Blue Jackets vs Flames Preview:
7 tonight, Nationwide Arena
TV: FSN Ohio
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460), WWCD-FM (101.1)
Series
The Blue Jackets are 14-10-0-1 all time against the Flames, including 9-2-0-1 in Nationwide Arena. This is the second of four meetings this season. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 1 in the Pengrowth Saddledome.
Story lines
The Flames are, ahem, on fire, having won five straight on the road. This is the sixth and final stop on their trip. … As the home club, the Blue Jackets have the second line change. Does coach Ken Hitchcock play the Sergei Fedorov line or the Manny Malhotra line against the Flames' top line, which includes Jarome Iginla? … Miikka Kiprusoff is 8-2-0-2 with a .920 save percentage vs. the Blue Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets
• Past 10 games: 4-4-2
• Power play (NHL rank): 15.2 percent (24th)
• Penalty kill (NHL rank): 86.8 percent (third)
• Injured: C Michael Peca (pectoral), RW Gilbert Brule (inflamed tonsils), questionable; LW Fredrik Modin (back spasms), RW David Vyborny (hip strain), out
• Player to watch: Klesla. Either he bangs and crashes and fits right in in highly physical games, or he gets flustered with the puck and makes haphazard turnovers.
Calgary Flames
• Past 10 games: 6-2-2
• Power play (NHL rank): 17.4 percent (16th)
• Penalty kill (NHL rank): 78.6 percent (26th)
• Injured: LW Alex Tanguay (foot), D Rhett Warrener (ankle), questionable; LW David Moss (leg), out
• Player to watch: Iginla. Not only is he a gifted offensive player -- he's second in the NHL with 23 goals and 48 points -- but he's one of the NHL's toughest players. He's 30 years old and a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.
Link to Story
