The Hockey News’ Derek Lee reports from the Ducks’ Oct. 18th practice.
After shifting their practice from Friday to Saturday, the Ducks went through drills that focused on puck battles, breakouts and puck possession.
Lines remained relatively unchanged aside from Sam Colangelo slotting in for Nikita Nesterenko on the fourth line. Head coach Joel Quenneville said after practice that he expects Colangelo, who has been a healthy scratch for the last three games, to be in the lineup on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Saturday's practice lines:
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Alex Killorn
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Frank Vatrano - Mikael Granlund - Troy Terry
Ross Johnston - Ryan Poehling - Sam Colangelo/Nikita Nesterenko
*Jansen Harkins
Jackson LaCombe - Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson
Ian Moore
Lukáš Dostál | Petr Mrázek
“I thought he had two really good practices in the last couple of times we were out there,” Quenneville said. “Today, I thought he was very, very good. So, I'm sure he's excited about that chance, and I think once he gets in here, just do his thing. Whether he's scoring, bringing tempo, consistency, energy.”
Defenseman Ian Moore was recalled from AHL San Diego on Friday and will join the Ducks on their upcoming five-game road trip. The Ducks had gone with just six defensemen on the roster for their first four games of the season.
“I like what I saw in practice today,” Quenneville said. “I think it gives us more options. I think the one thing with him, flexibility-wise, he can play both sides. Got a good head on his shoulders, and he looked like you could probably use him in a lot of different situations as well. So it gives us some options as far as when we're putting our lineup together.”
Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Loss to the Hurricanes
Carolina's relentless pressure exposed Ducks' puck management. Despite offensive flashes from McTavish and Carlsson, turnovers proved costly in the 4-1 defeat.
While Ryan Strome (upper-body) did not practice, Quenneville said that Strome will join the team on the road trip at some point, but the expectation is that he will not play in any of the games.
Jansen Harkins also took the ice publicly for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury during preseason in September. Donning a non-contact jersey, Harkins participated in most of the practice drills before coming off the ice a little earlier than the rest of the team. The approximate eight-week timeline for his injury pegs him to return sometime during November, so he is still unlikely to return for a while.
Sunday will be Quenneville’s first time back at United Center in more than five years, after he made his return to Chicago in 2020 while coaching the Florida Panthers. It will also be his first time returning since being reinstated by the NHL for his role in the Blackhawks’ sexual abuse case.
“I had a good relationship with the city and the fans and the rink,” Quenneville said. “We’ve had great people around us, throughout our time there. We loved living in Hillsdale, we love Chicago. I can't forecast that, but it's been very nice over here (in Anaheim). We’re excited about being part of it.”
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