The Hockey News' Derek Lee previews the Ducks' matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Ducks look to avoid extending their losing streak to eight games tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, their second meeting with the Midwest team in the last 10 days.
The last affair between these two was a spirited one that involved a blowout, a couple of fisticuffs and an ejection. Unfortunately, the Ducks were on the receiving end of the blowout, falling 7-2 in Chicago.
Mar 12, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) is escorted to the bench after receiving a misconduct penalty for leaving the crease in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports"They play a fast brand of hockey, they get up the ice quick," said head coach Greg Cronin. "They're good in transition, they've got some creative players."
"They're a good team, they're a fun team to watch. Obviously, Bedard is kind of the focus of their team in terms of their offense, but they've got good balance. It should be a good game."
Fast Facts:
-The Ducks are 0-2-0 against the Blackhawks this season and have scored just two goals in those two games.
-Connor Bedard has six points in two career games against the Ducks. He had five points in their last game against Anaheim.
-Brett Leason has four points in six games against the Blackhawks. He tickled the twine twice in their last matchup.
Ducks Projected Lines
Alex Killorn - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Frank Vatrano - Mason McTavish - Ryan Strome
Max Jones - Isac Lundeström - Jakob Silfverberg
Ross Johnston - Ben Meyers - Brett Leason
Cam Fowler - Olen Zellweger
Pavel Mintyukov - Jackson LaCombe
Urho Vaakanainen - Gustav Lindström
Lukáš Dostál
Blackhawks Projected Lines
Nick Foligno - Connor Bedard - Philipp Kurashev
Andreas Athanasiou - Tyler Johnson - Lukas Reichel
Landon Slaggert - Jason Dickinson - Joey Anderson
Ryan Donato - MacKenzie Entwistle - Taylor Raddysh
Alex Vlasic - Seth Jones
Kevin Korchinski - Jaycob Megna
Wyatt Kaiser - Nikita Zaitsev
Arvid Söderblom