Wild at Ducks
THE STORY: After surrendering a 3-0 lead and falling in overtime in coach Bruce Boudreau’s debut, the Anaheim Ducks now have to face the best team in the Western Conference when they host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. Boudreau watched his new team fall apart thanks to 11 penalties against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, including a four-minute stretch by captain Ryan Getzlaf in overtime that led to the game-winning goal. The Ducks are one of the most-penalized team in the NHL and are one of the lowest-scoring teams, thanks in no small part to the amount of time they spend shorthanded. The Wild don’t exactly light up the scoreboard every night but they play strong on the blue line and have gotten steady performances from both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding in goal.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSNO (Minnesota), FSPT (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE WILD (16-7-3): Minnesota has won three straight and eight of 10 to push its point total to a Western Conference-high 35. Since giving up 10 goals in back-to-back losses last weekend, the Wild have held their last three opponents to a total of five tallies. They scored three first-period goals against Martin Brodeur in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Friday but lost Backstrom to an injury in the first period. Harding came on to close out the win.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (7-13-5): Anaheim let go of Randy Carlyle on Wednesday and immediately handed the coaching job to Boudreau, who had been fired by the Washington Capitals two days prior. Boudreau arrived in time to watch the Ducks drop their 17th in the last 20 games, allowing three power-play goals in the process. Boudreau said he was impressed by the talent up front but he could not have been pleased with the blue line, which allowed Jonas Hiller to face 47 shots.
OVERTIME:
1. Harding, who will get the start Sunday, is 2-3-0 with a 2.63 GAA in his career against Anaheim.
2. The teams have split two meetings this season, with the Ducks winning, 3-2, in Minnesota on Oct. 27 and the Wild returning the favor in Anaheim on Nov. 13.
3. Saku Koivu has seven points in his last seven games for Anaheim.