NHL

• Flames host Avs to open home-and-home set

  
  

  (Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames seek their third straight win over the Colorado Avalanche, as the clubs open a home-and-home set tonight in Canada at Pengrowth Saddledome.

  After dropping five of eight versus the Avalanche last year, including a split of four games in Calgary, the Flames have already beaten Colorado twice this year.

  That includes a 5-4 win on October 14 and a 3-0 blanking two weeks later on the 28th. Both of those tests were also in Calgary, as the clubs have yet to play in Denver. That first matchup at the Pepsi Center will be played on Thursday.

  The Flames, 6-2-1 at home this year, are anything but hot heading into this test, as last Thursday's 6-1 setback in San Jose was their fifth loss in seven games. Mike Cammalleri scored Calgary's lone goal in that setback, breaking up a shutout bid with 9:47 left to play.

  Miikka Kiprusoff continued his season-long struggles, allowing four goals on 20 shots in the first period. Curtis McElhinney replaced Kiprusoff in the second frame, allowing two goals on 26 shots faced the rest of the way.

  Kiprusoff is 9-7-1 with a 3.49 goals against average and .885 save percentage this year, as he has been in net for all but one of Calgary's 18 games. He has allowed 19 goals over his last four starts, but has beaten the Avalanche twice this year. That includes his third-career shutout against the Colorado franchise in late October.

  The Avs' Peter Budaj has been in net for both of his team's losses to the Flames this year and is 4-7-1 with a 3.88 GAA lifetime against them. He helped backstop Colorado to a 3-2 shootout win over Edmonton on Saturday.

  Budaj made 33 saves in the win and turned aside four of five skaters faced in the extra session. That includes a save on the Oilers' Shawn Horcoff in the fifth round after a goal by Darcy Tucker.

  Tucker also scored the game-tying goal for the Avalanche, tipping a shot past Edmonton netminder Edmonton Oiler with 11 ticks left in regulation. The tally came with Colorado skating on a 6-on-3 advantage, as the Oilers had two men in the penalty box and Budaj was on the bench in favor of an extra attacker.

  Former Oiler Ryan Smyth netted the equalizer for Colorado, his first goal scored against his former club, with whom he played for more than 11 seasons. The victory was Colorado's third straight, getting it back to .500 (8-8-0) on the season.

  Paul Stastny will skate in his first game tonight since signing a five-year contract extension on Monday that will keep the 22-year-old in Colorado through the 2013-14 season.

  Stastny led the team in scoring with 71 points in 66 games last season and was selected to his first All-Star game, but couldn't play because of an appendectomy. The Quebec native leads the Avs with 12 assists and 15 points this season.

  Joe Sakic, who has two goals and 10 assists this season, has missed Colorado's last two games due to a strained back and is out for tonight, as the Avalanche wrap a three-game road trip. Colorado is 4-4-0 as the road club this year.

  11/18 11:05:26 ET