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Blues host Flames in home-and-home finale

Mar 1, 2011 - 4:17 PM (Sports Network) - The Blues had a couple of impressive streaks end in Sunday's opener of a home-and-home set against the hosting Flames. If they don't get on track soon, they'll find themselves out of the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

St. Louis hopes to rebound this evening at Scottrade Center against a surging Calgary club that also has its sights set on returning to the postseason.

The Blues have made it to the playoffs just once in the past five seasons, a quick first-round exit in 2008-09, and have lost four of their last five games to sit seven points back of a postseason spot. They hadn't been shut out since Dec. 16, 2009 prior to Sunday's 1-0 loss to the Flames, a span of 111 games.

Calgary got the lone goal 5:39 into the third period off a St. Louis turnover. Flames forward Alex Tanguay knocked down a clearing attempt by the Blues' Tyson Strachan before feeding David Moss, who snapped a shot by Ben Bishop for his third goal in two games versus St. Louis this year.

St. Louis had a potential game-tying goal waived off late in the third period when it was ruled David Backes hit the puck in with a high-stick, while Patrik Berglund hit both posts on a shot with two minutes left.

"I thought it was a very tight hockey game, chances were tough to come by," Blues head coach Davis Payne said. "One of theirs went in and none of ours did."

St. Louis failed to score a power-play goal for the first time in nine games and got 26 saves by Bishop, who snapped St. Louis' three-game slide with a 39- save shutout -- the first of his career -- versus Edmonton on Friday.

Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves in his fifth shutout of the season and 39th of his career. Calgary wrapped a five-game homestand 3-1-1 and is 12-2-3 in its last 17 games overall to charge into the seventh spot in the Western Conference, a point up on three other teams.

"This time of year you've got to be prepared to win games whatever way is out there," Flames coach Brent Sutter said. "Games are going to be tight, you've got to win those tight games."

Kiprusoff is 17-5-2 with a 2.02 goals-against average in his career versus the Blues and has made 16 straight starts overall, while Moss now has six goals in 12 career games against them. He scored a pair of power-play goals in a 4-1 home win over St. Louis on Jan. 26 and Calgary has now won nine of its past 13 versus the Blues.

The Flames have won seven of their last nine at St. Louis.

Forward Brad Boyes won't be able to help the Blues get on track as he was dealt to Buffalo following Sunday's loss for a 2011 second-round draft pick. He scored just 26 goals in 144 games after a 33-goal campaign in 2008-09, including 12 in 62 games this year.

The Blues also sent forward Brad Winchester to the Ducks on Monday for a 2012 third-round draft choice.

It was just the latest deals for St. Louis, which shipped forward Jay McClement and defenseman Erik Johnson to Colorado on Feb. 19 for forward Chris Stewart and blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk.

Stewart has six goals in six games since the trade.

St. Louis netminder Jaroslav Halak has missed the last seven games with a right hand injury, while center Vladimir Sobotka is questionable after taking a slap shot off his foot in the first period on Sunday. He did not return.

The Flames also had a little bit of activity prior to Monday's trade deadline, claiming defenseman Brett Carson off waivers from Carolina and getting forward Fredrik Modin from Atlanta for a 2011 seventh-round pick.

Modin had seven goals and 10 points in 36 games with Atlanta.