The Calgary Flames will continue their desperate pursuit of the final playoff spot Wednesday when they take on the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center.

With a record of 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, the Flames have kept the possibility of stealing the final playoff berth somewhat alive, but will need two points from this matchup to have a chance of catching the Minnesota Wild. Calgary is 3-0-0 in the previous three matchups of the season between these Pacific Division rivals.

This will be the fourth matchup of the season between these Pacific Division rivals, and Calgary has taken each of the previous three contests in the season series.

I’ll detail the relevant game notes, as well as outline my favourite betting angle below.

It took another spirited third period push, but the Flames were able to secure two desperately needed points from their matchup with the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Flames outshot the Sharks 32- 31 and led 3.68 to 2.68 in expected goals. Dustin Wolf was very sharp early on, allowing his team to eventually find its legs and provide some goal support.

Martin Pospisil suffered an injury after an awkward collision with Mario Ferraro in the third period, and based on his reaction, did seem to believe it might be significant. Pospisil’s injury did offer somewhat of a turning point in the game, however, as Adam Klapka was spectacular in his brief opportunity filling in on the top line, scoring a game-tying goal before drawing a power play that the Flames would convert on.

Highly touted prospect Zayne Parekh is travelling with the team and is eligible to play down the stretch if the coaching staff chooses to put him in. Parekh put up 33 goals and 107 points in 63 games in the OHL this season and may have the potential to be an impact player at the NHL level next season.

The arguments against playing Parekh have revolved around the potential that he may be exposed defensively at the NHL level, which could be somewhat true. However, it’s difficult to imagine giving him one opportunity to play on the third pairing would actually be such a disaster that it directly becomes the reason for a loss. The Flames still rank 30th in goals per game this season, which suggests at least seeing what Parekh can offer right now makes sense.

The Flames hold a 50.6% expected goal share over the last 10 games and they’ve done a better job of limiting true grade ‘A’ scoring chances against. They have scored only 2.90 goals per game in that span but have limited opponents to just 2.80 goals per game.

At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether Wolf or Dan Vladar will get the start in tonight’s game, and it is debatable what the best decision is. While the Flames can’t afford to drop this game, Wolf will be making his sixth consecutive start if he does play, which is concerning given that Calgary can not afford to rest him versus Minnesota.

Vladar is 5-1-1 across his last seven appearances, with a save percentage of .921 and a 2.12 GAA, so his recent work should instill some faith in the team if he is to play.

The Ducks will get their final opportunity to earn a win over the Flames in this matchup, which could provide a little added motivation for a team that is now officially eliminated from postseason contention. We have talked a lot about the flaws in the Ducks’ game this season, which have led to a record of 34-35-8, despite receiving some of the best goaltending in the league.

Offensively, the Ducks have been in better form down the stretch, as they’ve averaged 3.10 goals per game in their last 10 matchups. They’re rostering plenty of quality young offensive talent, and could be poised to finally take significant steps forward next season.

The Flames may catch a break as Ville Husso appears likely to be starting in this matchup. Husso holds a -7.0 GSAx rating and .874 save percentage in 11 appearances this season.

The Flames should have a good opportunity to net a decent offensive output in this matchup, as Husso has been among the worst goaltenders in the NHL this season. The Ducks have allowed 32.31 shots against per game over the last 10 matchups, but have a respectable record of 5-4-1 thanks to improved offensive play and strong goaltending.

This looks like a good spot to back Matt Coronato finding the back of the net in a third straight matchup. The Flames’ second line of Coronato, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Morgan Frost has looked excellent recently, and Coronato is also getting some good looks on the top power-play unit, which has been more effective since Frost’s addition.

Kadri leads all Flames with 31 goals, but Coronato is arguably the best shooter on the team and has enjoyed a nice breakout campaign with 22 goals. Given Coronato’s current roles in this favourable matchup, I see value backing him to score at +270.