The two top picks in last summer's NHL Draft will face off tonight at Honda Center for the first time as the Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks for the second of a three-game homestand.
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Anaheim enters play Thursday looking to snap a seven-game losing skid that continued two nights ago with a 4-0 shutout defeat to Minnesota. The Ducks played a tight, competitive first period in their return from a midwest road trip, but the Wild would take full control in the middle frame with three goals in 11 minutes.
"They were stronger on pucks than we were," head coach Greg Cronin said. "I actually think we competed, we just didn't win the puck battles."
Added winger Frank Vatrano, "We moved the puck, but at the end of the day you have to score goals to win games. Myself included, you've got to bear down on the chances that we are getting and score goals."
Anaheim's recent offensive struggles continued in the setback, as the Ducks were shutout for the third time in the last four games and have now scored seven goals during the winless streak.
"Trying to keep up the mood is not easy [after] losing seven games in a row," Vatrano admitted. "It's not fun losing. We just have to get back on track soon.
"I think mistakes are going to happen. It's hockey. The game is fast and guys are trying to make plays and trying to make the best play that they see, but the breakdowns and the turnovers need to be minimized for sure. There's going to be turnovers during the game, but we've got to limit them."
Anaheim, Chicago and their highly touted rookie centers will conclude a three-game season series tonight, meeting for the first time in Orange County. The Blackhawks claimed both meetings in the Windy City already, a hard-fought 1-0 triumph back in December behind 37 saves from veteran netminder Petr Mrazek and then a 7-2 rout last week.
“Give them credit,” Cronin said of the second matchup. “It’s a 4-2 game, and they came out the second or third shift of the third period and stripped us of the puck on a forecheck and made it 5-2. We’re trying to get back into the game and make it a one-goal game. They make it 5-2, and now you’re chasing the game.”
The game also included a physical post-whistle spat behind the Chicago net, leading to a combined 88 total penalty minutes.
Since that meeting, the Hawks earned a 5-2 win over the Sharks sandwiched by a home-and-home sweep, and 11-2 combined score, at the hands of the Kings.
“We're doing good things,” Chicago forward Joey Anderson told NHL.com's Bruce Miles after the San Jose win. “We're sticking to the process. I've said before, it's not always pretty but you’ve got to win blue lines, win pucks in, stay on top of them. Sometimes you get into a matchup where the best part of your game is just giving them nothing. And I think for the most part we've been doing a good job of that."
Chicago sits last in the Central Division with a 19-45-5 record, six points back of Anaheim.
