"It was strange, a lot of weird bounces and we were on the receiving end of them," head coach Greg Cronin added. "I thought it was a fairly tight game in terms of checking, the shots were down and there weren't a lot of multiple scoring chances [in a row]."
The Ducks are 27-28-7 on the season, sixth in the Pacific Division and nine points back of the Western Conference's final Wild Card bid.
"We need these points," said rookie winger Sam Colangelo, who has scored in three straight games. "I think if we play with the same urgency as we did in the last ten minutes the results would have been a bit different. Getting pucks back on the forecheck and sustaining more time in the O-zone. It’s an urgent group. I don’t think it was alack of effort. I think it was a bit of a disconnected game all around for the both teams and [St. Louis] was fortunate enough to capitalize on their bounces. Urgent group that we have in here and I know we won’t quit."
Anaheim's offense has been carried by its youth lately, with both Colangelo and LaCombe riding career-best scoring streaks, while centers Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish have earned eight points in as many games since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
The Ducks now turn their attention to an Isles squad also looking to keep pace in a crowded Wild Card race, with just seven points separate the Eastern Conference's seventh and 14th-ranked teams. New York will now have to continue its climb without one of its top players though as veteran center Brock Nelson was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche just prior to the league's trade deadline. Nelson leaves the Island fourth in club history in games played, and fifth in both goals and points.
“He meant everything,” veteran center Casey Cizikas said of Nelson. “He was the leader on and off the ice. He gave he had everything he had every single night. He’s a guy that you could easily follow into battle and his personality inside the locker room was awesome. Nelson’s a tough guy to lose. He means a lot to this organization, he means a lot to us in this room. We’re wishing him nothing but the best.”
The Isles earned a 4-2 victory over San Jose last night in the club's first game since the trade, backed by 38 saves from goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
"[San Jose] came out really hard,” JG Pageau said. “Sorokin kept us in the game, we got our bounce right away, and they had some grade-A chances. We knew after the first period we had to be more connected on our breakouts. Sorokin gave us the opportunity to do that.”
Added captain Anders Lee, "Where we’ve stood throughout the season, we’ve always had that sense of urgency, but we need the results now. Let’s continue to push. Great way to start the trip, let’s get ready for [Sunday] night.”
The Islanders (29-26-7, 65 points) sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division, three points back of a Wild Card position.
