutive games before Sunday while James Neal's three-game point streak ended. The Stars went 0 for 4 on the power play and had 27 shots.

"It's the old adage, you make your own breaks and when you're not with the energy that you need to have, you won't have the breaks go your way," Crawford told the Stars' official Web site.

Dallas is beginning a stretch of four consecutive games at home, where it has won three straight and six of seven.

Kiprusoff is 6-5-1 with a 1.92 GAA in his last 12 starts against the Stars after going 0-5-1 with a 3.15 GAA in his first six.