Game #6: Ducks vs. Sharks Gameday Preview

The Hockey News' Derek Lee reports from the Ducks' morning skate.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - For the second time this season and the first time at home, the Ducks will take on the San Jose Sharks. The Ducks took the first matchup by a score of 2-0 in their season opener.

Anaheim comes into this game with a 2-2-1 record after losing 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. San Jose (0-4-2) is still looking for their first win of the season after falling 4-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

The Sharks are still without 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who was placed on injured reserve after the Sharks' first game on Oct. 10.

"We defended pretty well (in that game)," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said. "We didn't look like we had our legs. It's kind of weird, we've had three out of the five games (where) we don't look fast. San Jose, Colorado and then the LA game we looked like we just didn't have any jump."

"(The Sharks are) a fast team," Ducks forward Frank Vatrano said. "They've added some good players and they have two young guys (Celebrini and Will Smith) that are good players as well. For us, we need to match their intensity and their speed. They're a desperate team looking for their first win, so we know we're going to get their best game. We need to match the intensity and wear them down."

Lukáš Dostál was a big reason why the Ducks won their season opener and he will be between the pipes again tonight. He made 34 saves in Sunday's loss, with the Kings' two empty net goals warping the 4-1 final.

With an optional skate this morning, it's unclear what the blue line will look like with Pavel Mintyukov returning from a bout of food poisoning which caused him to miss Sunday's game. But based on yesterday's practice, there will be a bit of line shuffling with the forwards sans the Vatrano-Strome-Terry line.

Robby Fabbri and Alex Killorn will swap lines and Isac Lundeström––who returns from an upper-body injury––and Mason McTavish will do the same. The idea is to jumpstart the rest of the lines offensively as the Vatrano-Strome-Terry line has been doing most of the heavy lifting so far.

"(McTavish's) line has not done anything," Cronin said. "We were all expecting Mac to take a big jump. McTavish should be a 30-goal scorer in this league. He can shoot a puck, he's strong as a bull. He gets up and down the ice pretty well. He's not a razzle-dazzle skill guy. He should be like (Brady) Tkachuk in Ottawa––a power forward who just lives at the other team's net.

He's got to drive pucks deep and with Leason and McGinn, they're just going to forecheck. Get them in deep and get in front of the other team's net or get into that pocket and rip shots. Your game's very simple. I think when he gets with other players, he tries to be a skilled guy. And that doesn't mean he can't use his skill. But I think his food chain, the top, has got to be to drive the game, get to the front of the net and win puck battles on the cycle."

Fast Facts:
-Anaheim is 3-0-0 in their last three games against San Jose.
-Isac Lundeström, who scored in the previous Ducks-Sharks matchup, is tied with Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish for the most goals against the Sharks (5) among active Ducks skaters.

Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Robby Fabbri
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Trevor Zegras - Isac Lundeström - Alex Killorn
Brock McGinn - Mason McTavish - Brett Leason

Cam Fowler - Tristan Luneau
Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Brian Dumoulin

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Sharks Projected Lines

William Eklund - Mikael Granlund - Tyler Toffoli
Daniil Gushchin - Alexander Wennberg - Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow - Will Smith - Luke Kunin
Klim Kostin - Nico Sturm - Ty Dellandrea

Jake Walman - Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro - Jan Rutta
Henry Thrun - Jake Thompson

MacKenzie Blackwood (confirmed)