The Phoenix Coyotes begin their first skirmish in their final Battle of Alberta Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames.  After shutting them out 3-0 at Jobing.com arena, they will have to face this team in one of the toughest places to play - the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames have lost two in a row, including a tough 4-3 loss against Vancouver where they were up 2-0 in the first period.  The Coyotes by contrast have won two straight collecting five points in six games.

Will the Coyotes prevail by taking yet another two points from a Western Conference rival?

The Flames have had the second best record in the Western Conference since December 23 collecting 50 points.  Before facing Vancouver they had an amazing 22-9-6 stretch that was sparked in part by a front office change when former General Manager Daryl Sutter stepped down.

After a slow start, Flames captain Jerome Iginla has found his game running up 67 points (30G 37A) which puts him squarely in the top ten in the NHL with goals scored at 8th and 11th in assists.  

Curtis Glencross is considered by many to be a very streaky player.   Howeve in the last six games, he has scored three game winning goals, two in regulation and one in the shootout.

The Flames have the second best home record in the Western Conference running 21-11-4.  The Saddledome is a real tough place to play as the fans are intense and very, very loud.

As the Flames have lost two in a row, the Coyotes have won two in a row, with one victory coming at the expense of a Flames' shutout.  The Coyotes have been a streaky team but they have been able to put consecutive wins together at the right times and avoid losing streaks that could cost them a playoff spot.

Coyotes' Captain Shane Doan has led the charge once again for the Coyotes.  Currently, he is on a four-game point streak scoring three goals and three assists with a plus-6 rating.

Lauri Korpikoski has emerged as one of the true scoring threats for the Coyotes' attack.  Doan characterized him as a very "creative" player and Todd Marchant and Lubomir Visnovsky of the Anaheim Ducks would most likely agree.

The Coyotes have a solid 19-12-5 record on the road and to cement their push into the post season, earning two more points against the Flames will do nicely.  

What would they need to do?

• Withstand the Flames' onslaught during the first ten minutes of the game.  Against Vancouver, the third and fourth lines carried the scoring potting two goals in the first five minutes.  With the loss against Vancouver, they will be amped up again.
• Score first to take the Flames' crowd out of the game.
• Win the face-off battle so that they can control the puck.
• Win the specialty team battle.  The Flames are only 11th in the NHL in PP and 15th in PK.
• Play a solid defensive game limiting Iginla's chances and keeping the third and fourth lines in check.

Starting Goaltenders

Key Players

Lauri Korpikoski

#28 / Left Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-1

Weight: 196

Born: Jul 28, 1986

Curtis Glencross

#20 / Left Wing / Calgary Flames

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Born: Dec 28, 1982

Injuries