Game #64: Ducks vs. Islanders Gameday Preview

The Hockey News' Derek Lee previews the Ducks' matchup against the New York Islanders.

The Ducks are looking to bounce back tonight against the Islanders after falling 6-2 to the Dallas Stars on Friday. With no morning skate today because of the 5 PM puck drop, it's unknown who will be starting for Anaheim.

Perhaps John Gibson, who stopped 30 shots in Friday's loss, gets a shot at redemption. But Lukáš Dostál has also been terrific in his last three starts and could be in line for another.

Trevor Zegras (ankle) is not yet ready to return from injury and neither is Leo Carlsson (concussion). However, general manager Pat Verbeek told Ducks season ticket holders at a fan event yesterday that he expects Carlsson to be ready to play on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

"They're going to be hungry," said head coach Greg Cronin of the Islanders. "They're fighting for that wild card spot and they're on a little bit of a run here, so we're going to have our hands full."

Cronin, of course, is very familiar with the Islanders. He was a member of the organization for nine years split between two different stints, taking on many different roles during that time.

Fast Facts:
-Frank Vatrano has the first 50-point season of his career under his belt after assisting on Ryan Strome's goal on Friday. Vatrano remains one goal away from his first 30-goal season.
-Ben Meyers made his Ducks debut against the Stars after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche earlier that day. He had nearly 14 minutes of time on ice and won 7 of 10 face-offs.
-The Ducks also claimed defenseman William Lagesson off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, adding more depth to their blue line. Lagesson has appeared in 30 NHL games this season, all with Toronto.

Ducks Projected Lines

Max Jones - Mason McTavish - Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Troy Terry
Ben Meyers - Isac Lundeström - Jakob Silfverberg
Ross Johnston - Bo Groulx - Brett Leason

Cam Fowler - Olen Zellweger
Pavel Mintyukov - Radko Gudas
Urho Vaakanainen - Jackson LaCombe

John Gibson (not confirmed)

Islanders Projected Lines

Brock Nelson - Bo Horvat - Mat Barzal
Anders Lee - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Kyle Palmieri
Pierre Engvall - Casey Cizikas - Simon Holmström
Matt Martin - Kyle MacLean - Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech - Noah Dobson
Alexander Romanov - Ryan Pulock
Mike Reilly - Sebastian Aho

Semyon Varlamov