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Canucks hope for turnaround versus Flames

Jan 22, 2011 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The last time the Flames saw the Canucks, Vancouver was in the midst of what ended up being a franchise-record point streak.

The Northwest Division leaders have slipped a little since but will try to halt a three-game slide with a fifth victory in a row over Calgary in tonight's meeting at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks notched a 3-1 home win over the Flames on Jan. 5, part of a 14-0-3 stretch from Dec. 8-Jan. 11. They are just 1-2-2 since that run and 0-1-2 over their last three games. Though Vancouver still owns a 12-point edge over Colorado for first place in the division, the club is just two up on Detroit for the most in the Western Conference and one back of the NHL-leading Flyers.

Henrik Sedin had his team's only goal in Thursday's 2-1 shootout setback to the Sharks. Roberto Luongo was strong with 44 saves, including stopping 24 of the 25 shots he faced in the second frame.

"I thought we had a pretty good first period and I don't know what happened in the second," said Luongo. "They were throwing pucks from everywhere, which is good for me, I was able to get into a good comfort zone and I was tracking the puck well."

Luongo has been in net for all four games of Vancouver's current win streak over Calgary and is 5-0-1 in his last six versus the Flames with a 1.64 goals- against average. The netminder hasn't lost in regulation this season since Dec. 5, going 10-0-4.

That loss was also the Canucks' last at home and they are 7-0-3 in Vancouver since. They lost the opener of a four-game homestand on Thursday and will try to avoid matching a season-high four-game slide set from Nov. 15-21.

Calgary has lost its last three trips to Vancouver, but is coming off a 7-4 home win over Dallas that saw the Flames put just 19 shots on goal. David Moss had two goals and an assist, while Brendan Morrison, Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay all scored and had a helper.

"We don't want to be giving up four goals against," said Calgary head coach Brent Sutter. "Fortunately tonight we scored enough to win the game."

Iginla reached the 20-goal mark for a 12th straight season and for the 13th time in his 14 NHL seasons. He has just one assist in his last five versus Vancouver without a goal.

Henrik Karlsson stopped 17-of-21 shots for the Flames, who had lost six of eight (2-3-3) coming in. Sutter could go back with the struggling Miikka Kiprusoff tonight despite that fact that he has a 6.26 GAA over Calgary's current losing streak to Vancouver, allowing 19 goals.

Kiprusoff gave up six goals in Wednesday's setback to Minnesota, dropping him to 1-2-1 in his last six starts while getting pulled early twice in that span.

Tom Kostopoulos is eligible to return from a six-game suspension tonight for the Flames, who are six points out of a playoff spot. The forward received the ban for a hit to the head versus Detroit on Jan. 7.