Ducks Flameday—Calgary brings its road woes

Calgary Flames (16-11-3, t-7th in west) at Anaheim Ducks (25-4-6, 1st in west)

Thanks for the graphic, Grabia.

Sorry this one will have to be short; not only is this game snuggled between two very high profile Pacific matchups (last Saturday’s ANA-SJS game and this Wednesday’s DAL-ANA game—I just found out that I am attending the Dallas game, btw), but I was also away from the computer all weekend. So for a better-thought-out preview probably check out Matt at BoA, Five Hole Fanatics, Double D(ion), or Real Deal Hockey.

Ducks return from an almost-perfect 5-game road trip for a battle between the top two scorers in the western conference:

Teemu Selanne, 35 GP, 19-24-43, +17
Jarome Iginla, 30 GP, 20-21-41, +12

This is a Flames team that has both gone 10-0-0 in its last 10 home games (3.70 GF, 1.10 GA), including a 3-0 shutout over visiting Anaheim, and 1-4-1 in its last 6 road games (2.33 GF, 3.00 GA), including a 5-3 loss in Anaheim to bench-door operator Michael Wall. Interestingly enough, the Ducks have yet to score a goal against Miikka Kiprusoff this season, and the Flames have yet to score a goal against J.S. Giguere this season.

Overall, the Flames are an .800 team at home (12-3-0) and a .367 team on the road (4-8-3). Only the Minnesota Wild are more home-schizophrenic (.781 at home, .281 on the road). Let’s hope the Flame-pattern holds true tonight.

Prediction: Ducks 4, Flames 3. Flames try to hold a lead, but the Ducks storm back in games six and seven. Goals by Pahlsson, O’Donnell, SNiedermayer, and Selanne, who non-coincidentally scored the four game-winners in last spring’s series.