Anaheim Ducks Second Half Begins: Every Point Counts
With an enjoyable All-Star Weekend behind us, the Anaheim Ducks are ready for the grind.
The team was left with a sour taste in their mouth as the Oilers handed them their 15th loss of the season prior to the break.
To hit the ground running, the Colorado Avalanche will be in town.
Colorado are losers of their last seven and have won just four games in the last two months.
This game will conclude the regular season series between the two, as Anaheim looks for the sweep.
The Ducks are 6-1-2 in games played after 3+ days or rest.
AnaheimDucks
Anaheim Ducks (27-15-9, 63 points)
Home Sweet Home:
The Anaheim Ducks are showing some signs of fatigue.
Thankfully the ASG was just down the freeway so no one is subject to heavy travel.
They have racked up six wins from eight home games this month.
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Tonight’s contest will be the last time they are home until after three weeks.
A six-game road trip will jumpstart the new month.
Boosted Up:
All signs point to depth center Nate Thompson making his season debut tonight.
He was put on LTIR in October after an achilles injury but he is ahead of schedule.
"It feels good to be part of the team again."@jsilfverberg33, @NateThompson44 return to #NHLDucks practice: https://t.co/1viNvM1qLD pic.twitter.com/bfQ0YlMGbG
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 31, 2017
Thompson was called up from San Diego to join the big squad for the first time yesterday.
During his three-game stint with SD, he registered a point and six shots in the Gulls sweep of the Tucson Roadrunners.
Reunited And It Feels So Good:
The missing piece to the best line on the Anaheim Ducks in Jakob Silfverberg could return tonight.
The 26-year-old Swede has enjoyed a marvelous season alongside Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano.
His stock with the team has grown exponentially.
He is on pace to set career highs in point production and is playing an average of two minutes more than last season.
Silfverberg’s second on the team in game winning goals with four, just behind Rickard Rakell.
Colorado Avalanche (13-31-2, 28 points)
Bowlin’ For Nolan:
Let’s be honest. The season is over for the Avalanche.
They are not going to make the play-offs even with 36 games left for them this season.
Colorado has a goal differential of -63. To put this in perspective: that is twice as much than the Eastern Conference bottom dwelling, New Jersey Devils (-31).
While last season’s worst goal differential team, Toronto Maple Leafs, finished with -48.
The only thing they are playing for is for the 2017 first overall pick.
Meaning they would have the rights to draft Brandon Wheat Kings Center Nolan Patrick.
Though they are solid at #1-2, the bottom two spots at the position is where you are worried.
John Mitchell, Carl Soderberg combine for 11 points and are 32 and 31 years of age respectively.
On The Hot Seat:
Jared Bednar could be the third coach to be fired this season, joining Gerard Gallant and Jack Capuano.
One could argue that it’s not his fault given that his hire was to fill the void just weeks before the season.
And I understand you can’t win every game but this is not acceptable.
Especially when every team’s goal is to hoist the Stanley Cup.
He did coach the 2016 Calder Cup winning Lake Erie Monsters. But he doesn’t have the relationship history that Patrick Roy had with the organization.
Additional Notes:
Puck drop is set for 7 P.M. Pacific on Prime Ticket and AM 830 KLAA.
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