The Hockey News’ Derek Lee reports from the Ducks’ practice.
The Ducks practiced again on Friday ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. This will be the Ducks’ last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Here’s how the lines shook out:
Radko Gudas was again absent from practice with an illness. Head coach Greg Cronin was unsure if Gudas will be available for Saturday’s game against the Kings.
In Gudas’ absence, Pavel Mintyukov stepped into his spot alongside Jackson LaCombe, with LaCombe sliding over to play his off-side. The off-wing is a spot that LaCombe has familiarity with after he spent part of his rookie season there, although mixed results came from it.
LaCombe and Mintyukov played briefly as a defensive pair last season before Mintyukov’s season ended prematurely due to a bone bruise. They displayed adequate numbers in limited time and the pair will be something to watch if Gudas does not play.
The rest of the 5v5 lines remained the same, but there were some tweaks to the power play units. Rich Clune utilized five forwards on the top power play unit, with Trevor Zegras being elevated to PP1’s point man. LaCombe and Olen Zellweger became a defensive pair on PP2.
“Move some things around to see if we can get some more production out of it,” Cronin said.
It will be interesting to see how the five-forward unit shakes out in Los Angeles if the Ducks get a man advantage. Zegras can help inject some creativity into the top unit, although their stationary approach may need to be tweaked as well. Too often, players are spread too far apart and don’t put themselves in better positions to receive a pass, often leaving the player with the puck in isolation.
The Ducks will play the Kings on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. PST at the venue formerly known as Staples Center.