5 THINGS - FLAMES @ DUCKS
Flames close out road trip with a stop in Anaheim
Video: Brendan Parker tees up tonight's game
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Projected Lineup
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STAT PACK
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Scoring Leaders
2021-22 Head-to-Head Stats
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Leading Scorers:
Flames:
Points - Elias Lindholm (32)
Goals - Tyler Toffoli (14)
Ducks:
Points - Troy Terry (28)
Goals - Troy Terry (12)
Special Teams:
Flames:
PP - 20.2% (21st) / PK - 81.5% (5th)
Ducks:
PP - 15.8% (28th) / PK - 68.5% (31st)
Advanced Stats:
Flames:
Shot Attempts: 54.84% (4th)
High-Danger Chances: 50.69% (17th)
Ducks:
Shot Attempts: 44.22% (30th)
High-Danger Chances: 38.92% (32nd)
It's been a good trip.
Can they now make it a great one?
Following a 4-3 overtime loss to the Kings Thursday in Tinseltown, the Flames have made the short trek down the interstate and will face the Anaheim Ducks tonight with a chance to finish their California road swing on a high note.
The Flames are 2-0-1 on the trip so far, settling for a single point at Crypto.com Arena after roaring back from a 3-1, third-period deficit.
The homeside scored twice in a 10-second span to open the third period, turning a 1-1 game on its head before Tyler Toffoli and Dillon Dube brought the Flames back even and forced overtime.
A critical point, that.
"We have an older team, right? We have some guys in here that have gone pretty far and won Stanley Cups. So, they're pretty comfortable in those situations in the third period, and us young guys just try to follow their lead a little bit," said Noah Hanifin, who set up the game-tying tally with a beautiful centring pass to Dube.
"You can't just give up. There was a lot of time left, fortunately. I mean, you don't want to give up two that quick into the third period, obviously, but we did have some time left to get back to it. (Dan Vladar) made a huge save for us on that penalty-shot and that kind of gave some momentum."
Adrian Kempe scored the deciding goal in the extra period, converting a backdoor tap-in off a give-and-go with Viktor Arvidsson at 3:23, following a mad scramble at the other end where the Flames had multiple chances to end it.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored the Flames' other marker, while Vladar stopped 28 of 32 - including the aforementioned penalty-shot stop on Kevin Fiala - in a losing, but altogether splendid showing.
The Flames have repeatedly said their goal was to be in a playoff spot at the Christmas break.
They enter action today one point back of the Oilers for the second and final wild-card spot.
"It shows a lot," Huberdeau said of the gumption to fight back in the third period last night. "I think we have a lot of character on our team and that's what we have to show. Even down two goals against a good team, (wed) didn't panic and we pushed the button and came back in the third. That shows a lot about our team.
"Next game (tonight), right back at it and get a nice two points before the break."
Video: CGY@LAK: Dube nets 8th goal of season in 3rd period
The numbers don't lie.
With a league-low three regulation wins, along with a disastrous -62 goal differential (12 goals worse than the next-closest team), the Ducks are limping into the Christmas break in need of a reset.
Unfortunately, that's not likely to help matters. At 9-22-3, the Ducks are second-last in the overall standings and are on pace for their worst season in franchise history.
They enter tonight's encounter on the heels of back-to-back 4-1 losses - first, to the LA Kings, and then to the Minnesota Wild 24 hours later. This, after winning two straight - both in regulation - less than a week earlier and slowly showing signs of a pulse.
Mason McTavish tallied the lone goal for the Ducks in Wednesday's loss to the Wild, while Lukas Dostal - who surrendered six goals to the Calgary Wranglers earlier this season - stopped 38 shots in a losing effort.
"That's the disappointing thing because 5-on-5, we actually played quite well," Ducks Head Coach and former Flame Dallas Eakins said. "But you leave the game and you have a sour taste in your mouth because all of the penalties took us out of our rhythm."
The Ducks finished the night 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
Dostal, meanwhile, has now started four straight games, with Anaheim's regular goaltending tandem - featuring John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz - are both out with injury
This is the second of a season-long 10-game homestand for the Ducks.
'HOLM COOKING:
Elias Lindholm scored in every meeting with Anaheim last season, totaling five goals and an assist for six points in four games against the Ducks. Over his career, Lindholm has seven goals and five assists for 12 points in 18 career meetings against Anaheim and has three goals and an assist for four points in five trips to the Honda Center since being acquired by Calgary prior to the 2018-19 season. Coming into tonight's contest, Lindholm has two goals and six assists for eight points in his last four games.
DUCK HUNTERS:
The Flames have won their last four trips to the Honda Center dating back to the 2019-20 season. The Flames won both matchups in Anaheim last season, the teams did not play during the COVID shortened 2021 season, and in 2019-20, the Flames were also 2-0 in Anaheim, outscoring the Ducks 16-6 over the three-year span. ... Nazem Kadri currently leads the Flames with 22 points in 24 career matchups with the Ducks (10G, 12A) and had a two-point night in his only trip to the Honda Center last season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Nikita Zadorov played his first NHL game against the Ducks at the Honda Center back on Nov. 8, 2013 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres.
Noah Hanifin scored his first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks back on Nov. 16, 2015.
Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau and Ducks centre Ryan Strome were teammates on Team Canada during the 2012 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship that took place in Calgary and Edmonton.
Stick tap to Flames Communications Coordinator Jordan Bay for compiling these notes.
Follow him and the Flames PR team @FlamesPR on Twitter for more.
Video: Zadorov on playoff race, tonight's tilt & more
Flames - Jonathan Huberdeau
Huberdeau brings a three-game point streak (1G, 4A) into the game tonight after his beautiful, breakaway tally against the Kings.
Still, despite the goal and the team battling back for a crucial single point when things initially looked bleak, No. 10 was a tad miffed at how the overtime period played out.
He felt he erred when he made the 'extra pass' on a couple of good looks when a simpler, more direct play on net would do.
We'll never know, but one thing's for sure: Huberdeau was all over it last night and looks to be gaining confidence with each passing game.
"I think you saw it," he said of OT. "I gotta shoot. It sucks. … I just tried to make a pass for an empty net for the other guy, but I have to keep it simple, shoot the puck and that's what I gotta do."
Ducks - Mason McTavish
Fitting, that with the World Juniors right around the corner, we're featuring one of Canada's most prolific U20 skaters.
McTavish, who starred in the summer re-boot of the annual holiday tradition, has gotten off to a great start in his first NHL season. The 19-year-old has five goals and 19 points in 34 games, and has already become a fixture on the highlight reels with his combination of speed, skill and pizazz.
No, things haven't gone to plan this year in the shadow of Disneyland, but the former Team Canada captain - drafted with the third pick in 2021 - has given Ducks fans plenty to be excited about.
With fellow youngsters Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras already in the fold up front, that's a pretty good core to build around.
Toffoli on the crazy third period last night:
"I think we just started playing our game a little bit more and started playing faster, getting pucks in on the forecheck and getting pucks behind. Obviously, that's one of the weaker parts of their game and we found a way to execute and get a point.
"There was no doubt in our minds we could come back. It was just about putting in the work and staying with it."
Huberdeau on the focus going into the final game of the road trip:
"We can be in a good spot again if we get a win (tonight). Get a win, get a good break and back at it."
