Flames at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks' five-season stranglehold on the Pacific Division title isn't the only pronounced streak on display Thursday when they open their Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Calgary Flames. Anaheim is riding a 25-game home winning streak against Calgary, with a 3-1 victory on April 4 serving as fuel for the fire as Flames captain Mark Giordano's knee-on-knee hit with Cam Fowler rendered the Ducks' All-Star defenseman sidelined for two to six weeks.
"For someone to suggest that Mark Giordano is a dirty player or it was an intentional hit, those are asinine comments," Calgary general manager Brad Treliving said during his back-and-forth verbal sparring with Anaheim GM Bob Murray. "I don't think making comments about opposing players ... there's a method to the madness there." The Flames are making their second postseason appearance in three years, but their last outing in 2015 was a short one as they were dismissed in five games by the Ducks. Anaheim, however, has been a regular in the NHL's second season as it prepares for its 10th appearance in 12 years on the strength of a 14-game point streak (11-0-3) as well as a winner of four of the five encounters with Calgary in 2016-17. "What's happened has happened. It's over," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We've got to prepare for the future here. What's coming. Not living on anything we've done in the past. That's for sure."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
ABOUT THE FLAMES (45-33-4): Calgary swapped two picks at the 2016 NHL draft with St. Louis in order to acquire Brian Elliott, who answered a sluggish beginning by winning a franchise high-tying 11 consecutive starts from Feb. 21-March 19. "He's been really dialed in here, really this second half," Treliving said of the 32-year-old Elliott, who struggled to find the frequency with an 0-2-0 mark and an .868 save percentage in three meetings with Anaheim. Johnny Gaudreau (team-leading 43 assists, 61 points) recorded four points against the Ducks this season and joined defenseman Dennis Wideman with three (two goals, one assist) in the 2015 series versus Anaheim.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (46-23-13): Captain Ryan Getzlaf (NHL third-best 58 assists, team-leading 73 points) heads into the playoffs on a roll after setting up 10 tallies and recording 11 points in his final seven games of the season. The former Calgary Hitmen star joined Corey Perry in making their playoff debuts against the Flames in 2006, with the former recording 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 12 postseason contests versus Calgary while the latter has 11 (four goals, seven assists). Perry, who ended the 2015 series by scoring the overtime goal in Game 5, has five tallies and two assists in his last nine games.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim C Ryan Kesler recorded four goals and five assists in five encounters with Calgary this season.
2. The Flames' last win at Honda Center was on April 25, 2006, a 5-2 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals series.
3. Ducks G John Gibson stopped 53 of 54 shots to win his last two starts of the season and posted a 2-0-0 mark with a 1.00 goals-against average and .966 save percentage versus Calgary this season.