John Gibson Placed on IR, Kevin Boyle to Make his First NHL Start

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson was placed on IR after suffering head, back and neck injuries. The 25-year-old goaltender collided with teammate Jaycob Megna during the second period of a 4-0 loss against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 7.

Gibson was a Vezina Trophy candidate this season that appeared in the 2019 All-Star Game. He faced more shots and made more saves than any goalie in the NHL. His record is 17-19-8 in 46 games (45 starts) this season, with a .914 save percentage, 2.93 goals-against average and two shutouts. Gibson rarely had support from his teammates this season and showed signs of physical fatigue. The Ducks are currently last in the Western Conference but are only eight points behind from the Minnesota Wild for the second wild-card spot. They are currently on a seven-game losing streak and lost 19 of their last 21 games. Recently, the organization fired head coach, John Carlyle, and replaced him with GM Bob Murray.

Kevin Boyle will make his first career NHL start tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo Credit: Tom Mihalek of AP)

The newly appointed coach is expected to shake things up in the line-up. It was announced earlier that Kevin Boyle will make his first NHL start against the Vancouver Canucks. The 26-year-old was 19-7-1, with a .909 save percentage and 2.72 GAA for American Hockey League affiliate, San Diego Gulls.

This will also be Bob Murray head coaching debut tonight. Could the Ducks turn it around and push for the second wild-card spot? We will find out from tonight at the Honda Center at 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+, SN1, FS-W, NHL.TV).

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