The Dallas Stars will be without chief agitator Sean Avery tonight when they face the Flames after Avery was suspended indefinitely by the NHL for comments he made to reporters earlier in the day.
"I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada," Avery said on camera this morning in Calgary. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight."
Avery was referring to actress Elisha Cuthbert, who is currently dating Flames' All-Star defenceman Dion Phaneuf and used to date Avery.
There had been a great deal of anticipation leading up to the game as Avery also sounded off to ESPN earlier in the season, stating that Flames' captain Jarome Iginla was 'boring.'
Dallas has yet to put together a winning streak this year, one of the main reasons it finds itself last in the Pacific Division with 20 points. The Stars had lost four of five before Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Mike Modano notched the game-winning goal late in regulation and coupled with his earlier assist, became the 31st player in NHL history to reach the 1,300-point plateau. He is already the highest-scoring American-born player in league history after passing Phil Housley on the list last season.
Brad Richards finished with two assists, including one on Modano's tally, to give him a goal and five assists over his last four games. Loui Eriksson also had a helper to stretch his points streak to five games (3 goals, 4 assists).
Avery, Toby Petersen and Mike Ribeiro also scored for Dallas, which begins a two-game road trip tonight and is 5-7-1 as the visiting team this year. Marty Turco made 25 saves to get the win.
The Stars have earned a point in 17 of their last 21 games versus the Flames, going 12-4-2 with three ties in that span. Dallas and Calgary split the four- game season series a year ago, with both of the Stars' wins coming at the Saddledome.
Modano has 24 goals, 36 assists and 60 points in his career versus the Flames, while Turco is 12-6-1 with a pair of ties and a 1.84 goals against average against them.
The Flames are on a roll as of late though. They have won five of their last six and are coming off a home-and-home sweep of first-place Vancouver that has moved them to within a point of the Canucks in the Northwest Division.
After a 4-3 win in Vancouver on Thursday, Calgary posted a 3-1 home win against the Canucks to complete the set. David Moss and Matthew Lombardi both scored third-period goals in the win, also Calgary's third in a row.
Daymond Langkow netted the other goal, while Miikka Kiprusoff earned the win by stopping 17-of-18 shots. Phaneuf notched an assist in his third straight game, and Jarome Iginla also had a helper to run his points streak to six games (2g, 6a).
After allowing four power-play goals in a loss to San Jose on November 13, Calgary hasn't allowed a marker while short-handed in six straight games, going 15-for-15 on the penalty kill over that timeframe.
Dallas, meanwhile, is just 2-for-26 on the power play over its last five games.
The Flames have won five of their last six at home and are 9-3-1 at Pengrowth Saddledome this year. They begin a four-game road trip on Friday in St. Louis.
Kiprusoff is 4-8-2 with a 2.49 GAA in his career versus Dallas.