The Anaheim Ducks return to action after the Olympic break ready to push for an end of their playoff drought.
As the Ducks prepare to play host to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, they sit in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, tied with Seattle for third spot in the Pacific Division but edged out having fewer regulation wins.
Anaheim last made the Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2017-18 campaign, the third-longest drought in the league, but have made a huge turnaround this season.
“Our team is doing a great job of buying into what we want to do,” said defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who returns to the club after being part of Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad at the Olympic Winter Games.
“Everyone is committing to playing better defense, that’s shown over our last stretch. … I think we’re really happy with where we’re at,” he added.
The Ducks entered the break after a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 3. They have won two straight and nine of 11 games after suffering through a nine-game skid.
They have 26 games remaining.
One of those two losses during their 9-2-0 run came at the hands of the Oilers, a 7-4 affair in Edmonton on Jan. 26.
While the Ducks have a team goal to reach over the next seven-plus weeks before the regular season ends, they have a more immediate quest.
Coach Joel Quenneville needs one more victory to become only the second bench boss in league history to reach the 1,000-win mark during the regular season. Scotty Bowman holds the record with 1,244 victories.
The team is reinforced with the return of center Leo Carlsson, who was expected to be out three to five weeks following a procedure on Jan. 16 to treat a left thigh injury. Carlsson, who missed playing for Team Sweden in the Winter Olympics, is tied for second on the team with 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists).
The Oilers arrive in Anaheim sitting second in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Ducks (and Kraken).
Edmonton, which has 24 games remaining, will be trying to find that winning formula having lost three straight games, the last one a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Feb. 4.
“We’ve got to win games,” forward Leon Draisaitl said. “We’ve got to bank points and secure a spot in the playoff race. They’re a good team and have had a great year and taken big steps.”
There was speculation that captain Connor McDavid would not be available, including from coach Kris Knoblauch, citing the superstar’s health and energy level. McDavid joined the team in Anaheim for Wednesday’s morning skate after making his way back from winning silver with Team Canada at the Olympics in Italy. McDavid was selected the MVP of the men’s hockey tournament after scoring two goals and 11 assists in six games.
McDavid leads the NHL with 96 points in 58 games, with his 34 goals second to Colorado’s Nathan McKinnon (40) and his 62 assists tied with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for most in the NHL.
Edmonton’s schedule may play a part in McDavid suiting up. The Oilers will face the Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on consecutive nights and finish a California trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon.
The Oilers are aware they are skating a thin line, even while sitting in a playoff spot. This is a team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last two seasons.
“We’ve got to change some things,” Draisaitl stated. “We’re in a race. We can’t be cruising around like years past. We have to get going.”
The Oilers made news during the break by hiring Paul Coffey as an assistant coach. Coffey, one of the most prolific defensemen in league history, returns to the club to help its defensive game. Edmonton has surrendered 16 goals in its current three-game streak.
–Field Level Media
