Flames 2 - 1 Avalanche
Final
  for this game

Avs try to douse Flames at Pepsi Center

Nov 6, 2011 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The hot start for the Colorado Avalanche is history and the club will try to gain a measure of consistency tonight versus the Northwest Division-rival Calgary Flames at Pepsi Center.

Colorado won six of eight games to start the season before going 1-3-1 over its next five. The team suffered a second straight setback in Friday's 7-6 overtime decision at Dallas, as Matt Duchene had his first career hat trick and a career-high four points for the Avalanche, who got 29 saves from goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

"It's frustrating. It was one of those games where everything seemed to be going in," said Duchene, who has six points in his last four games. "It's disappointing to give that game up."

Jay McClement, Paul Stastny and Daniel Winnik all scored in defeat. The Avs blew a 2-0 lead and allowed four Dallas goals in the second period.

Calgary had won three of four games before suffering a 2-1 loss at Buffalo on Friday in the second test of a three-game road trip.

Alex Tanguay scored and backup goaltender Henrik Karlsson stopped 42-of-44 shots for the Flames, who were coming off a 4-1 victory at Detroit in the opener of the trek.

"It was maybe the best game I've seen him play," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said about Karlsson. "Unfortunately we couldn't get him the win."

The Flames allowed a season-high 44 shots and could have Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes tonight. Kiprusoff has not allowed more than two goals in five of his last six starts, winning four of them. Calgary fell to 2-3-0 on the road and has not recorded a win in Buffalo since March 15, 1996.

Kiprusoff has won his last seven starts against the Avalanche and made 34 saves in a 4-2 victory on Oct. 26 this season at the Saddledome. Iginla has scored 33 goals against the Avs -- the most versus any team. He currently boasts a five-game points streak in this series.

Sunday's game between the Flames and Avs is the second of six meetings. The Flames have won six in a row and eight of the last nine encounters with Colorado.






Related News