Ducks hope renewed concentration pushes them past physical Jets (Mar 24, 2017)
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When the Anaheim Ducks face the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night at Honda Center, one of the NHL's best rookies will become the latest obstacle in the hosts' quest to defend their Pacific Division championship.
Finnish right winger Patrik Laine, the second overall selection in last year's draft, shares first place among rookies in goals, assists and points with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, the draft's top choice. Both have 27 goals, 33 assists and 60 points.
Center Mark Scheifele and right winger Blake Wheeler have higher point totals than Laine, despite the fact that the 19-year-old Finn leads the Jets in goals. Wheeler, the team's captain, shares 19th place in NHL scoring with 63 points on 22 goals and 41 assists. Scheifele ranks seventh with 74 points, including a team-high 45 assists.
"He's an impact player," Wheeler told the Winnipeg Free Press on Scheifele. "He's made strides every year and it's exciting to watch."
The Jets have a 5-2-3 road record since Jan. 31 but have lost 12 of 17 games against the Pacific Division -- and have yet to beat the Ducks.
Friday night's game is Winnipeg's second on the road in two nights. The Los Angeles Kings used a 5-2 win Thursday night to end the Jets' three-game winning streak.
"We've been battling hard, competing hard," defenseman Josh Morrissey told the team's website. "We've been getting contributions from different guys each night, and goaltending has been good also. Coming into the rink the right way mentally, competing hard, that's when we have success."
Anaheim, which has won the past four division titles, needs to beat Winnipeg to have a chance to tie the first-place San Jose Sharks, who play at Dallas. The Ducks enter their game with six victories in their past eight contests -- and with a renewed emphasis on concentration and discipline.
"I thought we did a better job of maintaining our attitude throughout the game," center Ryan Getzlaf said Wednesday after a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. "We're not getting carried away in certain situations, like we have in the past. We seemed to have learned how to let the other stuff go and just keep playing."
Anaheim demonstrated that attitude while increasing the game's pace Wednesday night. As a result, the Ducks recovered from a pair of one-goal deficits in the first period to take a 4-2 lead in the second period against the surprising Oilers.
"In the second period, we came out with a lot of speed," said defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who finished with a career-high three points. "That's how we went at them. That's the hockey we want to play for 60 minutes."
The Ducks have achieved their recent success without goalie John Gibson, who has missed the past 11 games because of a lower-body injury. In his place, Jonathan Bernier has compiled an 8-2-1 record, a 1.89 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage.
"I don't think I had a stretch where I played back-to-backs and played nine or 10 games almost in a row," the 28-year-old Bernier, a reserve for much of his career, told the Orange County Register. "It is nice to feel that, I guess, you've still got it."
Gibson participated in an optional skate Thursday. Coach Randy Carlyle said Gibson will play before the end of the regular season but did not specify a timetable.
