The Ducks returned home from a .500 road trip and now will have an opportunity to get back to a .500 points percentage for the season against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center, where a five-game homestand kicks off Sunday.
The ‘Canes, who had won eight straight games entering the front end of their Los Angeles-Anaheim back-to-back set Saturday, are one of several formidable opponents left on the Ducks’ schedule. On the homestand, they’ll face Boston and San Jose, with their other 11 remaining matchups this season being against teams above .500, most of whom are clearly playoff-bound.
Of late, the Ducks have diversified some of their offensive looks, particularly on the power play, and while they were a lean 1 for 10 on the trip, they’ve been inching closer to breaking up the slog that’s defined their attack for much of the season.
In Thursday’s 4-1 victory over Nashville, Trevor Zegras’ creativity resplended as he scored a goal and assisted on another on his 24th birthday. Mason McTavish, who has 15 points in as many games since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, added a pair of assists in a game that saw the Ducks score four unanswered goals while a healthy John Gibson held down the fort.
Although Zegras has not recaptured the productivity he enjoyed during the Dallas Eakins era, his play-making potential and singular vision on the ice have still shown through often.
“Z is super creative, you’ve always got to be ready to shoot when you’re on the ice with him,” McTavish told reporters.
In Nashville, that duo was joined by Brett Leason. Either he or Nikita Nesterenko, another formidably sized forward who was ill Thursday, could appear Sunday with McTavish and Zegras, who are close friends away from the rink as well.
“They’re big bodies and they’re great on the forecheck, I just tried to help out as much as I could,” Zegras told reporters of the efforts of his linemates.
As the Ducks have sought winning combinations on the ice, it appears their first season partnering with Fox 11 Plus and Victory+ for telecasts and webcasts has been a fruitful one. Year-over-year viewership was up 170% with both entities increasing overall subscriptions significantly, Fox 11 Plus said in a news release. In addition to the Ducks, Victory+ also broadcasts the Dallas Stars and, this upcoming season, the Texas Rangers.
For Carolina’s part, not only have they been winning of late to keep pace near the top of the Eastern Conference, but they loved and lost Mikko Rantanen, never missing a beat despite not one but two massive trades involving the Finnish forward.
They gave up their scorching scorer from the early season, Martin Necas, and more to acquire Rantanen in February. But when they were unable to extend the pending unrestricted free agent, they moved him to Dallas for another package, one with Logan Stankoven as its centerpiece.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour has the highest points percentage of any active coach at .660, and in seven seasons he’s guided Carolina to the playoffs seven times, never once losing an opening series. He also captained the ‘Canes to a Cup as a player and has been involved in every Carolina playoff game apart from one series as either a player or coach.
Carolina at Ducks
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Honda Center
TV/radio: KTTV (Ch. 11), Victory+