Flames look to end losing skid vs. Senators
Posted January 14, 2011 7:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A rare offensive outburst helped Ottawa snap its longest losing streak of the season. The way the Calgary Flames have struggled defensively, the Senators could be in for another big offensive game.
The Senators look to win consecutive games for the first time in three weeks while trying to hand the visiting Flames a season-high fifth straight loss Friday night.
In its most productive offensive game of the season, Ottawa (17-21-6) snapped a six-game skid with 6-4 win against the New York Islanders on Thursday. The Senators managed just seven goals during that losing stretch.
Ottawa’s 99 goals rank among the fewest in the NHL.
“Any win right now is a good win for us,” coach Cory Clouston told the Senators’ official website. “We got a lot of contributions from different guys.”
Milan Michalek, Chris Kelly and Jesse Winchester each had a goal with an assist as the Senators won for the first time in the new year.
“It’s nice to be in a winning locker room,” said Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who scored his team-leading 14th goal.
Though Alfredsson has been held without a point his last three games against Calgary, he hopes the locker room remains a happy one as the Senators try to win two in a row for the first time since Dec. 23-26.
Fantasy notes: Jarome Iginla actually only has 11 points in 19 tries vs. OTT over his career. Sergei Gonchar has 11 points in 16 GP vs. CGY and he was a stellar +5 in last night’s game, which actually made a pretty big dent in the -20 he was rocking before the puck dropped. | Follow Chris Nichols on Twitter
After watching Robin Lehner stop 20 shots to win his first NHL start, Brian Elliott could be back in net for the Senators.
Elliott had started 10 straight games prior to Thursday, but has a 3.97 goals-against average during an 0-4-2 stretch. He made 27 saves in a 3-2 home win over the Flames on Feb. 9 – the Senators’ lone victory in the last seven meetings.
Though Calgary (18-20-5) has dominated this series of late, it’s allowed 19 goals during a four-game losing streak overall.
Clouston hopes his club is able to add to the Flames’ defensive troubles.
“We’ve got to try to get out to a real good start and try to keep moving forward,” Clouston said.
The Flames have lost their last two games in a shootout, including 6-5 at Carolina on Tuesday.
“I’m not happy with the point. We need to win games,” coach Brent Sutter said after his team blew a pair of one-goal leads.
Calgary failed on both power-play chances in that contest, and is 1 for 19 with the man advantage the last six games.
Sutter appears so dissatisfied with the recent play of veteran goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, that he might be leaning toward starting rookie Henrik Karlsson in this contest.
Karlsson stopped 21 of 22 shots after Kiprusoff allowed four goals on eight shots against the Hurricanes.
Though Kiprusoff is 6-1-0 with a 2.23 GAA versus Ottawa, he has given up 11 goals on 56 shots in his last three games overall.
“Kipper is obviously a very good goaltender but right now he’s fighting it,” Sutter told the Flames’ official website. “Too many easy goals, it’s bothersome.”
Jarome Iginla and Niklas Hagman each had a goal with an assist at Carolina. Iginla has four goals in seven games, and two with two assists in his last three against the Senators.
