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Flames try to tame Wild at the Saddledome

Dec 18, 2010 - 4:54 PM (Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames will try to record three straight wins for the first time since the opening month of the season when they host the Minnesota Wild tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames have posted wins over Columbus and Toronto to start a three-game homestand that ends tonight in the opener of a home-and-home series against the Wild. Overall, Calgary has a respectable 9-6-0 record on home ice this year.

Calgary and the Wild are already meeting for the fourth time this season and the Flames have taken the last two encounters against their Northwest Division rivals. Minnesota still has seven wins in the last 10 games of this series, but the Wild have lost eight of their last 11 in Calgary.

The Flames are currently last in the Northwest with 29 points, but Minnesota is just one point out of the basement.

Calgary notched an overtime win over Columbus on Monday and then breezed to Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs. The Flames last won three in a row from Oct. 22-26.

Olli Jokinen posted a goal and two assists as Calgary rode a brief second- period burst to a 5-2 decision over Toronto. The Flames scored three times in a 57-second span late in the second period to grab a commanding 4-1 advantage.

Niklas Hagman added a goal and a helper while Alex Tanguay and Rene Bourque also scored for the Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff halted 17-of-19 shots for the victory.

"I hope we can provide that more often," Hagman said of the winning burst. "We did all the little things right, throwing pucks at the net and it was nice to get those goals in a bunch."

The Wild, meanwhile, have lost their last two games and Minnesota has recorded a poor 2-5-2 record over its last nine contests.

After getting dealt a 6-2 loss in Anaheim on Sunday, the Wild were dealt a 3-1 loss by Ottawa this Thursday in Minnesota. Pascal Leclaire made 23 saves to help the Senators edge the Wild, 3-1, at Xcel Energy Center.

Kyle Brodziak scored the lone goal for the Wild and Jose Theodore stopped 22- of-24 shots in the loss.

Wild forward Matt Cullen sat out his third straight game with a groin injury on Thursday and is questionable for tonight's tilt. The Minnesota native is third on the team with 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) this season.

Minnesota has an unimpressive 6-6-2 record as the guest this year and has lost four of its last six road games.