Preview: Henrique Set to Face Former Team Tonight in New Jersey
Henrique spent his first week as a Duck on the road before the team returned to Anaheim for a three-game homestand earlier this month. After getting adjusted to the time zone, and searching for a place to live, it was back on the road for a six-game road trip. Tonight the Ducks (14-11-8, 36 points) face the New Jersey Devils (18-9-5, 41 points) at Prudential Center, and it is surely a game Henrique will never forget. (4 p.m. PT, TV: KCOP, Radio: AM 830).
Henrique and Joseph Blandisi were acquired by the Ducks on November 30 in a trade that saw defenseman Sami Vatanen go the other way. (The Ducks also received a 2018 third-round draft pick and sent New Jersey a conditional draft pick). Henrique was a long-time Devil, having played his entire career (455 games) with New Jersey after the club selected him in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft. A fan favorite, Henrique immersed himself in the community and was an integral member of the 2011-12 Devils squad that reached the Stanley Cup Final.
"Overall, it will be a neat experience to go out there and play against all those guys," Henrique said today. "I was there for a long time and have a lot of great friends over there. Not even with all the guys, but a lot of great relationships with a lot of the fans here and people away from the rink."
Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle says Henrique doesn't need any advice on how to handle his emotions tonight. "He's enough of a veteran that he understands the situation," Carlyle said. "He's an evenly-keeled guy. He's not a guy that gets too ramped up, outwardly, anyways. Maybe inside he does, but on the outside, he shows a calm, cool and collective type of personality. There is enough pressure he'll put upon himself that he doesn't need any more pressure applied. Like any player coming back to play their former team in their building, it's special and unusual. But once the puck drops, it's usually all over."
Henrique has flourished with six points (3g/3a) in eight games with Anaheim. The 27-year-old forward began his Anaheim tenure with a five-game point streak, marking the second-longest scoring streak to start a Ducks career in franchise history. Only Hall-of-Famer Teemu Selanne had a longer point streak to start a Ducks career at 15 games in 1995-96. Blandisi made his NHL debut with the Devils in 2015-16 and recorded 26 points (8g/18a) in 68 games with the club. The 23-year-old forward is still looking for his first point as a Duck, having gone scoreless in three games. Based on the morning skate, it appears Blandisi will be a healthy scratch tonight.
Anaheim is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Saturday night. It was a disappointing result considering the Ducks held a 2-0 lead entering the third period, but, with the point, the team has earned points in seven consecutive games (3-0-4, 10 points) and eight of the last nine (4-1-4, 12 points). The Ducks have not allowed a power-play goal in the last six consecutive games, killing off 16 in a row. (They did not commit a penalty in the game against the Capitals).
According to reports from the morning skate, Nick Ritchie will be a game-time decision tonight. The 22-year-old left wing has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury and is currently on injured reserve. Ritchie has nine points (3g/6a) in 27 games this season. Ryan Miller is the expected starter tonight and enters the game with a 3-0-4 record, 1.73 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in eight games. In his career, Miller has posted a 13-11-6 record, 2.14 GAA, .926 SV% and three shutouts in 30 games vs. New Jersey.
The Devils enter tonight's game in second place in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the Capitals. Left wing Taylor Hall and right wing Kyle Palmieri are expected to return to the lineup. Hall has missed the last two games with a right knee contusion, while Palmieri has missed the last 12 with a broken right foot suffered on November 20 at Minnesota. Hall leads the Devils in scoring with 31 points (11g/20a) in 30 games and Palmieri has nine points (4g/5a) in 13 games. Marcus Johansson (ankle bruise) will miss his fourth consecutive game. Though he is still looking for his first point as a Devil (scoreless in eight games), Vatanen leads the club in average ice time (21:53) since his arrival.
Tonight's contest opens a two-game season series between the Ducks and Devils and represents the lone meeting in Newark. The Ducks have gone 14-14-4 all-time against the Devils, including a 5-8-2 mark on the road. Anaheim has gone 6-2-2 in the last 10 games against New Jersey, including a 3-2 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 17, 2016 at Honda Center. Antoine Vermette leads active Ducks in career scoring against the Devils with 13 points (5g/8a) in 26 career games. Anaheim and New Jersey will not meet again until Sunday, March 18 at Honda Center.
