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(Sports Network) - The Devils got off to the kind of start they wanted following the Olympic break. Their finish, though, could use some work.

New Jersey hasn't won consecutive games in nearly two months, a feat it will try to accomplish tonight in a matchup with Calgary at Pengrowth Saddledome as the Flames try to beat the Devils at home for the first time in exactly seven years.

The Devils were 5-10-2 over their final 17 games before the break and faced a stiff challenge in their first game back on the ice Tuesday. Against San Jose, New Jersey scored the game's first four goals, getting second-period tallies from Ilya Kovalchuk, Dainius Zubrus and Mark Fraser, and Martin Brodeur carried a shutout into the third period.

Travis Zajac then lit the lamp in the third frame before the Sharks scored three times in a 2:46 span midway through the period. Brodeur and company held on for a 4-3 win though, with the Devils netminder making 17 saves in helping his team snap a six-game road losing streak.

Kovalchuk and Zajac both added assists for the Devils, who are now a point behind the Penguins for first place in the Atlantic Division after Pittsburgh beat the New York Rangers last night.

"This last 20-game stretch for us, we feel it's really going to dictate how we're feeling and what kind of team we're going to be heading into the playoffs," Fraser said. "So definitely, it's a bonus for us to start it off on a positive."

New Jersey added depth for its stretch run in acquiring defenseman Martin Skoula from Toronto on Wednesday for a 2010 fifth-round draft pick. Skoula is expected to be with the club tonight.

The Flames were much more active at the deadline. After having already acquired Ian White, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik in deals that sent Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen out of town before the Olympics, Calgary completed its first trade ever with Edmonton in getting defenseman Steve Staios.

That wasn't the last of the 2009-10 overhaul of the Flames, as they swapped backup netminders with Anaheim, getting Vesa Toskala for Curtis McElhinney, while also acquiring defenseman Andy Delmore from Detroit for forward Riley Armstrong. Finally, Calgary traded forward Dustin Boyd to Nashville for a draft pick.

Staios did not play in Wednesday night's 4-0 loss to Minnesota, Calgary's fourth setback in its last five games. Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 17-of-21 shots for the Flames.

"I am not pleased with the way we played tonight," Flames coach Brent Sutter said. "It's unacceptable; every game is such a big game for us. It was like a river hockey game out there. I don't know what to say, I am surprised by what took place here tonight. We need to have guys pay a bigger price."

The Flames, who fell to 1-2-0 on a four-game homestand and have lost nine of their last 12 at home, trail Detroit by a point for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

Calgary will try to defeat New Jersey at home for the first time since March 5, 2003 though the clubs have met in Alberta just once since. The Devils earned a 1-0 overtime triumph in Calgary on December 23, 2007 and then picked up their second straight victory in the series with a 3-2 home victory on March 10 of last season.