5 Things - Flames vs. Ducks

1. On To Anaheim

It hasn't been the start anyone envisioned.

But as the Flames prepare to kick off a home-and-home set with the Ducks Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, there's no time like the present to put some happy totals on the scoreboard as Calgary goes for its first victory of the campaign beneath that iconic Saddle. CLICK FOR TICKETS

The first four games of the season have seen some honest self-reflection from the Flames' leadership group. Raw, powerful moments that detail the frustration felt in that dressing room.

Calgary's goaltending tandem is confident better days are ahead. 

Both Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley met the media after a hard-skating Friday practice, with Wolf alluding to this week's light game schedule as an opportunity to work on details; to reset, refresh, and come back stronger.

“We’ve given up too many goals, that’s the bottom line," the netminder admitted. "Our objective is to get points. I’m not doing a good enough job at helping our team do that. 

"I think this week has been a blessing in disguise for days between games, to try to get back to the way I want to play and the way the group wants to play.”

Wolf wears a lot on his shoulders. As a goaltender, he's the last line of defence.

And even before catching NHL eyes as a youngster with the Western League's Everett Silvertips, the Californian has tackled every challenge with steadfast determination. Wolf is a battler, a competitor, and like his Flames teammates, he's dissatisfied with his 2026-27 body of work to date.

But in airing his thoughts to a small group of media Friday morning, he offered up a reflection, accountability on what's gone awry to begin the new season.

With a commitment (and explanation for those of us not well-versed in the art of goaltending) to learn.

To keep that competitive fire stoked.

"Our D-zone coverage has been outstanding," said Wolf, who like Cooley, is ranked outside the top 10 among NHL netminders in total shots faced at 5-on-5 per 60 minutes, per NHL Edge. "We’re not giving up really anything in the zone which as a goalie, is kind of where our bread and butter is. That’s how we do our job.

"Everything coming off the rush has been - not new, but more volume - so it’s maybe a little more difficult. Just watching video and seeing how I can approach it a little bit differently on rush chances against, that’s been my objective all week."

2. Know Your Enemy

Like the Avalanche before them, the Ducks arrive in Calgary having just played one night ago at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Anaheim got a goal and assist each from Judd Caulfield (a total that included the youngster's first NHL tally), Tim Washe and Mikael Granlund to upend the Jets 5-1.

Lukas Dostal made 15 saves in the Ducks crease, as Anaheim improved its record to 3-1-0 on the campaign.

The Ducks have made deal after deal in recent months, a transaction sheet headlined by star centre Leo Carlsson. The No.-2 pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson penned an offer sheet tendered by Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere to the tune of $18 million per season, a deal the Ducks matched, keeping the young Swede in orange for the next five years.

And he's shot out of the gate. Carlsson sits just outside the top 10 in NHL scoring with a goal and seven points from his four games played, while Cutter Gauthier - who put pen to paper on a six-year, $81 million pact last month - is one of five Ducks averaging a point per game or better in 2026-27.

The team also doled out big money to defender Tristan Luneau at the start of this month. The 22-year-old, who is locked in at a $7.2 million AAV through the summer of 2033 on a deal that begins next year, put up 93 points from the blue line over the past two seasons with the Ducks' AHL affiliate in San Diego.

3. Fast Facts

2026-27 Season Series

This evening's game is the first of four meetings between the Flames and Ducks in 2026-27, and it's also the front end of a home-and-home set that will continue Tuesday evening in Orange County. The two sides will meet twice in November, too; Anaheim makes their final regular-season visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome Nov. 6 before the Flames return to the Honda Center nine days later.

Three of the four matchups last season required extra time, with the Flames posting a 1-0-3 record versus the Ducks in 2025-26. Calgary's lone win came on the road in the most recent set-to; former Duck Ryan Strome recorded his 500th career NHL point as part of a 5-3 Flames triumph April 4.

Did You Know?

Adam Klapka scored his first goal of the 2026-27 campaign in Tuesday's first period against Colorado, marking the 12th of his 14 career tallies to have been scored beneath the Saddle.

Klapka has nine career markers against Pacific Division opponents, too; he's registered a goal and three points in seven career meetings against Anaheim, and his 11:46 average ice-time in games against the Ducks is the Czech winger's third-highest such average against any of the 31 other NHL clubs.

4. Saddle Stories

Mikael Backlund has played more games for the Flames than all but one player in franchise history (tonight will mark career regular season game No. 1,153), and he recorded his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal against Anaheim in memorable fashion on May 5, 2015.

Trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the host Flames needed an equalizer late in the third period to force extra time and with 20 seconds left on the clock, they got it in the form of a tally from Johnny Gaudreau.

That set the stage for Backlund. With a delayed penalty call upcoming against the Ducks, the future Flames captain jumped onto the ice as the extra attacker and assumed a spot on the right half-wall as Calgary continued to pressure the Anaheim defence. After a give-and-go with defenceman Dennis Wideman, Backlund cut to the high slot and let a wrist shot go that sent the C of Red into a frenzy as it made its way in through traffic and past goaltender Frederik Andersen.

But as he saw the red light go on, Backlund admitted post-game he didn't quite know how to celebrate.

"It's hard to describe, I didn't know what to do," he told reporters, adding the thought of replicating Theo Fleury's epic 1990 knee slide crossed his mind. "I don't think I can pull that off. He's a legend, and I'm not quite there.

"Hard to describe, but an unbelievable feeling."

5. Players To Watch