Canucks at Ducks
The Vancouver Canucks look to make up ground in the Pacific Division when they visit the league-leading Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Canucks, who trail first-place Anaheim by 10 points, defeated a pair of division rivals prior to the Christmas break and will face three more in succession - beginning with a date at the Honda Center. Alex Burrows scored twice in Vancouver's 7-1 triumph over Arizona on Monday and also tallied in the Canucks' 2-1 shootout victory over the Ducks on Nov. 9.
Ryan Getzlaf was held in check in the first meeting with Vancouver but registered a goal and an assist in Anaheim's 4-3 win over the Canucks 11 days later. Anaheim's captain was held off the scoresheet in three straight contests before erupting for 21 points in his last 13 games - including an assist in the Ducks' 2-1 shootout loss to the Coyotes on Saturday. Getzlaf has collected four goals and seven assists during his seven-game point streak for Anaheim, which owns a 2-2-1 mark after winning seven consecutive contests to begin the month.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CITY, TVA (Vancouver), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (20-11-2): Acquired in the deal involving Ryan Kesler over the summer, Nick Bonino notched an assist and netted the shootout winner in the first meeting with Anaheim but has scored and set up one goal in his last 10 games. Defenseman Luca Sbisa, who was acquired in the same trade, owns a minus-10 rating in that stretch. Jannik Hansen is expected to play on Sunday after sitting out the team's last game for precautionary reasons stemming from his collapse on the bench last Saturday versus Calgary.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (23-8-6): Kesler was held off the scoresheet in his first meeting with Vancouver before notching an assist in the second contest versus the team with which he spent his first 10 NHL seasons. With Frederik Andersen making 28 saves against the Coyotes, Ilya Bryzgalov could be in line for the second start of his second tour of duty in Anaheim. The 34-year-old Russian was blitzed for six goals on 31 shots in a 6-2 setback to Ottawa on Dec. 19.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver went 4-for-10 on the power play during its two-game winning streak after failing on all 16 opportunities during its five-game skid (0-4-1).
2. Anaheim killed off all four of the Canucks' power plays in the previous two meetings.
3. Vancouver recalled D Bobby Sanguinetti from Utica of the American Hockey League.