Ducks Hope Time Away from the Rink Helps as They Face Colorado Tonight

With a robust 10 games in 18 days - and a couple of frustrating losses to end that stretch -- Ducks coach Dallas Eakins felt the best solution yesterday was some time away from the rink for his team.

He gave the Ducks a much-needed day off Sunday and saw some noticeable energy in their return to practice yesterday as they prepared for a single game in Denver tonight.
"I do think that day away helps everybody," Eakins said, "not only the players but all the staff as well. This month has been a relentless one when it comes to the schedule, obviously in the adversity that we faced and are facing. Not only with our ability to get on the right side of the game, but in pretty big pieces of our lineup being injured.
The Ducks are looking to bounce back after getting outscored 9-1 by San Jose on Friday and Saturday, which followed a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of rival LA last Wednesday.
"They were in really good spirits this morning," Eakins said of his recharging troops. "We had a good meeting, and we're trying to simplify our game so they can just play with zero thinking. We had an excellent practice. Guys were hooting and hollering out there for each other, and that's what you want to see.
"There is time to digest the loss(es), understand the adversity and own it, but that can't carry a black cloud on you when you come into the dressing room and out onto the ice. I think they handled today remarkably well."
Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg also welcomed the short respite. "We had two tough games coming in, so it was nice to get to do something else, kind of relax and be with your family," he said. "It was a good day to kind of recharge and come back to work today with lost of energy and excited again."
Silfverberg said the amount of games they've played in a relative short period of time is compounded by the frustration of how they've played in them. "It's always tough to play that amount of games in such a short time. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, but it's harder mentally when you're losing," he said. "We're not the only team going through this, so it's not really an excuse, but it's tough on the body and mentally too. I think we're doing a good job of staying even keeled on the locker room and trying to find positive things. At the same time, we know we've got to perform better.
"Everyone is here because we're competitors, and we hate losing more than anything. That's just how we're built. That's what has pushed us to get where we are today. We're always looking for solutions and trying to win. I thought today was a really good day. It was a good pace and compete out there. It felt good, and hopefully we can bring that same energy to the game tomorrow."
The flight to Denver was delayed twice because of weather, and it's an anomaly in this season's 56-game schedule in that they will play the Avalanche just once instead of the typical two-game set.
"We're gonna get in there a little later than usual, and you suffer through that altitude a little bit," Eakins said. "But hopefully we can keep bringing it."
The Ducks will make the trip without the injured Josh Manson, who is still recovering from a lower body injury. Derek Grant missed the last game with an upper body injury but did skate with the team yesterday. Hampus Lindholm is still out several more weeks, and it was just announced Carter Rowney will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
One positive is the Ducks have performed well this season vs. Colorado, which sits on the cusp of playoff position in third place in the Honda West Division. The Ducks are 2-0-2 vs. the Avs in four games, which includes the teams each earning overtime wins last March 5 and 6.
Breakout Night
Fans will see a noticeable difference in how the Ducks look tonight in Denver, but that's because of their uniforms. Tonight is the debut of Anaheim's Reverse Retro jersey, a league-wide initiative in collaboration with adidas, "representing unique and historical moments in each club's history, while refreshing the color and design combination for an all-new presentation."
Anaheim's version features the design from the team's iconic "Breakout" jersey worn during the 1995-96 season. The jersey features sublimated artwork depicting the Ducks mascot, Wild Wing, breaking through the ice.
Tonight is the first of two "Breakout Nights" in which the Ducks will wear the jersey, the other coming April 16 vs. Vegas at Honda Center. As part of the festivities, the Ducks broadcast, social media and the Flying V Experience will pay tribute to the '90s era in which that jersey debuted, with retro fan photos, archive highlights, throwback trivia and more.
Fans were asked to submit their best photo memories of cheering for the Ducks in the Mighty '90s, which can be seen at anaheimducks.com/breakout.