With five games remaining on the docket, the Calgary Flames (37-27-13, 87 points) have accomplished a few things: they’ve earned more points than last season, they’re a win away from matching last season’s total, and they’re still afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture. They can remain kicking in the playoff picture if they take care of their business against the Anaheim Ducks (34-35-8, 76 points), a team they played and beat last week in Calgary.

Today’s broadcast begins at 8 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff (and Sportsnet’s Derek Wills):

Jonathan Huberdeau – Nazem Kadri – Adam Klapka
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Yegor Sharangovich – Morgan Frost – Joel Farabee
Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Rooney – Martin Pospisil

Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley – MacKenzie Weegar
Jake Bean – Brayden Pachal

We’re projecting Dustin Wolf to start in net, backed up by Dan Vladar. The projected extras look to be Daniil Miromanov, Zayne Parekh, Dryden Hunt and Aydar Suniev.

So what can we expect from the Flames? Hopefully, a better start. They chased the game for awhile against San Jose, continuing. a string of games where they’ve had less than great starts. They’ll need a better first period than they had against the Sharks. And they’ll need some of their big guns to be good early. Wolf was superb against the Sharks, but it took a bit of a line shuffle – and fourth-liner Adam Klapka being elevated – for the Flames to take over the game in the third period and get the result they needed.

As we’ve noted: there are no more style points or moral victories for the Flames. As the kids say: just win.

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Frank Vatrano – Ryan Strome – Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier – Leo Carlsson – Alex Killorn
Trevor Zegras – Mason McTavish – Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko – Isac Lundestrom – Jansen Harkins

Jackson Lacombe – Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov – Drew Helleson
Oliver Kylington – Olen Zellweger

Via the Sporting Tribune’s Zach Cavanagh, sounds like Ville Huuso starts, backed up by Lukas Dostal. Their projected extra is Brett Leason.

The Ducks have a pretty fun team, a mix of promising youngsters and reliable vets. Things haven’t gone as hoped this season, though, as some injuries and growing pains have kept the Ducks well below the playoff cutline for much of the season. But they’re not an untalented team; they beat the Oilers by a 3-2 score on Monday night.

If you underestimate the Ducks, they can make you look downright foolish.

The Flames are without Anthony Mantha, Justin Kirkland and Connor Zary.

The Ducks are without Brock McGinn, Robby Fabbri, Ross Johnston, John Gibson and Jacob Trouba.

This is the fourth and final game between the Flames and Ducks this season. The Flames have won all three previous meetings this season: twice in regulation and once in overtime.