Is it enough? Will the Calgary Flames’ six-game winning streak on the road give them the confidence and momentum to overcome this season’s rather ordinary performance on home ice?
The pessimists would say no, pointing to family responsibilities and personal commitments around the Christmas season as enough of a potential distraction.
Daymond Langkow, left, with teammate Owen Nolan, was recently moved to the Flames' top line.
(Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press)
The optimists would cite the Flames’ improved power play and penalty killing, the success of the newly formed No. 1 forward line and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff’s return to top form.
Whatever the case, Calgary will put its 7-7-4 record at the Saddledome this season to the test Friday (10 p.m. MT) against the Dallas Stars, who succumbed 3-2 Thursday in Vancouver.
“It’s up to us, now, to keep this momentum going,” veteran Flames defenceman Robyn Regehr told reporters on Thursday. “We’ve been doing a lot better job special teams-wise and, for the most part, five-on-five, there are still areas to improve.
“But it’s a matter of coming in here, playing two good games [New Jersey on Sunday] and then looking to a couple-day break.”
Calgary will then visit the Canucks on Dec. 27 before hosting Anaheim (Dec. 29), Vancouver (Dec. 31) and the New York Rangers (Jan. 2) prior to a two-game road trip.
The Flames travelled back and forth between time zones on the recent trip but managed to outscore their foes by a combined 26-16.
They last won seven in a row overall two years ago when they prevailed eight consecutive times.
“It feels awesome,” said Calgary captain Jarome Iginla, who has combined with Daymond Langkow and new linemate Kristian Huselius for 22 goals and 42 points in nine games.
“It’s one of the most enjoyable little stretches I’ve been on since being here [at the start of the 1996-97 season].”
Iginla, who scored once in a 3-1 defeat of Columbus on Tuesday, is third in the NHL scoring race with 49 points, four back of leader Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But despite the top line’s torrid pace, the Flames are fourth in the five-team Northwest Division and seventh in the Western Conference with a 17-13-5 record.
However, a little secondary scoring from the likes of Alex Tanguay, Craig Conroy, Owen Nolan and Matthew Lombardi, could result in Calgary moving up in the standings.
Defensively, the Flames have some work to do after limiting the opposition to less than 30 shots on goal just once during the six-game road trip.
“Our goal was to be back in the playoff race by Christmas,” said defenceman Adrian Aucoin. “It’s a little early right now but just knowing that we’re back there, now we’re climbing.
“We’re not looking behind us. We’re looking ahead of us, which is huge.”
Kiprusoff, who endured a dreadful start to the season, also isn’t looking behind as much, as in looking at the net filled with pucks.
The NHL’s top netminder in 2005-06, he recorded a 2.63 goals-against average on the road trip and sits at 2.83 for the season. But Kiprusoff is 4-7-1 in his career against Dallas — his worst record against any West team.
The Stars rode a four-game winning streak into Vancouver and were denied by another hot goalie, Roberto Luongo, who made 33 saves.
Dallas leads the Pacific Division with a 19-12-4 mark but couldn’t recover after falling behind 2-0 to the Canucks early in the third period.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
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