Maroon Out Four Weeks Due to MCL Sprain
By Ben Tuval
Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Anaheim Ducks forward Patrick Maroon was injured in the team’s game this past Monday against the Buffalo Sabres—a 5-1 contest that the Ducks won; however, the absence of the 26 year-old left winger will be felt as the team will go on to face formidable opponents in the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars in the coming weeks.
The injury occurred when Maroon collided with Buffalo defenseman Josh Gorges.
Maroon had assists in each of the team’s first three games, flourishing on the top line alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.
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While Maroon had 29 points in 62 games played during the 2013-2014 regular season, it was in the postseason where Maroon came out of the shadows. In the playoffs, Maroon notched 2 goals and 5 assists for a total of 7 points in 13 playoff games played alongside, you guessed it, Getzlaf and Perry.
Despite this minor setback for Maroon, the 225 pound St. Louis native takes a cap hit of $575,000, a relative bargain for the Ducks.
Expect Maroon to be hungry to come back to the team’s top line, and expect him to surpass his point total from last year, despite this injury, which is expected to sideline him for the next four weeks.
The question for the Ducks now is who should replace Maroon on the team’s top line? For the past few years, forward Matt Beleskey has seen considerable playing time with the “twins” of Getzlaf and Perry, so it would be no surprise seeing the scrappy left winger on the first rotation.
As of now, however, Coach Bruce Boudreau is concerned with having his team put on a show for fans in the team’s home opener and coming out with the win.
"It’s been a long time since we played in front of a full house at home, time-wise, not game-wise. We’re looking forward to it."
The Ducks (3-1-0) kick off a 5-game home-stand as they play against a well-rest Minnesota Wild team (2-0-0) in the Ducks’ home opener on Friday night.
The team will then go on to face the St. Louis Blues, the Buffalo Sabres, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the San Jose Sharks.
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