Game #53: Ducks vs. Stars Gameday Preview
The Hockey News' Derek Lee reports from the Ducks' morning skate.
The Ducks will look to start another winning streak on Tuesday, following their victory against the Montréal Canadiens on Sunday. The Dallas Stars, who are coming off a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, are riding a five-game winning streak.
“(The Stars are) loaded up front,” Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. “They’ve got one of the most talented group of forwards in the league, so we’ve got to be ready for all of them.”
“You have to play fast (against them),” Leo Carlsson said. “(Can’t make) a lot of mistakes. They’re a top team in the league, so it’s going to be a tough game.”
“They’re a great team,” Cutter Gauthier said. “They have lots of skill (and) a handful veterans too. They play the game the right way and it'll be a good test for us for sure. Fortunate enough to get a couple of points last time we played them, but that was a long time ago and they’re a different team now.”
John Gibson will get the start tonight for the Ducks, playing in his 500th game. He is the first goaltender in franchise history to play 500 games for the Ducks.
Troy Terry, who missed Sunday’s game due to illness, was on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate. Cronin said he is unsure if Terry will play though, marking him as a game-time decision.
Cronin was also unsure whether the defensive pairs will remain the same from Sunday’s game, when Olen Zellweger drew back into the lineup while Pavel Mintyukov was a healthy scratch. Based off prior history, when Zellweger remained out of the lineup during the team’s three-game winning streak, Mintyukov will likely remain out after the Ducks won on Sunday.
Ducks Projected Lines
Trevor Zegras - Ryan Strome - Frank Vatrano
Mason McTavish - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Robby Fabbri - Isac Lundeström - Brett Leason
Cutter Gauthier - Jansen Harkins - Ross Johnston
Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Brian Dumoulin - Drew Helleson
John Gibson (confirmed)
Stars Projected Lines
Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Logan Stankoven
Mason Marchment - Matt Duchene - Mikael Granlund
Jamie Benn - Wyatt Johnston - Evgenii Dadonov
Oskar Bäck - Sam Steel - Colin Blackwell
Thomas Harley - Ilya Lyubushkin
Esa Lindell - Cody Ceci
Lian Bischel - Matt Dumba
Jake Oettinger (confirmed)