Flames: 28 PTS, 13-7-2, 3rd in division, 5th conference, 9th league.
Ducks: 31 PTS, 13-4-5, 1st in division, 1st conference, 2nd league.
So not only do we have to go on the road and play one of the best teams in the Ducks, but we have to do it in their building where we haven't won in over a decade, AND we have to do it with the last game in very recent memory. Remember that game? The one where they had a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd after giving up just 7 SOG? Oh yeah, that game where the Flames managed to score 3 unanswered before the Ducks tied it up late to send it to a shootout, where the Flames still walked away with the two points? Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're going to remember that one. It was only a week ago, and I'm fairly certain they're pissed.
So in come the Flames to the most cursed building I've seen a team deal with in recent memory. You have to remember, that most of those years of losses in the Honda Center came from some very competitive Flames clubs. It's only been recently that it was a foregone conclusion for the struggling Flames to lose there. Well, the Flames are struggling no longer…offensively anyway. To be kind, the defense and goaltending over the last few games has been anything but sparkling, yet the Flames have managed to win some games they probably shouldn't with a high octane offense that now sits 4th overall at 3.09 GF/G. That puts them behind only Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Toronto. I wonder if Brad Treliving is still being kept up at night wondering where the goals are going to come from, something that likely spurred the move to acquire Devin Setoguchi. Shh, don't tell Brad, but Seto hasn't contributed a single point to this team yet. Even Engelland and Bollig have 2 points.
No the offense has come from everyone at different times. The biggest contributor over the last stretch has been Curtis Glencross, who scored 2 big goals in the last game, none bigger than that goal with 5 seconds left to force overtime and steal 2 points from the Devils. Glencross has quietly been humming along with 7 points in his last 7 games, but nobody has noticed because they're too busy making up reasons to hate him. One can't forget about Mark Giordano and what he's done this year. He had an assist against New Jersey and has failed to register a point in only 4 games all year. No wonder he's coming up in not only Norris talk, but Hart talk as well. Gaudreau is on a modest 3 game point streak of his own, and trails only Jiri Hudler in points from the forwards. Don't forget Josh Jooris, who has 4 points in his last 4 games.
Since that game a week ago in Calgary, all the Ducks have done is won. It's only 2 games mind you, but they won in a shootout over Vancouver and eeked out a win over the Coyotes at home. I watched most of that game against Arizona, and they did just enough to win, but by no means were they a dominant team. I don't know which Ducks team will show up tonight, but I'm hoping it's not the one that gets unreal superpowers from the ghosts at Honda Center that love to beat up on the Flames. Corey Perry has been struggling since returning from the Mumps, with just 1 assist in 4 games, and a pretty awful -5 rating. However, the Ducks have been getting production from their back end (similarly to Calgary) in Sami Vatanen who is 2nd on the team in points. He also had 3 points alone in the last game against Calgary, so if there's anyone to keep an eye on it's Vatanen who is red hot.
*Fun Fact: Andrew Cogliano is now the NHL Ironman with 562 GP straight, not missing a single one since he entered the league. Only 4 other players have started their NHL career with 500 straight games. This is particularly interesting to watch since the Ducks have had both the Mumps and the flu run through their locker room in recent weeks.
Flames
Glencross-Monahan-Bouma
Gaudreau-Granlund-Hudler
Ferland-Jooris-Byron
Bollig-Knight-Baertschi
Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Wideman
Smid-Engelland
Hiller
Ducks
Beleskey-Getzlaf-Perry
Maroon-Kesler-Palmieri
Cogliano-Thompson-Silfverberg
Bourque-Rakell-Smith-Pelley
Vatanen-Beauchemin
Fowler-Manson
Lindholm-Clark
Andersen
Go Flames Go!!!