Pre-Game Puck Drop: Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks
Following a hot start that saw the Ducks with a 5-1-1 record, they have now dropped 4 in a row, most recently losing to the Dallas Stars in a 5-2 debacle on Thursday. Today the Ducks are finally back home at Honda Center and will be looking to win a second tilt against the San Jose Sharks who swept them in the playoffs last season.
Game 12: Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks.
The Ducks are back home after a quick two-game road trip to the central division that saw them handily defeated by the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars respectively. Tonight they’re at the Honda Center, looking to snap a 4 game skid against Erik Karlsson and the Pacific Division favorite San Jose Sharks. The Ducks current skid reached 4 games against the Stars in a game that saw John Gibson look human for the first time this season as he surrendered 5 goals on 41 shots against, posting an out-of-character .878 save percentage. The last time these two teams faced off the Ducks managed a 5-2 win despite considered by most to be outplayed for the majority of the game, the Ducks only managed 15 shots on goal that night, their victory made possible by a lackluster performance by Martin Jones that saw him post a disappointing .714 save percentage and the Ducks capitalizing on two of their three power-plays.
Location: Honda Center- Anaheim, California
Time: 5:00 P.M. PST
TV: Prime Ticket
Radio: AM 830
Anaheim Ducks Projected Lineup:
Adam Henrique–Ryan Getzlaf–Rickard Rakell
Andrew Cogliano–Ryan Kesler–Jakob Silfverberg
Isac Lundestrom–Sam Steel–Pontus Aberg
Brian Gibbons–Ben Street–Kiefer Sherwood
Hampus Lindholm–Brandon Montour
John Gibson
Anaheim Ducks Injuries
Nick Ritchie (Upper Body Injury), Maxime Comtois (undisclosed) Corey Perry (Knee), Patrick Eaves (Shoulder), Ondrej Kase(Concussion), Carter Rowney (Upper Body)
Looking for a Homecoming to Celebrate
The Ducks have found themselves on the wrong side of 4 straight games, they have not looked good collectively in any of those games and their competition is not going to get any easier tonight facing off against the San Jose Sharks and their superstar-laden lineup. The Ducks will look to contain the likes of Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Logan Couture, San Jose is coming off of an overtime loss to the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes, and sit atop the Pacific Division with a record of 5-3-2. The team has found its footing recently and they seem to be firing on most, if not all cylinders. The team is led by the aforementioned defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns and up front have high powered forwards like Couture, Evander Kane, Tomas Hertl, and Joe Pavelski. Burns is scoring at an outlandish pace, putting up 12 points in 10 games from the blue-line, while Karlsson has hit some growing pains while adjusting to the San Jose Lineup posting 6 points and a -8 +/- rating in the 10 games so far.
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Meanwhile, the Ducks continue to get outplayed consistently on the score-sheet being outshot by just about every opponent they play. John Gibson and Ryan Miller have been the only saving graces for a truly disappointing start to the season despite a promising 5-1-1 start. Jakob Silfverberg is reportedly a possibility to be back in the lineup and his team-leading 7 points, despite missing the past 5 games with an injury. Rickard Rakell will be looking to continue from finally getting the proverbial monkey off of his back by scoring last game vs the Stars, and lastly, Adam Henrique finds himself in a new position, slotting onto the top line with Ryan Getzlaf, shifting from the center position to the wing. It’s an interesting experiment and one that the Ducks are hoping will pay dividends sooner than later.
At this juncture of the season, there’s not a true must-win game, but this feels like one for the Ducks if they want to remain in a positive position. The Ducks are currently out of a playoff spot, a win tonight would catapult them to the top of the Pacific Division and breathe some life into a struggling team, doing that is easier said than done. But with a strong performance from John Gibson and company, it’s not impossible.
dark. Next. Anaheim Ducks: What it Means to Burn an ELC Year for Max Comtois