by Chuck Sommers
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2022
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Where to watch: TNT
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Flames -275, Ducks +220
BetMGM: Flames -250, Ducks +200
Caesars: Flames -270, Ducks +220
Season record
Flames: 41-19-9
Ducks: 28-31-12
Ben Burns has reeled off a strong 29-14-0 run over the last month in the NHL. After an action-packed month of March, April is bound to be just as crazy with the playoff push underway. Do you have the right picks to lead you to glory and get you ready for what should be an exciting push to the end? Catch Ben's plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Flames - Ducks preview and analysis
Flames analysis
The Calgary Flames are set to play the Anaheim Ducks just down the road from “the Happiest Place on Earth”. Will so much exposure to pixie dust help the Ducks defeat the Flames or will Calgary continue to be the face of the Pacific Division?
For being the number one team in their division, the Calgary Flames sure have put a kink in our neck with the back and forth wins and losses. After a three game losing streak, they came back to win against the LA Kings 3-2 Monday, April 5th.
Johnny Gaudreau scored two of the three goals and made an assist helping further the Calgary Flames lead in the Pacific Division.
The Flames avenged a 3-2 shootout loss against the Kings in Calgary and as a bonus, gained a five point advantage over the Kings atop the division.
“It's a big one for us to start the (four-game road) trip off the right way," Gaudreau said. "We didn’t play the best game the last time we played LA, so we knew we had a lot better in us. We took a couple too many penalties in the third, but the penalty kill came up big.”
Gaudreau scored 10 seconds into the game, making that goal Calgary’s fastest opening goal since 1987. Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings then pulled the team ahead later in the first period scoring two goals. Elias Lindholm tied up the gamel in the second period followed by the winning goal from Gaudreau.
“Johnny was on fire tonight. It was awesome. You know, he’s been really good lately. And hopefully that will get the rest of the line going,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said.
Hopefully, their flame doesn’t burn out so soon into their four-game road trip, and continues to shine brighter than ever going into Anaheim.
Ducks analysis
The Anaheim Ducks seem to be waddling through each game, barely keeping themselves afloat. After an eleven game losing streak, they managed to sweep the Arizona Coyotes 5-0 Friday, April 1st, only to lose again at home against the Edmonton Oilers 6-1, Sunday, April 3rd.
The Edmonton Oilers came into Anaheim at full force scoring 3 points in the first period, then one in the second period. Zach Aston-Reese made Anaheim’s only goal of the game unassisted 3:16 into the third period. This goal being Aston-Reese’s first goal with the Ducks.
Though the Anaheim Ducks were annihilated by the Edmonton Oilers, John Gibson made 39 saves in his 50th start of the year.
This loss dropped Anaheim to 28-13-12 with 11 games remaining in the regular-season.
The Anaheim Ducks were thrown somewhat of a curveball when their captain, Ryan Getzlaf announced that after a 17-year career, all of which were played under the Ducks, he has chosen to retire from the NHL following this season.
"I've always said I was going to let my body and mind dictate when I was going to retire,'' he said Tuesday.
"I remember talking to my buddies when I first came in the league, and I thought that was going to be at about 26,'' he added with a laugh. "Definitely over-lasted what I thought I would. The grind of the everyday, getting up, the preparation for each season, gets harder and harder as you get older."
With only eleven more games scheduled in this regular season, we can only hope that the Ducks will muster any bit of energy and skill they may have left to give their team captain a proper send off to end his career on.
Prediction
The Anaheim Ducks have got their work cut out for them going up against the number one team in the Pacific Division. However, they’ve clearly proven in this season, they can walk on fire, having won against the Flames in Calgary. The Ducks do not have Troy Terry in the lineup after that stupid fight against Arizona, and which is why there's no stopping Calgary right now. Flames win 4-2
Betting trends
The Flames are 6-16 the last three seasons off a road win against a division rival.
The Ducks are 13-17 when playing their fourth game in seven days this season.
Projected lines
Flames:
Johnny Gaudreau -- Elias Lindholm -- Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube -- Calle Jarnkrok -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Ryan Carpenter -- Trevor Lewis
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Michael Stone -- Christopher Tanev
Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Gudbranson
Jacob Markstrom
Johnny Gaudreau -- Elias Lindholm -- Matthew Tkachuk
Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube -- Calle Jarnkrok -- Blake Coleman
Milan Lucic -- Ryan Carpenter -- Trevor Lewis
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Michael Stone -- Christopher Tanev
Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Gudbranson
Jacob Markstrom
Ducks:
Sonny Milano -- Trevor Zegras -- Troy Terry
Max Comtois -- Adam Henrique -- Gerry Mayhew
Derek Grant -- Isac Lundestrom -- Zach Aston-Reese
Sam Steel -- Sam Carrick -- Dominik Simon
Cam Fowler -- Jamie Drysdale
Urho Vaakanainen -- Kevin Shattenkirk
Simon Benoit -- Andrej Sustr
John Gibson
Sonny Milano -- Trevor Zegras -- Troy Terry
Max Comtois -- Adam Henrique -- Gerry Mayhew
Derek Grant -- Isac Lundestrom -- Zach Aston-Reese
Sam Steel -- Sam Carrick -- Dominik Simon
Cam Fowler -- Jamie Drysdale
Urho Vaakanainen -- Kevin Shattenkirk
Simon Benoit -- Andrej Sustr
John Gibson
Statistical leaders
Flames:
Points: Johnny Gaudreau -- 96
Goals: Elias Lindholm -- 35
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau -- 61
Goalie: Jacob Markstrom -- 32-14-8, 2.19 GAA, .924 SV%
Ducks:
Points: Troy Terry -- 57
Goals: Troy Terry -- 31
Assists: Trevor Zegras -- 33
Goalie: John Gibson -- 17-23-10, 3.15 GAA, .904 SV%
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
