GAME 59

Date: Monday, February 17, 2020

Time: 1:00 PM PST

Location: Scotiabank Saddledome

TV: Prime Ticket

Radio: AM 830

We are now exactly one week away from the NHL Trade Deadline. While it’s likely we won’t see much movement as the team continues to bottom out in the standings, no one can know for certain what General Manager Bob Murray will do - for better or for worse.

With the trade deadline looming and the end of the season creeping closer, one can hope that most of the players on the roster see an opportunity to perform at their best to show their potential and value they can provide next season. Especially with a few other young players waiting in the wings with the San Diego Gulls, everyone should be fighting for their role.

Except Nicolas Deslauriers…he has already proven his mighty worth and was rewarded with a contract over the weekend…but I digress.

On the heels of a wild victory yesterday afternoon against the former Pacific Division leader Vancouver Canucks, the Anaheim Ducks (24-27-7) enter today’s matinee game on the second half of a back-to-back set against the Calgary Flames in Scotiabank Saddledome. The Ducks are searching for their first win against the Flames this season after going 0-2 thus far.

The last time these two teams met, the Flames embarrassed the Ducks to a tune of 6-0. John Gibson was pulled in favor of Ryan Miller after giving up four goals in the first frame. This was one of the worst games in recent memory and the Ducks will look for a much better result in this afternoon’s contest. Anaheim is now 5-3-2 in their last ten games and will look to get another win before heading home for a six-game home stand. With Gibson getting the nod for yesterday’s game, Ryan Miller will get the start today.

While the Ducks have resulted to a rain dance to put out the Flames success over them, this team hasn’t changed much since Friday. On the flip side, they are much better away from Scotiabank than they are in it. They barely have a .500 record at home and were recently obliterated by the Chicago Blackhawks 8-4. Calgary will certainly come out hot to avoid being embarrassed again in front of their fans.

The Flames are still right in the thick of the playoff hunt for the Western Conference. With only four points separating the top five teams in the Pacific Division, every point matters. This Ducks team is the exact opponent they need to gain some traction and keep up with everyone else.

Keys To The Game

1. Literally Stop Everyone? - The last game against the Flames, nine different players factored in the scoresheet with four of them having multi-point games. The Ducks may not be used to having all four lines being scoring threats, but Calgary threw everything they had at them and will look to do it once again.
2. Clear the Net-Front Presence - Check them, lift their stick, remind them that you’re there. This Ducks defense must help Ryan Miller out by making it hard for players to post up right in front of the net. One of Calgary’s goals in their last meeting was a direct result of Gibson not seeing the puck and a Flames player blocking his view uncontested. That just can’t happen.
3. Get Troy Terry Some Points - Troy Terry has been playing like he wants to win and while it hasn’t shown up in the stat sheet, this fifth-round draft pick seems to have turned a corner recently. He’s controlling the puck, putting teammates in position to score, and even being more aggressive as a shooter. Look for him to get it going tonight.

While I don’t recommend breaking rules at work, streaming the game on your device seems like the one thing that should be allowed. See you all at 1 PM!