Ducks at Senators
Bobby Ryan will see his former team for the second time in nearly two weeks as his Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Acquired in an offseason deal, the four-time 30-goal scorer continued his torrid pace by tallying twice in Ottawa's 6-1 victory over former captain Daniel Alfredsson and Detroit on Wednesday. Ryan, who was booed in his return trip to Anaheim on Oct. 13, netted his 150th career goal in the 4-1 setback.
"For a guy (who's) been a notorious slow starter, it feels good," Ryan said of his early-season success. The Ducks enjoyed a strong start as well by reeling off seven straight victories, but a pair of losses has dampened their spirits. Veteran Saku Koivu's second homecoming to Montreal finished on a sour note as Anaheim suffered a 4-1 setback.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHLN, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), RSN East, TVA (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (7-3-0): Jakob Silfverberg was the primary name opposite Ryan in the offseason deal - and the Swede will be playing his first game in Canada's capital since leaving the Senators. "When you get traded, you start thinking about what you did wrong ... I knew I had a good year, I was surprised," Silfverberg told the Los Angeles Times. After collecting four goals and an assist in his first four games, Silfverberg has just two assists in his last six contests.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (4-3-2): Captain Jason Spezza has recorded six of his team-leading seven goals in his last four games - but seems more focused on redemption. "I think we were embarrassed a little bit there," Spezza said of the lopsided loss to Anaheim. "That game was not pretty, they carried the play all night and they buried their chances when they had it." Craig Anderson will receive another crack at the Ducks after he was pulled following two quick goals in the previous matchup.
OVERTIME
1. RW Corey Perry scored twice and Anaheim registered a franchise-high 56 shots in the first meeting.
2. Ottawa D Erik Karlsson has recorded one goal and five assists in his last four games.
3. The Ducks failed to score on all three power-play opportunities on Thursday to plummet to 3-for-39 on the season.