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Sharks-Flames Preview

Mar 19, 2010 - 6:27 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Jose (43-17-10) at Calgary (35-26-9), 9:00 p.m. EDT

After earning a needed victory in the playoff race, the Calgary Flames would love to avoid another dreadful performance against the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks have been uncharacteristically dreadful themselves lately, and could use a repeat of their last meeting with the Flames.

With its Pacific Division lead down to three points after four straight losses, San Jose will try to turn its fortunes around Friday night in its first trip of the season to Calgary.

Following back-to-back losses, Calgary (35-26-9) pulled back within one point of eighth-place Detroit in the Western Conference after Wednesday night's 3-2 victory in Colorado. A pair of Rene Bourque goals sandwiched around Eric Nystrom's score staked the Flames to a three-goal lead they barely managed to hold.

"It was a huge road win," coach Brent Sutter said. "We knew we needed to play well and we're going to have to play well from here on in because every game is a big, big game for us."

In its final 12 games, Sutter's club will face three current division leaders and four other playoff contenders. The Flames will host the Sharks (43-17-10) again April 6.

Calgary has split the first two meetings of the season series in San Jose, but the most recent was the Flames' worst loss of the season, a 9-1 rout Jan. 18. The Sharks set a team record by getting goals from eight different players, including two from Dany Heatley.

"That was embarrassing," forward Craig Conroy told the Flames' official Web site on Thursday. "They beat us pretty handily."

Heatley hasn't recorded a point during San Jose's four-game losing streak. The Sharks, who have been outscored 18-8 in the last four games, are trying to avoid matching their season-high five-game skid from Dec. 3-12.

Their latest defeat, 3-2 to Vancouver on Thursday night, dropped them to 0-3 on their six-game road trip. The Sharks are three points ahead of Phoenix in the Pacific, and tied with Chicago atop the Western Conference with 12 games remaining for both teams.

"It's a bump in the road, but I think its good for us to face adversity," goaltender Evgeni Nabokov said. "I think it will glue us together even more."

San Jose's recent offensive struggles had coach Todd McLellan searching for answers in Thursday's loss. He split up the team's top line of Joe Thornton, Heatley and Patrick Marleau to start the game, but put the gold-medal winners back together one period later.

Sutter, meanwhile, might have to rework Calgary's lines with Curtis Glencross doubtful after suffering a knee-on-knee collision in Wednesday's victory. Glencross, fifth on the team with 33 points, had three assists in the previous four games.

"Glennie does a lot for us - killing penalties, scoring key goals and using his speed," linemate Jamal Mayers told the Flames' official Web site. "I am not sure who we are going to be with, but we'll just grind it out."

San Jose has only won three times in its last 12 visits to Pengrowth Saddledome, but one of those victories was a 2-1 win last March 30.