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Flames look to snap two-game slide

Feb 5, 2009 - 11:21 AM Chicago (28-13-8) at Calgary (30-16-4) 9:30 p.m. EST

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- The Calgary Flames have to recover quickly from a two-game losing streak, but they have a tough task ahead of them when they return home on Thursday.

After dropping the last two contests of a three-game road trip, the Flames will be back on their home ice, but will have to play host to a Chicago Blackhawks squad that has been one of their biggest hurdles this season.

Chicago has won all three of its meetings with Calgary - and only one was even close. They erupted for a six-goal outburst in a November 9 showdown at the United Center to cap a four-game winning streak, then got the best of the Flames again more than a month later with a 3-2, overtime victory in Calgary.

Fourth-year defenseman Duncan Keith scored the game-winner in that one - 23 seconds into the extra session. Nikolai Khabibulin made 32 saves to earn the win, but didn't have to make any in overtime as Keith took care of it by himself.

In the teams' third meeting of the 2008-09 campaign last month, the Blackhawks posted three second-period tallies to take control and surge to a 5-2 triumph. Keith continued his strong play against Calgary with a pair of assists in another winning effort.

It has been a month since the Western Conference foes last squared off, and both clubs are still grappling for playoff positioning. With 64 points apiece, Chicago and Calgary are both in line for home-ice in the first round. Chicago is aiming for its first playoff appearance since 2002.

While the Blackhawks have won their last two games overall, the Flames have dropped two straight, falling on the road to the Colorado Avalanche and the surging Dallas Stars.