• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Flames try to end slide against slumping Blues

Dec 16, 2008 - 2:00 PM Calgary (16-11-3) at St. Louis (12-14-3) 8:30 p.m. EST

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The Calgary Flames are hoping a long layoff will help bring an end to their three-game losing streak.

The Flames try to snap their slide on Tuesday when they visit the slumping St. Louis Blues.

Rene Bourque netted a pair of goals and Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 27 shots, but it was not enough as Calgary lost 3-2 in a shootout against the Florida Panthers on Friday, falling to 0-1-2 over its last three contests.

The Flames have allowed 11 goals during their recent drought after surrendering an average of two tallies a game en route to a 5-1-0 surge in its previous six contests.

A meeting with the Blues should help Calgary return to that form. The Flames have won four straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings against St. Louis, including a 4-3 overtime win during the teams' most recent clash on December 5.

Brad Winchester netted his first two goals of the season and B.J. Crombeen and David Backes also tallied for the Blues, who suffered their third straight regulation loss during a 5-4 setback to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

St. Louis scored three times in less than a two-minute span to build a 3-1 edge early in the second period against the Sharks, but failed to hold that lead as it fell to 2-4-1 in December.