SAN JOSE — The Flames weren’t at their best when they ventured to this Northern California city on November 13 and it showed.  They were hammered, 6-1.

    Last Tuesday when the Sharks were at the Saddledome, they weren’t at their best and it showed.  The Flames won, 5-2.

    Now round 3 in the regular-season series featuring two of the NHL’s best teams over the past month-and-a-half with both needing to be at their best in the Sharktank.

   Both have something to prove given the results of the earlier confrontations. Perhaps the Flames more so than the Sharks.

   Since that thrashing two months and two days ago, the Flames have compiled a 17-4-3 record claiming a 7-point lead at the top of the NW Division standings.  The Sharks are 18-2-3 since continuing to be #1 in the league overall.

   The Sharks have been virtually unbeatable at home. In their first 22 games of this season are 20-0-2 here. Extending back to last season its 33-straight regular-season games at home in which they’ve collected points.  The NHL record is 37.  The Flames would like nothing better than to spoil that notion.

   Todd Bertuzzi last played in that game last Tuesday and will miss a third straight game here. He’s listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury. 

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