Some thoughts ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinal between the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames on Wednesday night:

Elliott ready to redeem himself 

Brian Elliott struggled in Game 3, allowing five goals on just 27 shots. On Tuesday, when most players took the option to stay off the ice, the Flames netminder put on his gear and went through drills like it was a therapy session.

"I just wanted to go out and feel a couple pucks," he said. "When all else fails, do what you're good at and know what you're doing and just go out and have a good little bit of a session there."

Elliott told the media throng that he "definitely" wants the opportunity to redeem himself in Game 4, and Gulutzan confirmed on Wednesday he's sticking with him.

He also added that forward Matt Stajan and defenceman Lance Bouma are out, while winger Curtis Lazar and blueliner Freddie Hamilton are in.

It has been said before but it's worth repeating: The Flames numbers against the Ducks aren't pretty. Elliott might not be the answer to end the drought. His career numbers against the Ducks (1-10-3 with a 3.29 goals-against average and .885 save percentage) aren't great either.

How do you eat a Duck?

When addressing the monumental task of coming back from a 3-0 series deficit on Tuesday, Calgary Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan compared it to dining on the heaviest land mammal on earth.

"The reality is, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time," Gulutzan said.

The Flames are on the brink of elimination, have lost 29 straight games in Anaheim and five of their last six to the Ducks on Saddledome ice. It wasn't long before Gulutzan was asked, "How do you eat a duck?" After much laughter from the room, Gulutzan responded with a little humour of his own and steered the focus back to the play of his own team.

"That's tough. I don't know. First thing I think of is I pull the feathers off," Gulutzan said. "I think we've done some damage over there. They know they're in a good series. They're a great team...They won our conference for a reason. It wasn't a fluke.

"...I think for us it's about resolve. I don't really look at the Ducks and say, ‘How are we going to beat the Ducks?' I look at how are the Flames going to be the best the Flames are going to be tomorrow night."

Focus on the positives 

It looked like the Flames were right back in the series in Game 3, holding a 4-1 lead with just 21 minutes to play before they let it slip away. A day later, Calgary winger Kris Versteeg spoke about the struggle to deal with such a gut-wrenching loss.

"It's tough. I don't think many guys sleep whether you win or lose after a playoff game," he said. "It's definitely hard to sleep after a game like that, but those things happen. Today is a new day... there's no reason we can't beat those guys."

Gulutzan addressed his players Tuesday morning, telling them that while it's normal to feel down, they need to move on to Game 4 as quickly as possible. He said the regular season showed him that his players have the kind of character it takes to refocus and extend the series.

"Being down 3-0 is tough, but we've been in these situations where it's been tough before," he said. "[At] American Thanksgiving [if] you're not in a playoff spot, you're not going to get in. Well, we're in. We go through all these scenarios. 

"...You can't win all four games in one night or in the same day.  ...So it really becomes a mental thing in your focus and how you box out some of the voices that might be in your head."