The Anaheim Ducks are back from Christmas break, and tonight they enter the Shark Tank. They are going to need to focus on these four keys if they have any hopes of making it out of the “shark infested” waters alive.
Welcome back, folks! We here at Pucks Of a Feather hope you had a great holiday and are excited as we are about Anaheim Ducks hockey picking back up tonight! The Ducks face a familiar foe in divisional rivals, the San Jose Sharks.
Game 39: Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks
Location: SAP Center — San Jose, California
Time: 7:30 pm PST
TV: Prime Ticket
Radio: AM 830
Anaheim Ducks Injuries: Rickard Rakell (Ankle), Ryan Miller (Sprained MCL), Cam Fowler (Complex Facial Fracture), Patrick Eaves (Broken Rib/Back Spasms), Corey Perry (Knee)
San Jose Sharks Injuries: Although the Sharks have no current injuries, Erik Karlsson will be sitting out the next two games. His two-game suspension came after an illegal check to the head against Austin Wagner of the Los Angeles Kings. He is eligible for return on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Swimming in the Shark Tank
Anaheim didn’t head into the break on much of a high note, losing their last 3 games on the road. As of today, Anaheim sits in the first Wild Card position with 43 points, only four points behind the first place Calgary Flames.
Anaheim can jump back into at least third place with a win over the Sharks and a Vegas loss to Colorado in regulation. San Jose will be without defensemen, Erik Karlsson due to a two-game suspension for a high hit to a Los Angeles Kings forward in their last game before the break.
Its safe to assume the probable starters for tomorrow’s matchup are Martin Jones and John Gibson.
While our rivalry with San Jose is a little tame compared to the one with Los Angeles, the California rivalry always makes for an entertaining matchup. As long as Anaheim can contain San Jose’s big guns and play a smart game, the Ducks can get back in the win column before facing another Pacific Division foe in the Arizona Coyotes on home ice Saturday night.
Players to Watch
Anaheim Ducks Player to Watch— Ondrej Kase: Depite the Anaheim Ducks obvious lack of offense lately, Ondrej Kase has been tearing it up. He is just a few points shy of averaging a point per game. If the Ducks want to re-spark the offense tonight, it’s going to start with young Kase.
San Jose Sharks Player to Watch—Timo Meier: At just 22-years-old, the young right wing have been one of the Sharks top point producers this season. It is rare for his name not to be on the score sheet.
Anaheim Ducks: Three Keys to the Game
Play with emotion, but don’t let it get the better of you: In the first two meeting this season, Anaheim has taken a lot of penalties. It really isn’t too surprising because we tend to be one of the more penalized teams in the league but against a fast, dangerous offense led by guys like Evander Kane, Timo Meier, and Logan Couture, the penalties can be very costly.
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Find a way to re-spark the offense: As for the offense, two, 1-goal efforts and being shutout to end the road trip are kinda concerning considering Anaheim had four-plus goals in six of their last ten games in December. Every team has their slumps but, its been proven time and time again this season, one or two goal games aren’t going to always cut it. Anaheim needs to find ways to get to a somewhat inconsistent Martin Jones early.
Do your research: Every time you jump into shark-infested waters, it’s good to do your research. The Anaheim Ducks need to know what they’re up against. The Sharks are only one point ahead of the Ducks in the standings, and if they want to have a successful venture in the Shark Tank, they need to study the behavior of their opponent.
Use the buddy system: All of the experts agree, never approach a shark without back up. Although these experts are referring to the fish with 50 rows of teeth, the same can be applied to our cross-state rivals in San Jose. The Ducks need to work together and communicate throughout the game so they don’t get “lost at sea.”
If you love the Anaheim Ducks as much as we do, join the team at Pucks of a Feather! Let your voice be heard.