(Sports Network) - A battle for first place in the Northwest Division is on tap tonight, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames in a showdown at the Pepsi Center.

The Flames and Avalanche are currently tied atop the division with 42 points apiece and the clubs are six points ahead of third-place Vancouver.

Colorado has recorded a pair of regulation wins over the Flames this season, winning both games in Calgary by a 3-2 score. The Avs have won four straight in the series, but the teams have split the last 10 contests overall. Calgary has dropped two straight, three of four and eight of 10 in Denver.

The Avalanche have won three of their last four tests and are 1-1-0 at the start of a five-game homestand. Colorado, which will also host Washington and Columbus during the residency, is 8-3-2 as the home club this season.

Colorado earned a hard-fought shootout victory over Tampa Bay on Friday night. Wojtek Wolski tied the game in the third period on a fortuitous carom off his body and scored the lone goal in the shootout, as the Avs edged the Lightning, 2-1.

"Sometimes you just have to go to the net and get a lucky bounce," Wolski said. "I have had so many chances in the last little while and they are not going, sometimes you just have to get the ugly ones."

Craig Anderson, making his first start since sustaining a neck injury in a collision with Florida defenseman Keith Ballard on December 2, stopped 21 shots to notch his 15th win of the season, tying his career-high set during the 2008-09 campaign.

Peter Budaj did an admirable job in the interim for Colorado, posting a 2-2-0 record with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage.

The Flames, meanwhile, have lost two of three and three of their last five games and are coming off Friday's overtime setback against visiting Minnesota. Martin Havlat's OT winner at 3:15 of the extra session led the Wild to the 2-1 win at the Saddledome.

Aaron Johnson had the lone tally for Calgary, which lost despite a fine effort from Miikka Kiprusoff. The former Vezina Trophy winner stopped 44-of-46 shots in the hard-luck loss -- he made at least 10 saves in each regulation period.

"Kiprusoff gave us a chance to win, and we didn't capitalize on that," said Flames captain Jarome Iginla. "That was the difference."

The Flames have played the last two games without veteran forward Craig Conroy, who is also questionable for tonight's test with a knee injury. Conroy has seven assists in 29 games this season.

Calgary is kicking off a brief two-game road trip tonight and will return to the Saddledome for a four-game homestand following Tuesday's stop in St. Louis. The Flames have an impressive 11-3-3 record as the guest this year, but they have dropped two of their last three road games.