5 Things - Flames @ Ducks

1. On The Road Again

‘Tis the season!

With Christmas just mere days away and folks getting that last minute shopping done, the Flames are prepping for two more tilts before enjoying a three-day break for the holidays.

The group is looking to build off a two-game win streak as they roll into Anaheim for a clash against the Ducks tonight before wrapping things up against the Kings Saturday.

"I think it’s important,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said following Wednesday’s skate in Calgary. “We have to keep finding ways to win games, and our job now is to try to chase the teams down that are in front of us.

"By doing that, it’ll allow us to get to the .500 mark. Our play over the last little while has been improved, so we just have to make sure we keep that for these two games before Christmas."

The Flames topped the Florida Panthers 3-1 at the Scotiabank Saddledome Monday, with Martin Pospisil, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman scoring for the homeside.

In his first game back after missing the previous seven due to injury, Jacob Markstrom was sensational stopping 33 shots for his seventh win of the campaign. He now sits just one victory away of 200.

"He was great,” Blake Coleman said after Monday's win. “Looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, really calm, made the first stops, big penalty-kill saves. Everything you need from him, he gave to us tonight, it’s also a nice boost just to know he’s back. He’s a big voice and a big leader in our room."

The Flames are right in the thick of it of the wild card hunt in the Western Conference thanks to the wins, sitting three points back of Arizona who have one game in hand.

They'll look to continue that trend, facing the Ducks for the first of three match-ups this campaign. The Flames went 3-1 against their Pacific Divsion rivals last season and are 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings.

“Very hard working team, that’s one thing we know for sure that we’re going to see from them,” Huska said on the opponent. “I do still feel that this is still about our team and we have to make sure we’re doing things the right way.

“As much as you prepare for your opponent, know what their tendencies are, we have to be really good at what we’re trying to do if we want to have success.”

2. Know Your Enemy

The Ducks head into the battle following a four-game road swing which saw them finish 2-2, picking up back-to-back wins to wrap up the trip.

Their latest victory came Monday in Detroit, as they held on for a 4-3 decision. They led 4-1 heading into the final five minutes of regulation before the Wings pushed back with a pair of late goals, but the Ducks were able to shut it down to secure the two points.

Radko Gudas, Pavel Mintyukov, Adam Henrique and Troy Terry provided the offence while Lukas Dostal made 32 stops.

“I don’t feel like we’ve been in that position many times this year,” Terry told reporters after the win. “The story of our season is maybe get a goal or two behind and then we’ve battled back.

“Just to get the lead early, got in a little bit of penalty trouble in the end, but overall the way we managed the game in the second night of a back-to-back, I was proud of our guys.”

It’s been a tough go for the Ducks with the pair of wins providing a much needed boost to the young squad, having just three wins under their belt since Nov. 15.

And despite getting production by committee, they’ve had to do it without their leading scorer from a season ago, Trevor Zegras, who has been out since Nov. 7 and have also missed other important pieces in their lineup in Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish. Drysdale did skate with the club during Wednesday's practice but no word yet on a return.

Tonight starts an eight-game home stand for the Ducks who are just 5-10 at the Honda Centre.

“You just gotta focus on the process,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. “What we’re trying to build here with the infrastructure and standards and usually if you play that way repeatedly, you’ll get more wins than losses.

3. Fast Facts

Block Party: Chris Tanev set a new career-high with 10 blocked shots in Monday’s 3-1 win over Florida. Tanev’s previous career-high in blocks in a single game was eight, which he reached three times prior (Nov. 23, 2014 vs. Chicago), (Oct. 13, 2018 at Florida), and (Mar. 6, 2020 vs. Colorado), with his team winning on all three occasions. Since signing with the Flames, Tanev leads the club with 470 blocked shots in 232 games.

Killer Confidence: Backlund's shorthanded marker against Florida gave the Flames their eighth shorthanded goal this season, tied with St. Louis and Minnesota for the most in the league. The Flames have scored a league-leading five shorthanded goals over the month of December.

4. Quotable

Noah Hanifin on the commitment from Chris Tanev to block shots:

"Honestly, I’m pretty used to it by now. I’ve seen the way he’s played for so long. You don’t really expect anything else when he’s back in the lineup. If he has an opportunity to get in the way, block a shot and sacrifice his body for the team, he’s going to do it every time. That’s what makes him such a special partner and teammate.”

Nazem Kadri on his play this season:

"I try to approach each game the same, really. Regardless, try to rise to the occasion, rise to the challenge every single game. That's definitely a chore in itself and not easy to do. Feel great this year and just want to continue to try to get better but you have some certain foundational things you go to. It's nice to have some success lately."

5. Players To Watch

Flames - Blake Coleman

The power of Pickles!

Coleman has enjoyed a strong campaign, currently second in team scoring with 22 points. He’s been racking up the points with a seven-game point streak in which he’s collected nine points (4G, 5A) during that span.

Well on his way to surpass his career high total of 38 set last season, Coleman leads the club with three shorthanded goals and a +11 rating.

Ducks: Pavel Mintyukov

The rookie has looked like a seasoned vet, bringing firepower to the Ducks attack from the blueline.

His marker in Detroit saw him move into a tie for second in NHL rookie scoring with 17 points, and first among rookie rearguards. The 20-year-old has collected four points in as many skates and leads all Ducks defenceman in scoring so far this season.