Calgary Flames (3-2-0) at Columbus Blue Jackets (2-1-0), 7 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - After beating one of the best teams in the league the last time out, the surprising Calgary Flames shoot for a third consecutive victory Friday when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
The Flames have built a 3-1-0 mark so far on a six-game road trip and are coming off consecutive wins over Nashville and Chicago.
Calgary downed the Predators 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday and the next night earned a 2-1 overtime victory against the Blackhawks. Chicago, of course, won its second Stanley Cup title in four years in 2013 and made it to the Western Conference finals last spring.
The Flames scored first on Wednesday, as Dennis Wideman scored at the 11:55 mark of the second period to stake Calgary to a lead. Chicago's Andrew Shaw would score a power-play goal with 5:45 left in regulation to even the score at 1-1.
It appeared the game was headed to a shootout until Mikael Backlund ended the game in Calgary's favor shortly before the OT period was set to end. Backlund received the puck from T.J. Brodie in the neutral zone and skated into the Blackhawks' end. Using defenseman Brent Seabrook as a screen, the Calgary center fired a shot under Corey Crawford's glove with 25 seconds remaining in the extra session.
Although Backlund came up with the winning goal, Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller was correctly identified as the game's First Star. Hiller stopped 49 shots to anchor Calgary's victory in a game where they were outshot by a 50-18 margin.
"I was happy that it didn't have to go to a shootout," said Hiller. "It's always nice to get it done in overtime."
The Flames, who were 16-21-4 as the away club last season, will complete their current road trip Sunday in Winnipeg.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, hope to close out a three-game homestand with a winning record. Columbus beat the New York Rangers to open the residency on Saturday and improve to 2-0 on the season before dropping a 4-2 decision in Tuesday's meeting with Dallas.
Stars forward Tyler Seguin recorded a hat trick to help down the Blue Jackets. Seguin snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring with 7:44 left in the third period and then sealed the victory with an empty-net tally.
Ryan Johansen had a pair of goals for the Blue Jackets, while Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals on 34 shots in the loss.
"I thought we were doing some good things in the first period, and got back into the game in the second," said Johansen. "We just came out flat in the third and they took it to us."
Johansen, who missed all of training camp due to a contract dispute, is leading the Blue Jackets with five points on two goals and three assists.
Bobrovsky is expected to start tonight and he holds a 2-1-2 record and a 2.34 goals against average in five career outings against Calgary. Karri Ramo could get the call in net for the Flames and has never faced the Blue Jackets.
Columbus will head out on a four-game road trip after ending its homestand tonight. The Blue Jackets will begin the swing Saturday in Ottawa before heading to the West Coast for matchups with San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles.
The Blue Jackets and Flames split a pair of meetings in 2013-14 with each club picking up a win on the road. Columbus has claimed four of the past six encounters between the clubs, but Calgary has won three of four at Nationwide Arena.