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Blue Jackets hope to end road woes against Flames

Dec 1, 2007 - 3:09 PM Columbus (11-10-4) at Calgary (10-13-3) 10:00 pm EST

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have been struggling on the road lately. Columbus hopes to reverse the trend on Saturday against the Calgary Flames in a place where victories haven't come easy.

The Blue Jackets are 1-7-0 in their last eight road games and have dropped both games to open their current three-game road trip. Columbus has scored one goal in the last two games, including its first shutout of the season on Thursday against red-hot Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks.

The status of goaltender Pascal Leclaire for Saturday's game is uncertain due to a slight groin pull. Leclaire, who was hurt in Monday's loss at Edmonton, did not play on Thursday. Leclaire is 10-5-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average and has already set a single-season franchise record with six shutouts, most in the NHL this season.

The Blue Jackets are 2-5 in their last seven games and are 1-5 in their last six games at Calgary. The Flames have dropped three straight, including a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Thursday in the first of a four-game homestand.

The offense has fallen off recently for Calgary, which has scored four goals in the current three-game slide.

Jarome Iginla, who leads the Flames with 13 goals and 21 assists, has 13 goals and 13 assists in 24 career meetings with Columbus. Left wing Rick Nash, who returned from a five-game absence on Thursday due to a back injury, leads the Blue Jackets with 16 goals and 11 assists, but has only two goals and five assists in 14 games against Calgary.