(My Sportsbook) - The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Calgary Flames tonight at Nationwide Arena in a preview of what could be a first-round Western Conference playoff series.

If the season ended today, the Flames would win the Northwest Division and be the third seed in the West, while Columbus would finish sixth in the standings.

With 90 points, Calgary currently holds a three-point edge over Vancouver for first in the division and third place in the West. The Blue Jackets, who have never made the playoffs, are five points ahead of the conference's eighth and final postseason seed with a franchise-record 83 points on the year.

The Blue Jackets had won two in a row and six of seven prior to losing Tuesday's game in Tampa. Columbus did manage to record a point, however, as the Lightning won the contest, 2-1, on an overtime goal by Martin St. Louis.

Jan Hejda scored for Columbus, which is 6-1-1 over its last eight tilts and has recorded at least a point in three straight games. Steve Mason let in both goals on 17 shots to take the loss.

The Blue Jackets are closing the month of March with three home tests in four games. Columbus, which will visit St. Louis on Saturday in the opener of a home-and-home set, has a solid 23-11-2 record in Ohio this season.

The Flames have lost two of their last three games and are coming off Wednesday's setback in Pittsburgh. Kris Letang and Hal Gill each scored a goal and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 31 shots faced as the Penguins held off Calgary, 2-0, at Mellon Arena.

Miikka Kiprusoff turned in a solid performance between the pipes for Calgary, stopping 26-of-28 shots. The Flames, who were coming off a 5-3 win over Detroit on Monday, have split their last six games.

The Flames have lost two straight and five of their last six road games. Calgary, which is 18-16-2 as the guest this year, is wrapping a brief two-game trip tonight and will host Minnesota and San Jose to close out its March schedule.

Calgary has taken two of three from the Blue Jackets this year and can win the season series tonight in the final scheduled 2008-09 meeting between the clubs. The Flames have won four of six and six of their last 10 overall matchups with the Jackets, but have dropped two in a row and five of their past six in Columbus.