The Anaheim Ducks snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens Sunday afternoon, and while it may not have been the sharpest performance of the season, the Ducks managed to close out a lead, something that has eluded them through the course of the losing streak. A major highlight of Sunday’s game includes Ryan Getzlaf earning the all-time leading score record in Ducks’ history. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, Trevor Zegras suffered an injury scare, and the Ducks were forced to play without Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell, causing a shakeup on special teams.
Captain Getzlaf Breaks History With 989th Career Point
On the Ducks’ go-ahead goal by Troy Terry, Getzlaf earned career point number 989, passing Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne for most in franchise history. The assist marked number 710th of his career, adding to Getzlaf’s own franchise record. At 35 years old, Getzlaf has seen a tremendous amount of turnover within the franchise, including the departure of long-time linemate Corey Perry in recent years. The moment wasn’t lost on his younger teammates, however, as Terry’s first reaction to scoring the goal was to turn to his captain as the entire team went to embrace him on the ice, despite Getzlaf’s initial hesitation for celebration.
His place among Ducks legends is set in stone, and a banner with the number 15 is ready to be unfurled whenever Getzlaf decides to retire, however, with five points in his last four games, he isn’t done racking up accolades. With 11 more points, Getzlaf can become the 92nd player in NHL history to reach the 1000-point plateau.
Trevor Zegras Suffers An Early Injury Scare
Halfway through the first period, Zegras was boarded into the wall behind the Canadien’s goal line by Cedric Paquette and subsequently struggled to get to his feet. Paquette was assessed a five-minute major as well as a game misconduct, ending his night early. To the Ducks’ credit, the team was able to capitalize once with an extended man advantage, despite Zegras’ absence, with Vinni Lettieri’s first goal of the season.
Zegras would return to start the second period and fished the rest of the game, but his 12 minutes of ice time falls well short of the nearly 20 minutes he has been playing on a nightly basis. His return to the game would imply that Zegras cleared any sort of concussion protocol he was put through, but the diminished role implies that head coach Dallas Eakins will be cautious with his young center. The Ducks host the New Jersey Devils Tuesday, followed by two consecutive days off before a game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Jakob Silfverberg Enters COVID-19 Protocol, Rickard Rakell Considered Week-to-Week
The Ducks were without a few of their Swedish veterans for today’s game, as Silfverberg was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. This comes after the news Rakell’s upper-body injury was determined to be week-to-week, leading Letteri and Sam Carrick to be called up from San Diego to play in their place.
Rakell’s injury forced a change to the top power-play line with a handful of different compositions for the unit. Max Comtois was given the first opportunity on the four-forward group, as well as any opportunity after Zegras returned to the ice. Comtois has shown scoring talent in the past but has struggled to find his form early in the season. Perhaps Eakins will use Rakell’s absence as an opportunity to get Comtois scoring chances to break his slump.
Related: Ducks News and Rumors: Henrique, Rakell & More
Silfverberg’s COVID-19 status sheds some light on his disappearance from the Ducks’ roster on Saturday afternoon. The Ducks have been rumored to be one of the few teams involved in Jack Eichel trade rumors, so Darren Dreger’s tweet about talks picking up fueled plenty of speculation from fans.
Silfverberg’s name eventually returned to the Ducks’ roster page, but the announcement he was placed on the COVID-19 protocol list gave clarity to what was ultimately a complete coincidence.
Looking Forward: New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues
The Ducks finished October with a 3-4-3 record and start the month of November with three more home games against the Devils, Coyotes, and Blues. Keep an eye out for updates on Zegras’ status heading into the week as well as any other changes to the power play moving forward.
