Tonight is a bitter-sweet moment for the Anaheim Ducks. After a rough 6-1 loss against the Nashville Predators, they have to take on two familiar faces, Corey Perry and Andrew Cogliano, with the Dallas Stars.
When the Anaheim Ducks drafted Corey Perry in 2003, he made a name for himself as a proven fighter. Of course, he wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves, but he was constantly defying the odds and, night after night, proving that he was meant to be in the NHL. One Stanely Cup, the Rocket Richard, and one Hart Trophy later, Perry, along with his “twin”, Ryan Getzlaf, made a name for themselves as the faces of the franchise.
Enter Andrew Cogliano. The defensively minded forward became an integral part of the Anaheim Ducks notorious shutdown line. His passion for the game was undeniable, and in his 8 season with the Ducks, he only ever missed games due to an untimely suspension. Ironman, as the fanbase dubbed him, had an important part in Anaheim’s rich playoff history between 2013-17.
Nevertheless, all of this changed when Bob Murray and the organization made the bold move to trade Cogliano for Devin Shore. While it may have been the best move for the team going forward, it seemed at the time as though Murray was using Cogliano as a scapegoat in an attempt to shuffle all the blame away from his longtime friend and current coach, Randy Carlyle.
Just when we had finally accepted Cogs’ new role with the Dallas Stars, we realized that moving him was just the tip of the iceberg. On June 19, 2019, Corey Perry’s 14-year tenure with the Ducks came to a somber close. The organization’s explanation is that they needed to make room for the kids. While that is a justifiable answer, it didn’t hurt any less. Soon after his buyout, the Dallas Stars announced that they had signed him to a one-year contract. Which leads us to today…
Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars
The Anaheim Ducks road trip is just heating up, and it hasn’t gotten off to the best start. While they didn’t play horribly against the Nashville Predators, if you stop to only look at the 6-1 score, you’d think otherwise. A few bad decisions led to untimely goals, and the Ducks just couldn’t finish on their opportunities. Pair that with a red-hot Pekka Rinne, and you’ve got a recipe for a disastrous finish.
Penalties, once again, led the Ducks down a dark hole. They couldn’t quite claw their way out of it this time. Hampus Lindholm seemed as though he may have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, hitting almost everything after taking his first penalty early in the first period. It would come as no surprise if we see Nick Ritchie scratched again after the stunt he pulled late in the third that led to a game misconduct.
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Two losses in a row may not have completely shaken their confidence, but tonight’s game is going to be a huge challenge in more than one way. Not only are they facing long-time teammates, Corey Perry and Andrew Cogliano, for the first time since they were traded and bought out, but the Anaheim Ducks have lost their last six contests at American Airlines Center and haven’t won a game in Dallas since March 1, 2015.
However, despite the Dallas Stars deep playoff run last year, they’ve had a rough start to their season. Currently 3-7-1, the Stars are 25th in the league. They have only won one game at home so far this season, their most recent contest against the Ottawa Senators (2-1.) While they have won their last two games, and that should give them a good amount of confidence when they meet Anaheim in the faceoff circle tonight, this could be a good bounce-back game for the Ducks.
This will also be a very bitter-sweet night for Devin Shore as well. Since being traded to Anaheim, he has been a valuable asset. However, he’s spent quite a few games on the bench due to the logjam on the wing. Nevertheless, Nick Ritchie more than likely opened the door for him to snag a middle-six role tonight alongside Getzlaf. Shore currently has 2 points in 7 games with the Ducks, while Perry has 3 points in 4 games and Cogliano has 1 point in 11 games. It’s going to be an interesting match-up that we’re sure to both enjoy and hate.
What You Need to Know Before Puck Drop
Game 11: Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars
Season Record: 6-4-0
Location: American Airlines Center— Dallas, Texas
Time: 5:30pm PST
TV: Prime Ticket
Radio: AM830
Injury Report: Ryan Kesler (LTIR)
Anaheim Ducks News: Brendan Guhle is back in the lineup tonight, per Elliot Teaford
Three Keys to the Game
Keep Tyler Seguin from Scoring a Goal: Did you know that the Anaheim Ducks are the only team Tyler Seguin hasn’t scored on in his 10 year NHL career? For some reason, he always has really bad puck luck when he’s facing his webbed foot foes. While this key is more for laughs, it would still be good for the Ducks to keep him off the board. He’s only scored two goals so far this season, which is a big shock for a player who scored 33 goals just a season ago. Nevertheless, after snagging two points in his last two games, he’s sure to be motivated and hungry for a goal.
Stay Disciplined: The Anaheim Ducks penalties are starting to get out of hand. While things evened out between both the Ducks and the Predators on Tuesday, the penalties definetly hurt Anaheim more than they did Nashville. Dallas doesn’t have the best PP unit at the moment, sitting 10% the league average, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to capitalize on their opportunities should the Ducks crumble in that aspect of their game.
Finish Well: The Ducks have had a rough time finishing lately. The biggest factor in tonight’s game is going to be getting the puck in the back of the net, and you can’t do that if you’re not finishing. They have to have to work as a team and have a strong net-front presence because getting through Ben Bishop is going to be a chore, and they also generate those second and third chances tonight.
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