The Anaheim Ducks fired Coach Randy Carlyle a little under two weeks ago and have been playing better under interim coach/general manager Bob Murray. However, the Ducks are still sizable NHL lines underdogs when they visit Calgary on Friday.
Ducks vs Flames NHL Spread & Pick for Friday Night
- When: Friday, 9 PM ET
- Where: Scotiabank Saddledome
- TV: NHL Center Ice
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Spread: Calgary Flames -255 / Anaheim Ducks +205 (Total 6)
Wild vs Red Wings NHL Week 21 Odds, Preview & Pick
Season Series
Second of four meetings. On Nov. 7 in Anaheim, the Ducks beat the Flames 3-2. Anaheim led 2-0 in the first but Calgary rallied to tie it six minutes into the third when Mark Jankowski stole the puck from Brandon Montour in the neutral zone and shot it just over Ryan Miller’s glove while leading a 2-on-1 rush. However, Ryan Getzlaf supplied the game-winning goal 27 seconds after the Flames tied it. Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique also scored for Anaheim. Miller made 37 saves. Matthew Tkachuk also scored for Calgary, which has won only once in its last 28 trips to Anaheim. Mike Smith stopped 21 shots.
Why Bet on Anaheim?
The Anaheim Ducks won for the third time in four games Tuesday, 4-0 at Minnesota. Devan Dubnyk finished with 20 saves in Minnesota’s fifth straight loss. The Wild have been shut out in consecutive games for the first time all season and haven’t scored in the last 156 minutes. The Ducks’ success in Minnesota continued, as the victory gave them a 10-2-0 mark in their last 12 at Xcel Energy Center dating to Oct. 27, 2011, including wins in the last four.
Ryan Miller made 31 saves for his 44th career shutout. Miller got his second win in two starts since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 24 games. His latest came two days after he set the all-time wins record for a U.S.-born goalie with a victory over Washington. He now has 376 for his career. Miller ranks 16th on the all-time NHL wins list to go along with 44 shutouts, 2.60 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.
There’s some talk the Ducks could trade Miller ahead of next week’s deadline. Miller, 38, is in the final-year of a two-year, $4 million contract. He owns a six-team trade list. Miller has posted a 6-2-1 record in 12 games with the Ducks this season, along with a 2.39 goals-against-average, a .929 save percentage and one shutout.
Jakob Silfverberg, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler, and Hampus Lindholm scored. It was Kesler’s first point since Dec. 2. He has just five goals and seven points in 52 contests this season. Kesler used to be one of the NHL’s better players. Not any longer. It was Silfverberg’s fourth goal in his last four games and his team-leading 16th of the season. He just signed an extension with the team.
Anaheim’s 134 goals this season are the worst in the NHL. Not only that, the Ducks’ 15.5 percent success rate on the power play, among the five-worst marks in the league, further demonstrates the offensive inefficiencies at play.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.28
- Shots: 27.55
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.53
Defense
- Goals: 3.12
- Shots: 34.03
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.39
Why Bet on Calgary?
The Calgary Flames have followed a four-game losing streak with three straight wins to retake the top spot in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. It was 4-2 over the visiting Islanders on Wednesday. Calgary dominated the first two periods, outshooting New York 21-6, but the Flames only led by one goal. The Islanders tied it 2-2 on Anders Lee’s 20th goal 1:18 into the third. But it was tied for less than five minutes.
Coach Bill Peters switched around his top two lines with Matthew Tkachuk moving onto the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Elias Lindholm played right wing with Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik.
Mikael Backlund scored a goal and had an assist vs. the Isles. Backlund opened the scoring for the Flames and then helped increase the lead to 2-0 during the first period. Gaudreau finally found the back of the net, ending his goal drought to an end after nine games. It was also Gaudreau’s 30th goal of 2018-19. This is the second time Gaudreau has ever reached the 30-goal milestone and his next will set a new single-season career-high for him.
Austin Czarnik also scored and has found the back of the net in three straight games. He’s up to five goals and nine points in 32 contests this season. Lindholm registered an assist to extend his point streak to six games. He has 25 goals and 69 points in 60 contests this season.
Mike Smith made 18 saves in the win. The 36-year old was tested only seven times through the first 40 minutes of action. The veteran goaltender now owns a 17-11-2 record with a 3.02 GAA and a .892 save percentage this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.68
- Shots: 32.17
- PP/PK Percentage: 22.54
Defense
- Goals: 2.97
- Shots: 29.08
- PP/PK Percentage: 22.11
Ducks vs Flames NHL Betting Trends
- Favorite is 44-18 in the last 62 meetings
- Home team is 55-19 in the last 74 meetings
- Under is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings
- Anaheim is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Anaheim is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Anaheim’s last 10 games on the road
- Calgary is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
- Calgary is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
- The total has gone OVER in 14 of Calgary’s last 17 games
Expert NHL Betting Pick
Anaheim Ducks 2 – Calgary Flames 4
