• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Flames hope to get on track against Oilers

Mar 26, 2011 - 3:19 PM (Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames will try to get their playoff push back on track tonight, when they visit the lowly Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place for another edition of the Battle of Alberta.

The Flames have lost three straight and six of their last seven games (1-4-2) to fall into the 10th seed out West. With 85 points, Calgary is two behind Anaheim for the conference's eighth and final postseason berth and the Flames are one point behind ninth-seeded Dallas. The Ducks are visiting Chicago tonight, while the Stars are playing in Nashville.

Calgary has won three straight against the Oilers since Edmonton posted a 4-0 home win over the Flames in the 2010-11 season opener for both clubs. After sweeping all six meetings between the clubs last season, the Flames have now won 10 out of 11 in this series.

The Flames, who are just 15-16-7 as the visiting club this season, have also claimed five of their last seven in Edmonton. Calgary is completing a four- game road trip tonight.

Calgary had gained a point in two straight losses before getting dealt a 6-3 regulation loss Wednesday in San Jose. Patrick Marleau and Torrey Mitchell each scored twice as the Sharks cruised to the win at HP Pavilion.

Miikka Kiprusoff gave up all six goals on 38 shots while Cory Sarich, Jarome Iginla and Rene Bourque all scored for the Flames.

"We haven't been assertive enough and it's cost us," said Iginla. "This time of year teams are stepping up and finding ways to win and unfortunately we haven't been able to do that in our last few."

Calgary forward Niklas Hagman missed Wednesday's game with concussion-like symptoms and will likely sit out tonight as well.

With losses in each of their last eight games, the Oilers have solidified their standing as the NHL's worst team. Edmonton has 56 points this year, leaving the Oilers eight points behind Colorado, the next-closest club in the NHL standings.

Edmonton fell to 0-6-2 on its slide with a 4-0 setback Thursday evening in St. Louis. Jaroslav Halak needed to make just 12 saves to post the shutout for the Blues.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed all four goals on 30 shots for the Oilers, who are in the midst of their worst slide since a 13-game skid from Dec. 31-Jan. 30 of last season.

The Oilers have lost two straight and four of their last six as the host and are just 12-20-5 in Edmonton this season.