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Langkow and desperate Flames visit St. Louis

Apr 1, 2011 - 3:10 PM (Sports Network) - The odds of the Flames making the playoffs have severely decreased over the past few weeks, but that won't stop Daymond Langkow from trying to help his team achieve that goal.

Langkow will return to action for the first time in over a year as Calgary visits a St. Louis Blues club tonight at the Scottrade Center that is coming off a dominating rout of one of the Western Conference's best.

The 34-year-old Langkow hasn't played since March 21, 2010 after suffering a freak neck injury at Minnesota. As Langkow was being hit in the back by Wild defenseman Greg Zanon, he was struck in the neck by a hard shot from then- teammate Ian White. The veteran laid motionless on the ice for several minutes before being transported to a hospital for observation.

Langkow has spent his past five seasons with the Flames and has 641 points in 1,013 games. He had 14 goals and 23 assists in 72 games a season ago.

"I know I will be nervous. I am nervous already but I am excited at the same time," Langkow said on Calgary's website. "We'll see how it goes. I think once I get a shift or two under me, I will be okay. I am just grateful that I am getting a chance to play."

Calgary could use all the help it can get as a 2-5-2 skid has dropped the club three points behind eighth-place Chicago in the West. The Flames are also tied with Dallas in the standings, but both the Stars and Blackhawks have played two fewer games. The Flames have four contests remaining, including tonight.

Calgary was bested its last time out on Wednesday, losing 4-2 to Anaheim. Jarome Iginla and Mark Giordano both scored and Miikka Kiprusoff ended with 18 saves.

"It's tough. We're going to need quite a bit of help now," said Flames forward Matt Stajan, who thought he had tied the game late in the second period.

Stajan appeared to score on a goalmouth scramble with 5:10 to go in the frame, but after a lengthy video review t was determined the puck did not cross the goal line. The Ducks scored minutes later to take a two-goal lead.

The Blues will look to carry in their momentum tonight from a 10-3 pounding of the Red Wings on Wednesday. St. Louis took full advantage of Detroit being without starter Jimmy Howard due to injury, scoring seven times on backup Joey MacDonald before potting another three times on Thomas McCollum in his debut.

Chris Porter scored twice and added an assist, both Chris Stewart and Vladimir Sobotka had a goal and two helpers and Cam Janssen scored to halt a 114-game goal drought.

"I looked up at the scoreboard and thought it would be nice to find that double-digit mark," Blues forward David Backes said of his thoughts before Porter's third-period goal that wrapped the scoring.

Jaroslav Halak made 41 saves for the Blues, 3-0-1 in their last four games.

St. Louis will also get a player back in action tonight as T.J. Oshie is set to return after being a healthy scratch for the past two games. Oshie was forced to sit after missing practice on Monday for unexcused reasons, but returned to practice on Thursday and appears to have learned his lesson.

"I got paid for the last two days I missed and that's not right," Oshie, who will donate the money to a pair of Blues' charities, told St. Louis' website. "I'm going to do everything I can to earn the trust back of the fans, who I love here in St. Louis. (My teammates) are the ones I go to battle with every night. I definitely never want to let them down again."

Perhaps St. Louis should have saved some of that offense for tonight as it has been outscored 11-1 in losing all three of its games this season to Calgary. The Blues haven't scored versus the Flames since Philip McRae's third-period tally on Jan. 26 in the first meeting.

Calgary, which last swept St. Louis in the season series in 2006-07, has won 10 of its past 14 versus the Blues as well as five of six and 10 of the past 13 at Scottrade Center.

Halak is 1-3-0 with a 3.02 goals-against average in his career versus the Flames, but hasn't faced them this year.

Kiprusoff is 18-5-2 with a 1.94 GAA lifetime when facing the Blues.