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Ex-Atlanta clubs meet in Calgary

Mar 9, 2012 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The two NHL franchises that were formerly located in Atlanta will meet for the only time this season, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Winnipeg Jets tonight at the Saddledome.

Calgary was originally known as the Atlanta Flames before the franchise relocated to Alberta following the 1979-80 season. The Jets, of course, were known as the Atlanta Thrashers until moving to Winnipeg last summer.

The Flames won their last two meetings with the Thrashers and have taken four of six overall in this series. The Thrashers never won a game in Calgary, losing all five trips to the Saddledome in regulation. The last time an NHL team based in Winnipeg played in Calgary was when the original Jets posted a 4-1 win at the Saddledome on March 31, 1996.

Both the Jets and Flames are battling for playoff spots in their respective conferences. Winnipeg is currently tied with Washington for the eighth and final postseason berth in the East, while Calgary is three points out of a playoff spot in the West.

The Flames are coming off Tuesday's win against visiting Montreal and are closing a three-game homestand tonight. The 5-4 victory over the Habs was just the second win in eight games for Calgary, which is 2-3-3 during that stretch.

Curtis Glencross scored the game-winning goal in the third period and added two assists for the Flames, who built a 5-2 lead by the early stages of the third period before holding on for the one-goal victory.

Glencross has five goals and two assists during a five-game point streak. With 23 goals and 17 assists this season, the 29-year-old is just three points shy of his career-high total of 43 from last year.

Jarome Iginla also scored twice, while Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who snapped a two-game skid. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 24 shots in the win.

"Sometimes when it goes like that you just need to get that one to get over that hump," Iginla said. "It's not pretty but it's still a very important win for us and breaks a bad streak at home and something to build on."

Calgary, which had lost five straight on home ice before Tuesday's victory, is 17-10-5 as the host this season.

The Flames have been riddled by injuries lately, and as a result the club has recalled top prospect Sven Baertschi on an emergency basis from his junior club, the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League. Baertschi, the 13th overall pick of the 2011 draft, will make his NHL debut tonight. The 19- year-old Swiss forward has 33 goals and 94 points in 47 games for the Winter Hawks this season.

Calgary is currently without injured forwards Tim Jackman (upper body), Lee Stempniak (high ankle sprain), Blair Jones (cracked ankle), Mikael Backlund (shoulder), Michael Cammalleri (upper body), Blake Comeau (upper body) and Lance Bouma (upper body). Of those players, Cammalleri is believed to be the only one with a chance to play tonight.

The Jets will try to bounce back from a loss when they take the ice tonight. Winnipeg was in Vancouver last night and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Canucks. Samuel Pahlsson scored the game-winner with 5:43 to play to lift the home team to the win at Rogers Arena.

Kyle Wellwood and Blake Wheeler each scored for the Jets, who had a two-game win streak snapped. Ondrej Pavelec gave up all three goals on 45 shots in the loss.

"We didn't do what we've been doing in the last eight games and it showed," said Wheeler.

The Jets are just 11-18-4 on the road this season compared to a 21-10-4 mark in Winnipeg. They will open a three-game homestand when they play their next game against Dallas on Wednesday.