The Ducks 2-0 loss Tuesday night to the Capitals is their eighth in 10 games (2-7-1). Washington was without Captain Alex Ovechkin for a third straight game, but it did not seem to matter. The Ducks found themselves down early after a late first period goal by Ethan Bear. His first in over a year giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead after the first horn.
That would be enough for the win, as goaltender Darcy Kuemper quieted all 24 attempts on net by the Ducks. Veteran Tom Wilson added the empty net insurance, with under a minute to play.
Tuesday’s loss saw a lot of similar issues the team has experienced all year. An inability to produce offensively early in games. The Ducks once more gave up more shots to their opponents than they were able to create. Anaheim only managed to string together three shots in the first period compared to 9 by Washington.
This pattern has plagued the Ducks all season. The lack of offense early has put them behind early and it is hard to win games when always playing from behind. Anaheim has been outshot in all of their last five games. Not only is the offense struggling, but the defense is also giving up a lot of opportunities.
Anaheim will return to action Saturday where they will face a familiar opponent in the Sharks. This is the final game in a six-game road trip for the Ducks.
The Sharks are the only team in the Pacific struggling more than Anaheim. San Jose sits seven points below the Ducks and at the bottom of both the Pacific and the NHL.
San Jose’s last 10 have only earned them three points in the standings. They are 1-8-1 during that stretch.
Logan Couture (lower-body) will be making his return from injury for the Sharks. Radko Gudas (lower body) and Brett Leason (upper body) will be making their return from injury for the Ducks.
Anaheim is still without young stars forward Trevor Zegras and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov. Zegras will undergo an ankle surgery that is going to leave him out for six to eight weeks. Minyukov is also expected to miss six weeks with a separated shoulder.
These injuries are a huge thorn in Anaheim’s side as they are looking to continue to develop their young stars for the future. Mintyukov co-leads Anaheim defenseman with two goals. He also leads their defenseman in points (19) and assists (17). Zegras had just scored two goals in a 3-2 home loss to Detroit. Both stars’ offensive power is needed as the Ducks continue to struggle.
`The offense will get a chance to try and turn things around without them after a few days off and one last game on the road before two at home.
Saturday you can catch the Ducks as they visit the Sharks at 10:00 P.M. EST, 7:00 P.M. PST. The game will be available on NBASCA, BSSD, BSSC and NHL Power Play on ESPN+.
Feature Image courtesy of NHL.com
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