For the second time in seven days, the Ducks will face the Florida Panthers. The Ducks won the previous matchup by a score of 3-2, thanks to goals from Mason McTavish and Troy Terry in the shootout.
Anaheim is coming off a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and will be looking to extend their winning streak to a season-high four games.
“(The Panthers are) a dangerous team,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “They play such a strong team game. They’re positionally strong and great in the puck areas, smart with their sticks and they support one other well, so it’s going to be a tight game. It’s a hard game. Got to be respectful for these guys. First game on the (road) trip, they’re gonna be ready. We’re fortunate that they’re missing some pieces, but they play such a strong team game.
They seem to keep themselves in every hockey game.”
“They won two cups,” Alex Killorn said. “I always find with really good teams, they’re coached so well and their systems are so good that even when you take certain players out, they still play kind of the same way and they’re very effective. Those players (who are out) are game changers and make really big plays. But the team itself plays great, even without those players.
I think that’s a sign of a good team.”
The Ducks will roll with the same lineup from Sunday’s win, with Jansen Harkins playing in his second consecutive game. Harkins centered the new-look fourth line of Ross Johnston and Frank Vatrano and had a big hit on Devils captain Nico Hischier, which drew the ire of Dawson Mercer and turned into a power play for the Ducks.
“(He) gives us energy,” Quenneville said. “He seems to have a high motor and he’s always got it revved up. He’s on pucks.
I think, technically, he’s really complemented the system well. I think that that line was very effective in a lot of ways, not just with the production, but consistently were in the offensive zone a lot. I think he was part of that charge.”
The Panthers are already without Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov and captain Aleksander Barkov and could potentially be without Evan Rodrigues, who did not participate in Tuesday’s morning skate.
Ryan Strome (upper-body, IR) participated in the Ducks’ morning skate, but will not play. Quenneville said that Strome will join the team on the upcoming two-game road trip in Dallas and Vegas, but is unsure if he will play in either game.
Lukáš Dostál, who will start tonight for the Ducks, was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.63 GAA and .948 SV%.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier – Mason McTavish – Beckett Sennecke
Nikita Nesterenko – Ryan Poehling – Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston – Jansen Harkins – Frank Vatrano
Jackson LaCombe – Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov – Ian Moore
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Panthers Projected Lines
Carter Verhaeghe – Luke Kunin – Sam Reinhart
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich
A.J. Greer – Cole Schwindt – Noah Gregor
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Bakinskis – Jeff Petry
Sergei Bobrovsky (confirmed)
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