Ducks at Hurricanes
Jeff Skinner is picking up right where he left off last season and hopes to continue his early-season scoring surge when the Carolina Hurricanes host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old left wing registered a career-high 37 goals in 2016-17 and has posted six tallies in the first nine games of this season after scoring in Carolina’s 2-1 loss to St. Louis on Friday night.
The Hurricanes have dropped three of their last four contests and coach Bill Peters told reporters Friday that his team - which has lost four one-goal games in the first month - needs to execute better in certain situations. “We need to learn, and we haven’t done it yet, to win 1-0, to win 2-1,” Carolina’s veteran forward Justin Williams (one goal, five assists) told reporters. The Hurricanes may have to do it Sunday when they face the Ducks, who held the red-hot Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov off the scoresheet in a 4-1 victory at Tampa Bay on Saturday after giving up eight goals in their previous contest. “When it goes like it did last game, you want to make sure you come back and are as sharp and as good as you can be,” Anaheim goalie John Gibson (31 saves) told reporters after the team’s third win in four contests. “You put a little more pressure on yourself to come out and do what’s needed.”
TV: 5 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FSN Carolinas
ABOUT THE DUCKS (5-4-1): Captain Ryan Getzlaf was a dominant force in Saturday’s victory with three assists in 24:16 while playing a key role in cooling off the Stamkos-Kucherov combination. Rickard Rakell notched a pair of goals against Tampa Bay to take over the team lead with five and defenseman Brandon Montour recorded his fourth goal and second assist in the last six games. Defenseman Sami Vatanen made his 2017-18 debut after offseason shoulder surgery on Saturday and finished with three blocks and a hit in 17:12 of ice time - 3:24 shorthanded - while replacing Korbinian Holzer in the lineup.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (4-4-1): Carolina’s offense has been up and down in the early season and the power play is a big part of that inconsistency, going 1-for-15 in the last five games after a decent start (4-for-17). Forward Teuvo Teravainen, who is tied for third on the team in points with five, left Friday’s game with an upper-body injury and his status for Sunday is uncertain. Cam Ward (1-1-0, 2.54 goals-against average, .941 save percentage) played well in his second start while Scott Darling (3-3-1, 2.70, .899) gave up two or fewer goals in three of his first four starts before allowing 10 combined in the last three.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim G Ryan Miller (wrist) was activated from injured reserve Saturday and could make his season debut on Sunday.
2. Carolina C Elias Lindholm, who owns five points in nine games, is one assist shy of 100 for his career.
3. The Ducks have won six of the last seven meetings, including both matchups last season - one in a shootout.