Ducks at Jets
The Anaheim Ducks vie for their fourth consecutive victory when they conclude a brief two-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon. The Ducks continued their winning ways with a 5-4 triumph over Minnesota on Friday, but the victory proved costly as former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry exited the contest with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Anaheim. Although the Ducks will be without their leading scorer in the interim, Matt Beleskey has been heating up and netted the game-winning tally against the Wild for his sixth goal in nine contests.
"He's been working hard and doing the right things," captain Ryan Getzlaf said of Beleskey. "He's always had a great shot, but this year he seems to be having a knack for finding the right areas at the right times and he's scoring goals for us." Winnipeg enjoyed an offensive explosion on Friday as Bryan Little recorded the franchise's first hat trick in nearly four years in a 6-2 rout of Colorado. The Jets, who are 4-0-1 in their last five, look to complete a perfect three-game homestand on Sunday.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (17-6-5): Coach Bruce Boudreau was quick to note that Perry was injured on a play that was reminiscent to the one that sidelined left wing Patrick Maroon during the opening week of the season. Maroon missed 2 1/2 weeks of action as he nursed a sprained left MCL for the Ducks, who have lost 169 man-games to either injury or virus. Anaheim recorded points in all five contests (1-0-4) that Perry missed last month due to the mumps.
ABOUT THE JETS (14-9-4): While Little obviously was thrilled with recording his second career hat trick, Blake Wheeler took it a bit further after assisting on all three of his goals. "I was pumped," Wheeler said of the team's first hat trick since relocating to Winnipeg. "It was something that this team has kind of held over our heads a little bit." Dustin Byfuglien also has collected three goals - albeit in the last three games.
OVERTIME
1. With Perry sidelined, Anaheim recalled F Rickard Rakell from Norfolk of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
2. Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd recorded a three-point performance versus the Avalanche and has five goals and as many assists in 12 home contests.
3. The Ducks are 6-2-0 against Central Division representatives, while the Jets have dropped three of five versus Pacific foes.