Preview: Ducks Face Off with Defending Champion Lightning Tonight
Despite a 2-0 loss to Colorado on Wednesday that dropped the club to 2-7-1 since the NHL's holiday break, the Ducks say they saw improvement in their game that can serve as the foundation to breaking out of their slump.
"That's the kind of hockey that we've been playing all year," Kevin Shattenkirk said. "It seems like we got back to that a little bit more. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come."
"Our lineup tonight, the way it is, I thought our guys played hard, almost to a man," Eakins said Wednesday night. "Goaltending did their job, our D did their job, our forwards worked hard to get on top of pucks and get to the net. We just couldn't get one in there. Structurally, systems wise, some of the things we lacked on nights, it was back. That's encouraging. Our next step is to get healthy and get our COVID guys back in."
The Ducks will again hope to welcome back some new faces from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Anaheim's current list includes Simon Benoit, Troy Terry, Josh Manson, Cam Fowler, Anthony Stolarz and two members of the coaching staff. Forwards Max Jones and Adam Henrique remain on injured reserve.
Facing the NHL's most potent offense and playing without its top defensive pair of Fowler and Manson, the Ducks turned to the veteran duo of Shattenkirk and Hampus Lindholm to pick up the slack. Lindholm logged a career-high 30:48 in ice-time, five minutes clear of his previous season-best.
"Both played incredibly well," Eakins said. "Both were engaged. Hampus played, in the second period, a ridiculous amount of minutes. Because of their play, it gave us a chance to win the game. That's what we need right now. We need above the call of duty."
The Ducks did get back All-Star netminder John Gibson Wednesday vs. Colorado. Gibson, who earned his third All-Star selection and will represent Anaheim with Terry next month in Vegas, has a 2.01 GAA and .942 SV% (163-173) in his last five appearances.
Anaheim is tied for second in the Pacific Division in points (19-16-7, 45 points), but fifth in point percentage (.536).
The Lightning visit Anaheim for the first time since January 2020, currently stuck in a grudge-match for first place atop the Atlantic Division with the in-state rival Florida Panthers.
The Bolts have won four in a row to move into a tie with Florida (27-9-5, 59 points). Tampa Bay is trying to become the first team to win three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders captured four in a row from 1979-83.
Tonight's game will also feature the return of Ducks legend and 2007 Stanley Cup champion Corey Perry to Anaheim. Perry played 988 games for the Ducks from 2005-19 and ranks among the top five in nearly every offensive category in Anaheim's record books.
In 2011, Perry led the NHL with 50 goals and became the first Duck to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He's collected 10-10=20 points in 41 games this season, his first campaign in Tampa after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances with Dallas and Montreal.
Anaheim and Tampa Bay will conclude their two-game season series on Apr. 14 at Amalie Arena.
