The Ducks have not played since a 6-5 OT setback against Arizona on Dec. 17, with four games postponed in the mean time. Anaheim hit the early holiday break playing some of its best hockey of the season, earning points in nine of its last ten games (6-1-3).
The Ducks sit second in the Pacific Division in points (17-9-6, 40 points) and third by point percentage (.625). Anaheim also boasts one of the league's best home records, with a 10-4-3 mark at Honda Center.
The Ducks' lineup could include several new faces in the wake of injuries and COVID-19 absences. With Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois and Sam Steel in the protocol, Bryce Kindopp joined the Ducks' taxi squad at practice yesterday. For a look at the current taxi squad,
click here
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The Ducks earned wins in both meetings with the Canucks earlier this season, pushing its win streak over Vancouver to five games, but the visitors come to town sporting a couple of fresh faces now guiding the club forward. The first is familiar to Ducks fans, former Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau, now the bench boss in Vancouver. Boudreau immediately endeared him to Canucks fans, becoming just the sixth head coach in NHL history to win each of his first six games with a new club (the NHL record is co-held by Ducks assistant coach Geoff Ward). Boudreau joins longtime NHL executive Jim Rutherford in Vancouver, who now serves as the club's President of Hockey Operations.
Thanks to the six-game winning streak, the Canucks have bounced back from a rough start to the regular season, pulling themselves out of the Pacific Division cellar and within striking distance of playoff positioning.
Tonight's game was originally scheduled to conclude Anaheim and Vancouver's four-game season series, but with the Dec. 23 contest in Vancouver postponed, these teams will meet one more time on a date to be determined later this season.
