5 Things - Flames @ Ducks

1. Do It For Her

Ooh, mama!

As if the comforting, California sunshine wasn't enough to buoy their spirits, the Flames will have the league's best cheering section rooting them on tonight at the Honda Center.

Yes, the 2025 Moms Trip is officially off and running, with the players’ biggest fans on hand to offer their love, support, and some extra motivation as they take on a pair of Pacific Division rivals.

“I think these trips are so important,” Head Coach Ryan Huska said, with his own mother, Pam, by his side following Monday’s practice in Anaheim. “At times, you forget about all the work that a parent has done for you along the way and usually people talk about the dads. But in reality, a lot of times, the moms do a lot of the heavy lifting and the dads take a lot of the credit.

“For a lot of these players, they remember how important a player is – and in this case, their moms – in regards to getting them ready to play and maybe being their shoulder to cry on a lot of times, especially when they were younger players and they need a little advice. It always seems to be mom that they go to. I think the players are very fortunate to have their moms on this trip and it's so nice to have them be able to get a taste of what an NHL road trip is like.”

Twenty-three of the players’ moms made the trip, including those of injured forwards Anthony Mantha and Justin Kirkland, who are getting a chance to participate in all of the team activities, while at the same time continuing their rehab from their respective ACL surgeries.

And so far, it’s been a busy couple of days.

The entire team gathered for an extraordinary meal at the Cannery Restaurant in Newport Beach on Sunday, before hitting practice ice yesterday in preparation for tonight’s clash with the Ducks.

For the players, this unique, southern excursion feels anything like a typical business trip.

But the business … remains.

The Flames are looking to bounce back after suffering back-to-back home losses to close out the week. And with six of the next seven dates coming away from the friendly confines, establishing a workmanlike road game is crucial setting course on the playoff race.

2. Know Your Enemy

The Ducks are positively surging, winning four of their last five, including a 4-1 home triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

Frank Vatrano paced the Ducks with a three-point effort (2G, 1A), while Troy Terry had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome had a pair of helpers, and John Gibson earned his 200th career victory with 37 saves.

Jackson LaCombe rounded out the offence with his eighth of the season and second in two games.

However, the big news in the OC that day was not the play – but the signing of Vatrano to a three-year extension that made headlines due to the millions of dollars in deferred salary.

Vatrano will earn $3M in each of the next three seasons, but will then earn $900,000 per year over 10 years, beginning in 2035.

The result is a $4.57M hit on the salary cap – which is significantly lower than if he’d taken all $18M over the course of his three years under contract.

“I think we were comfortable with it because we had done a lot of background and a lot of research,” Ducks GM Pat Verbeek told reporters. “When we went to the league, we wanted to make sure we had – I hate to use this phrase – but all our ducks in a row that this would lay out. And then when we were talking to Frankie, I think the big thing was just getting his side being comfortable with it because as you know, it's rare. It doesn't happen often.”

The 30-year-old winger is off a slower start this year with only 11 goals and 23 points, but is less than a year removed from a career season in which he tallied a team-high 37 times.

3. Fast Facts

Pond Hockey:

The Flames have won eight straight games at the Honda Center while outscoring the Ducks 32-12, dating back to the 2019-20 season. Mikael Backlund leads all active Flames with six points (3G, 3A) in that span, helping the Flames remain one of only two clubs with a perfect run at this venue since 2019-20 (the Florida Panthers are 4-0-0).

Junior Champs:

Ducks forward Brett Leason and Flames defenceman Brayden Pachal were teammates on the 2018-19 WHL Championship-winning Prince Albert Raiders. Leason posted a career-high and team-leading 89 points (36G, 53A), while Pachal led all defencemen in scoring with a career-best 51 points (15G, 36A). The Raiders then advanced to the Memorial Cup, where Pachal tied for second in team scoring with a goal and two assists for three points in three round-robin tilts.

4. Quotable

Flames TV’s Brendan Parker caught up with a number of the moms following Monday's practice. Let’s hear what they had to say early in this trip of a lifetime:

Louise Weegar:

“Absolutely it feels special. I don't even know what to say. From the plane trip, was incredible. That was one of the highlights for me, for sure. But the comradery with all the moms as well, and being with them and seeing all these boys who've had all those challenges through all the years to get to where they are, and sort of culminate to this wonderful time that we can all share together and watch Mack be who he is and turn into the young man and great man that he is, is amazing.”

Kathleen Zary:

“It's surreal. Everyone is so lovely and just being here, knowing that you grew up through part of this with your son – and seeing where he is now where all the boys are and how close they are – is amazing.

Michelle Wolf:

“We've put a lot of years into getting our kids to this point, so being able to celebrate all of this is icing on the cake.”

Lori Lomberg:

“It's just awesome to be included in this. … Right from the beginning, the night of the game (in Calgary), then the dinner... It's this tight, close-knit unit. It was pretty awesome.”

5. Players to Watch

Flames - Connor Zary

If recent history is any indication…

On a night when the Flames out-chanced the Nashville Predators 40-12, Zary was right in the thick of it, leading the club with five individual opportunities, including three from the high-danger areas, along two shots, two rebounds and one rush attempt.

The 23-year-old has had no trouble finding the net lately, with a pair of tucks in his last three outings.

But if tonight’s effort looks anything like Saturday’s, look out.

Ducks - Leo Carlsson

Sure, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the sophomore winger this year, but the sublime Swede remains a formidable offensive threat the Flames will have to keep an eye on.

He enters the game tonight with only 15 points (8G, 7A) in 33 games, putting him on pace to collect fewer points over 82 games when compared to his pro-rated mark from a year ago. However, the 20-year-old seems to have found his footing of late and is currently riding a three-game point streak (1G, 2A).

Fun facts: Carlsson is the youngest player and only teenager named to a 4 Nations Face-Off roster, and he will join Rasmus Andersson on Team Sweden next month. … Additionally, the Ducks currently have the most players in the NHL aged 21 and under: Carlsson (20), Cutter Gauthier (20), Pavel Mintyukov (21), Mason McTavish (21) and Olen Zellweger (21).