Preview: Ducks Open Four-Game Homestand Tonight vs. Leafs
by Kyle Shohara @kyleshohara / AnaheimDucks.com
With less than a month left in the regular season, the Ducks open of their final homestands of 2019-20 campaign tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. (7 p.m. PT, TV: Prime Ticket, Radio: AM 830). Nine home games remain for the Ducks this season, including matchups against Minnesota on Sunday, Ottawa next Tuesday and St. Louis next Wednesday.
The Ducks come in with wins in three of their last five (3-2-0) and points in four of their last six (3-2-1). They snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory in Colorado two nights ago. Their win ended Colorado's season-high seven-game win streak and marked the first time the Avs had given up more than two goals in eight consecutive games. Rickard Rakell ended a 15-game drought by scoring the game-winning goal with just 1.2 seconds remaining in sudden death.
Newcomers Danton Heinen, Sonny Milano, Andrew Agozzino, Matt Irwin and Christian Djoos have combined for 10 points (5g/5a) in their first five games since the trade deadline. Agozzino got his first goal/point as a Duck (and his second career NHL goal) on Wednesday vs. Colorado, as did Irwin (assist), giving all five players points with their new team. Milano has four points in five games (2g/2a) and Heinen has three points (2g/1a) over that span.
Toronto enters tonight's matchup in third place in the Atlantic Division with 79 points. They've lost two in a row, including a 1-0 shootout defeat last night in LA. Despite having plenty of offensive weapons, the Leafs fell to 1-5 in shootouts this season. Freddie Andersen earned the rare shutout in a losing effort with a 30-save performance.
Auston Matthews ranks third among league leaders in goals (46) and ninth in points (79), establishing career highs in those categories. The 22-year-old center became the first player in franchise history to begin his career with four consecutive 30-goal seasons.
This is the finale of a two-game season series that opened with a wild 5-4 Leafs overtime victory on Feb. 7 in Toronto. The Ducks scored three goals in the final frame to force overtime but fell with seven seconds remaining in the extra frame. Anaheim's trio of goals in the third matched the club's single-game season high for a third period, first set Oct. 8 at Detroit. Adam Henrique leads active Ducks in career scoring vs. Toronto with 16 points (6g/10a) in 25 games.