Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Many in the NHL lauded the Anaheim Ducks for signing winger Dany Heatley to a one year, $1 million contract over the summer in what seemed like a low-risk, high reward type of signing that wouldn’t have the team overly committed to the 33 year-old veteran left winger who scored fifty goals in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons with the Ottawa Senators; however, the team will have to wait a little bit longer to see Heatley play in his first regular season game in a Ducks sweater, according to the Orange County Register’s Eric Stephens, who spoke to Heatley on Thursday.
Dany Heatley (groin) is improving but "a little slower than I’d like". Took part in full practice but wouldn't give timeline. Day to day.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) October 23, 2014
Despite the absence of Heatley, the Ducks look to build on their momentum of a six-game winning streak on Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets (3-2-0).
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OTHER NOTES
In addition to a hot start for the team, several Ducks players have shined in just the first few games of the season. In fact, several records were set:
Frederik Andersen became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 26 of his first 31 decisions (according to the Elias Sports Bureau), and Andersen’s 152 minutes and 46 seconds scoreless streak is a career-high.
Winger Corey Perry became the fastest player in franchise history to eight goals (in seven games) with his second hat trick of the season and the seventh of his career. In just the past 29 years, Perry is the sixth player to have recorded multiple hat tricks in his team’s first seven contests of the season.
Other players that have reached this milestone are Ilya Kovalchuk in 2003, Brian Savage in 1999, Mario Lemieux in 1988, Glenn Anderson in 1987, and Charlie Simmer in 1985.
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