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Flames try to keep up scoring pace in home test vs. Ducks

Jan 12, 2012 - 4:08 PM (Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames have found their offense after returning home from a frustrating road trip.

The Anaheim Ducks have also picked things up finally despite losing their top two goaltenders to injury.

The Flames try to remain perfect so far on their four-game homestand while the Ducks hope to match their longest win streak of the season as the two clubs collide tonight.

Forced out on a seven-game road trip because of the World Junior Championships, the Flames took the first two contests in Vancouver and Columbus before dropping the final five games of the swing. That included a 9-0 bashing in Boston on Jan. 5, but Calgary has scored nine games in the first two contests of a four-game stay at home.

The Flames notched their highest goal total since a 7-6 win over the Hurricanes on Dec. 6 as they bested the visiting Devils 6-3 on Tuesday. Curtis Glencross had one of four first-period goals for Calgary and added three assists for his first four-point game.

"I didn't really know that it was my career high," said Glencross. "I was more happy with the two points. We got away with what we wanted to do in the second period and we were fortunate to get those four goals early to keep us ahead in the game."

Jay Bouwmeester, Cory Sarich and T.J. Brodie also lit the lamp and captain Jarome Iginla logged the 501st goal of his career while adding two assists and a fighting major for the infamous "Gordie Howe" hat trick.

Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 35 shots in the win, which came despite the Flames getting outshot 38-14.

The Ducks were paced by a more traditional hat trick on Tuesday, with Saku Koivu notching the second three-goal game of his career in a 5-2 win over the Ducks. Teemu Selanne assisted on two of Koivu's goals, including his second of the night that broke a 2-2 tie.

"Give Teemu all the credit, he made a drop pass to me and charged the net," said Koivu, whose first hat trick came on Nov. 18, 2002 with Montreal. "He took out both of their defensemen. All I had to do was shoot the puck."

Anaheim has recorded hat tricks in back-to-back games for the first time in club history after Corey Perry logged three goals in Sunday's 7-4 win over Columbus.

Matt Beleskey and Luca Sbisa both scored on Tuesday for the Ducks, who have won three straight for the first time since a season-high four-game win streak from Oct. 8-17. Anaheim had won just six times in 33 contests since prior to this three-game run.

Anaheim has posted its best run since October despite both Dan Ellis and Jonas Hiller out with injury. Ellis is on injured reserve because of a lower-body issue, while a lower-body ailment forced Hiller out of the win over the Blue Jackets. Rookie Iiro Tarkki replaced Hiller in the first period and Jeff Deslauriers got the start versus the Stars after being brought up from the minors earlier in the day.

In his first NHL action since April 11, 2010 with Edmonton, the goaltender made 26 saves.

"He made the good saves, especially at the beginning of the first period," said Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau of Deslauriers. "I was a little nervous that he'd be a little nervous, but I thought he made a couple saves early that sort of got him in the game.

After battling back for a split of a six-game homestand, the Ducks will play their next three on the road. They haven't been away from Anaheim since snapping an 0-9-4 road skid with a win at San Jose on Dec. 26.

The Ducks swept their four-game series with the Flames last year, taking the first three encounters past regulation before capping the set with a 4-2 win at Calgary on March 30. Anaheim has won 11 of its past 14 versus Calgary.