SEASON SERIES: Sunday's game is the first of five meetings between the Flames and Ducks in the 2016-17 season. The Flames will be looking to break a 23-game losing skid at the Honda Center, with their last regular season win in Anaheim dating back to Jan. 19, 2004. Calgary dropped all five games against the Ducks in 2015-16. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan led the Flames with four points each against the Ducks last year. Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf led all skaters in the season series with nine points in five games.
FLAMES TEAM SCOPE: Calgary is looking to bounce back from a 5-0 loss to the LA Kings on Saturday and go .500 on their four-game road trip. Brian Elliott made 34 saves on 39 shots in the shutout setback at the Staples Center. Prior to Saturday's loss, the Flames picked up a 3-2 victory in San Jose on Thursday and dropped a 5-1 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Michael Frolik leads the Flames in scoring with five goals and nine points. Troy Brouwer, Sam Bennett, Johnny Gaudreau, and Mikael Backlund are tied for second in scoring with seven points each.
DUCKS TEAM SCOPE: The Ducks could have Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie back in the lineup on Sunday. Both forwards took part in practice on Saturday and are considered day-to-day with their upper body maladies. Head coach Randy Carlyle told the media both will be evaluated after the morning skate. The Ducks have had an up-and-down season, struggling to find to consistency. They are coming off a 5-1 win over Arizona on Friday but dropped a 5-1 decision to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Corey Perry leads the Ducks in scoring with four goals and 10 points in 12 games. Getzlaf trails him with one goal and nine points in nine games. Goaltender John Gibson is 5-4-2 this year with a 2.43 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
This is the same lineup from yesterday. Have to think that Shinkaruk will replace Bouma, Jokipakka moves in for Grossman and Johnson in place of Elliott.
The good thing about the coming election on Tuesday is that the Honda Center won't survive the end of the world. The bad thing is that it's still only Sunday so the Ducks get one last annihilation of the Flames at that same place.
__________________ "Some guys like old balls"
Patriots QB Tom Brady
Very fickle fans around here. We win two in a row it's time to plan the parade. We lose two in a row and we are the worst team in sports. Embarrassing. Flames bounce back pull out a close win 4-3 scoring in last minutes of regulation.
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Very fickle fans around here. We win two in a row it's time to plan the parade. We lose two in a row and we are the worst team in sports. Embarrassing. Flames bounce back pull out a close win 4-3 scoring in last minutes of regulation.
Its not the results, its how they're playing. Some games Backlund, Frolik, Brouwer and the Goaltending has been enough to win but everyone knows that no team can be successful wihen those 3 are the only skaters playing well consistently, 14 games in.
Flames @ Ducks, 7:30 PM. Sportsnet 360, Fan 960
