(Sports Network) - The struggling Anaheim Ducks hope to avoid a fourth consecutive loss when the Pacific Division leaders skate into the Pengrowth Saddledome this evening for a matchup with the Calgary Flames.
Anaheim's latest defeat came Thursday in Edmonton, where Ryan Smyth recorded two goals and an assist to lead the Oilers to an easy 4-1 victory at Rexall Place.
Teemu Selanne had the only goal -- his league-leading 30th of the season -- for the Ducks, but Ilya Bryzgalov had another rough night in net filling in for the injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Russian netminder stopped just 16 of 20 shots.
In his previous outing, Bryzgalov was yanked midway through the second period in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to St. Louis after issuing four goals on only 13 shots.
Thursday's setback was Anaheim's eighth in 10 games (2-6-2). The slide has shrunk the Ducks' lead in the Pacific Division to only four points over second-place San Jose and has allowed Nashville to overtake Anaheim for the top spot in the Western Conference.
This bad 10-game stretch for the Ducks began with a season-high four straight losses from December 29-January 5.
Calgary currently stands in second place of the Northwest Division, three points in back of Vancouver, and will be seeking to end a two-game skid. The Flames have dropped back-to-back road contests to Nashville and Dallas and were dealt a 4-2 defeat by the Stars on Wednesday.
Kristian Huselius and Stephane Yelle had the goals for Calgary, which had ripped off five straight wins prior to the Nashville loss. Huselius is currently riding a five-game scoring streak, having notched five goals and three assists during that time.
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Anaheim's latest defeat came Thursday in Edmonton, where Ryan Smyth recorded two goals and an assist to lead the Oilers to an easy 4-1 victory at Rexall Place.
Teemu Selanne had the only goal -- his league-leading 30th of the season -- for the Ducks, but Ilya Bryzgalov had another rough night in net filling in for the injured Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Russian netminder stopped just 16 of 20 shots.
In his previous outing, Bryzgalov was yanked midway through the second period in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to St. Louis after issuing four goals on only 13 shots.
Thursday's setback was Anaheim's eighth in 10 games (2-6-2). The slide has shrunk the Ducks' lead in the Pacific Division to only four points over second-place San Jose and has allowed Nashville to overtake Anaheim for the top spot in the Western Conference.
This bad 10-game stretch for the Ducks began with a season-high four straight losses from December 29-January 5.
Calgary currently stands in second place of the Northwest Division, three points in back of Vancouver, and will be seeking to end a two-game skid. The Flames have dropped back-to-back road contests to Nashville and Dallas and were dealt a 4-2 defeat by the Stars on Wednesday.
Kristian Huselius and Stephane Yelle had the goals for Calgary, which had ripped off five straight wins prior to the Nashville loss. Huselius is currently riding a five-game scoring streak, having notched five goals and three assists during that time.
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