The Calgary Flames try to avoid their sixth straight loss when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, just one day after Anaheim beat them 4-2 in the first meeting between the two clubs this season. The Flames are 0-5-0 to open the year, while the Ducks sit at 4-1-0 and have won four of their last five games. This Flames vs Ducks preview breaks down the matchup, the injury situations on both sides and what to watch when puck drops at Honda Center.
Flames Vs Ducks Game Information
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13
- Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
- Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, KCOP, Prime Video (Local)
- Series: Anaheim leads the season series 1-0
Flames Outlook
Calgary’s 0-5-0 start includes an 0-4-0 mark in Pacific Division play, and the Flames have been outscored 27-8 through five games. According to FOX Sports, Calgary is also 0-3-0 in games in which it has taken more penalties than its opponent, a pattern that lines up with a team penalty-minute total of 64, well above Anaheim’s 43.
The Flames’ offense has managed just eight goals all season on a 5.7% shooting clip, while the defense has allowed 27 goals and posted an .817 team save percentage. Dustin Wolf has started and lost both of his appearances with a 6.01 goals-against average and a .797 save percentage, according to ESPN. Devin Cooley is listed as the probable starting goalie for Calgary on Tuesday and has a 3.01 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in his lone appearance this season.
Calgary will be without left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, who is on injured reserve recovering from hip surgery, and left wing Samuel Honzek, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Morgan Frost leads the Flames with two goals, Joel Farabee has three assists and Matt Coronato paces the team with three points.
Ducks Outlook
Anaheim enters at 4-1-0 overall and 2-1-0 in the Pacific Division, sitting third in the division standings with eight points. The Ducks have won four of their last five games, including Saturday’s 4-2 win over Calgary, and are 4-0-0 this season in games in which they score at least three goals.
Anaheim’s offense has produced 18 goals on a 15.5% shooting percentage, and the defense has limited opponents to 13 goals with a 2.60 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage as a team. Lukas Dostal is projected to start in goal and has gone 2-0-0 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in his appearances this season.
The Ducks’ injury list is longer than Calgary’s. Left wing Cutter Gauthier (upper body) and center Ryan Poehling (lower body) are both day-to-day, while defensemen Drew Helleson and Ian Moore are on injured reserve with lower-body injuries. Right wing Troy Terry remains out as he recovers from hip surgery, with a return date not expected until Nov. 21. Leo Carlsson leads Anaheim with seven assists and eight points, while Beckett Sennecke tops the team with three goals.
Key Matchup
Calgary’s discipline against Anaheim’s power play looms as the deciding factor. The Flames are 0-3-0 when they take more penalties than their opponent, and Anaheim has already converted six power-play goals this season compared to Calgary’s two. If the Flames can keep their penalty minutes down from their season total of 64, they give themselves a better chance to stay in a game against a Ducks team that is 4-0-0 when it reaches three goals.
What To Watch
Calgary is looking for its first win of the season and sits last in the Pacific Division with zero points, while Anaheim is trying to build on a 4-1-0 start that has it in playoff contention early in the Pacific. Tuesday marks the second meeting between the two clubs this season after Anaheim’s 4-2 win on Saturday, and another Calgary loss would make it six straight to open the year. Calgary continued its search for answers last time out in a 7-3 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche and has also dropped a recent matchup detailed in this Canucks vs Flames recap. For more on Calgary’s early-season struggles, see this Flames vs Kraken preview and this breakdown of the Flames vs Canucks matchup.
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