Game 80: Ducks At Oilers

By Julius Choi

Anaheim(32-37-10) vs Edmonton(34-34-9)

Pregame Show: DucksNPucks Podcast

TV: 7:00 PM PT/10:00 PM ET, Prime Ticket

Radio: KLAA AM 830

Post Game Show: Duck Calls with Josh Brewster AM 830

Anaheim Outlook

With each passing game, it becomes more and more evident that Anaheim can no longer compete with the game’s elite. Bob Murray must and should be chomping at the bit for the offseason in hopes to trending upward with the draft and free agency approaching. Friday’s 6-1 loss to Calgary marked the 10th time this season where the Ducks have lost a game by four or more goals. Anaheim also maintains the league’s worst goal differential at -61. To put it into perspective, that is six more goals than the last place Ottawa Senators.

However, the game against Calgary didn’t go by without any accomplishments. After 31 NHL games played across two seasons, defenseman Andy Welinski scored his first NHL goal at the ripe age of 25. It was just one of 22 shots that veteran netminder Mike Smith couldn’t stop on the night.

Cam Fowler, meanwhile, passed Steve Rucchin on the Ducks all-time games played list when he played in his 617th game as a member of the Ducks yesterday. The 27-year-old blueliner has 270 points in 617 games and scored his first NHL hat trick earlier this season in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ryan Getzlaf has a team-leading 34 assists and 47 points in 65 games played this season.

Injury Updates:

Troy Terry left last night’s game in a walking boot and crutches.

Josh Manson is dealing with an upper-body injury and is seeing a doctor per Bob Murray.

Nick Ritchie is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Ryan Getzlaf is still out with muscle spasms per Bob Murray and is considered day-to-day. He is now going to miss his fourth consecutive game.

Jacob Larsson returned on Friday and registered three shots on goal in 20:41 of ice time.

Projected Lineup

Offense:
Rickard Rakell – Sam Steel – Jakob Silfverberg
Kiefer Sherwood – Devin Shore –  Corey Perry
Daniel Sprong – Adam Henrique – Chase De Leo
Max Jones – Carter Rowney – Derek Grant

Defense:
Hampus Lindholm – Jake Dotchin
Cam Fowler – Andy Welinski
Jaycob Megna – Korbinian Holzer

In Net:
John Gibson 24-22-8, GAA 2.89, SV% .915 (Unconfirmed)

Edmonton Outlook

Just because you have the best player in the world, doesn’t mean that a team will be world beaters and Edmonton is learning that the hard way this season. Perhaps that is one of the best qualities about the game: how there is so much parity in the game and that regardless of how good of a player you are, you need a good supporting cast to win a championship.

The only forward with a no-movement clause on the Oilers is not who you might think of at first. That distinction belongs to none other than 30-year-old Milan Lucic. He is in year three of a seven-year contract worth $42 million and an AAV of $6 million. Since scoring 50 points in his debut season with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016-17, Lucic has 18 points (five goals) this season and is residing on the team’s third line.

As reported by Russian Machine Never Breaks, Connor McDavid (114) and Leon Draisaitl (101) are the first teammates to reach the 100-point milestone since Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom in 2009-10. After those two, Edmonton’s next highest point producer, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 36 points behind with 65 points in 77 games played.

McDavid leads the team in points (114) and assists (74). This marks the second consecutive season in which he had reached the 40-goal mark. Meanwhile, Draisaitl’s 47 goals are a team-high and just two behind Alex Ovechkin’s league-leading 49 goals.

Projected Lineup

Offense
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zack Kassian
Joseph Gambardella – Leon Draisaitl – Alex Chiasson
Milan Lucic – Kyle Brodziak – Josh Currie
Tobias Rieder – Colby Cave – Sam Gagner

Defense
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Darnell Nurse – Kris Russell
Andrej Sekera – Rasmus Andersson

In Net
Mikko Koskinen 24-18-6, GAA 2.87, SV% .908 (Unconfirmed)

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March 30th, 2019