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It seems every time the Calgary Flames take a step forward they take two steps back.

After picking up consecutive wins against the Devils and Blackhawks the Flames have dropped two in a row and at times haven't looked good in the process.

They were the better team against the Coyotes but they converted just one of six power plays against a team with a highly medicare penalty kill so they probably got the result they deserved.

Things aren't about to get any easier, either, as they're in San Jose tonight to take on a Sharks team that has won seven of 10 and currently sits just one point out of 1st in the division.

If the Flames haven't already done so they're getting dangerously close to reaching the point of no return. They desperately need to win this game.

LINEUPS

Gaudreau - Monahan - Jones
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik
Colborne - Granlund - Hudler
Raymond - Stajan - Ferland

Giordano - Brodie
Russell - Hamilton
Engelland - Wideman

Hiller

--

Karlsson - Thornton - Pavelski
Donskoi - Marleau - Ward
Nieto - Hertl - Wingels
Zubrus - Tierney - Brown

Vlasic - Dillon
Martin - Burns
Mueller - Tennyson

Jones

THREE KEYS

1) Calgary's offense has not been very good of late - they've scored 13 goals in their last seven games - so they need their blue liners to chip in and help out the forwards. Their defense accounted for the lone goal and 12 shots in last night's game. More of the same would be good.

2) The Flames are killing off a woeful 73% of the penalties they take on the year. With the team struggling to score it's probably not a good idea to spot them goals on the PP.

3) Martin Jones enters tonight's game having allowed one goal or less in three of his last six starts. He's playing some excellent hockey this season and more or less stops what he sees so the Flames need to get bodies to the net and make life difficult on him.

The game is at 10 eastern and can be seen on CBC and CSN-CA.

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