Flames at Ducks
While both are seeking a five-game winning streak, only one of the Pacific Division rivals will enter the All-Star break with that under their belts after the Calgary Flames visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Calgary is looking to halt a 19-game slide at Honda Center as it wraps up a five-game road trip during which it already has defeated division foes Vancouver, Arizona, San Jose and Los Angeles. The Flames posted a 2-1 victory over the Kings on Monday as Sean Monahan tied the game with six minutes left in the third period before defenseman Dennis Wideman ended it at 4:08 of overtime.
Anaheim also is coming off a triumph at Los Angeles after capping its season-high eight-game homestand with three straight wins to finish 6-2-0. The Pacific-leading Ducks forged a 2-2 tie Saturday on blue-liner Sami Vatanen's power play goal with 7:08 remaining in the third session and Jakob Silfverberg netted the lone tally in the shootout. Calgary and Anaheim split a pair of meetings in November, with each team winning at home.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, RSN West (Calgary), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE FLAMES (25-18-3): Calgary is 0-14-5 at Anaheim since defeating the Ducks at Honda Center on Jan. 19, 2004. The Flames are in a prime position to end the skid, however, as they have registered a dominant 14-3-1 record against division rivals this season. Coach Bob Hartley is expected to continue to ride Joni Ortio, who has posted a 1.23 goals-against average while winning each of the four games on the trek.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (30-10-6): Should Anaheim extend its home winning streak against Calgary to 20 games, it will match the fourth-longest run of its kind in NHL history. The Ducks realize, however, that this Flames squad is much different than the ones of years past. "Every game we play them is close, and every game since Bob Hartley got there has been close," coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's website. "You know you're getting the work ethic, and now the work ethic has some really good talent to go alongside it."
OVERTIME
1. The Flames recalled Tyler Wotherspoon from Adirondack of the American Hockey League on Tuesday after placing fellow D Ladislav Smid (upper body) on injured reserve.
2. Anaheim G Frederik Andersen is 15-2-1 in his last 18 decisions.
3. Karri Ramo (upper body) was activated from IR on Tuesday, giving Calgary three healthy goaltenders.