Ducks at Red Wings
The resurgent Anaheim Ducks were supposed to begin a three-game road trip in Washington on Friday, but Mother Nature said otherwise as a major snowstorm struck the nation's capital. Friday's contest - originally moved up to a 5 p.m. ET start in an effort to beat the storm - was postponed just in time for Anaheim to fly out of Dulles International Airport despite a few inches of snow already on the runway so the lucky Ducks could meet the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Anaheim is 8-3-2 in its last 13 games after Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Minnesota but still finds itself four points behind Vancouver for third place in the Pacific Division, although the Ducks have three games in hand on the Canucks. Anaheim remains the only NHL team that doesn't average at least two goals (1.98), but it is staying afloat with one of the stingiest defenses in the league, and the NHL's top penalty-killing unit (89.1 percent) has permitted only two power-play goals in 37 chances over the last 11 contests. Detroit snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory in Buffalo on Friday and is tied with Tampa Bay for second in the Atlantic Division - three points clear of fourth-place Boston. The Red Wings also are struggling offensively as Friday's output was only the third time in the last 12 contests they've scored three or more goals, and their 2.43 per game would be their lowest since they averaged 2.29 in 1976-77.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CITY, Prime Ticket, FSN San Diego (Anaheim); FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE DUCKS (20-18-7): Rookie defenseman Shea Theodore has recorded four points in his last four games after going scoreless in his first seven NHL contests, and the 20-year-old already has earned the trust of coach Bruce Boudreau. "They're giving me more minutes, and that makes me more comfortable out there," the 26th overall pick in the 2013 draft told reporters. "I feel comfortable and I'm making good decisions. I feel like I'm playing some of the best hockey that I've played. I'm just going to try to keep it up." Boudreau on Wednesday took the unusual step of breaking up Corey Perry (team bests of 17 goals and 29 points) and captain Ryan Getzlaf (club-high 25 assists), who have played on the same line for virtually their entire 11-year careers.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (24-15-8): All-Star center Dylan Larkin is second among NHL rookies with 15 goals after tallying Friday to break a scoreless tie at 12:01 of the third period despite a bloody nose, fat lip and without part of a tooth after he was high-sticked in the face earlier in the session. "It ticked me off a little bit, so I was playing with some edge," Larkin told reporters. Brad Richards is expected to return to the lineup after missing Friday's game because of the death of his grandfather.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim added agitation to its lineup Thursday, when it acquired LW Ryan Garbutt (two goals, four assists in 43 games) from Chicago for LW Jiri Sekac (one goal, two assists in 22 contests).
2. Detroit is 1-for-11 with the man advantage over its last three games while not allowing a power-play goal in nine opportunities during that span.
3. The Red Wings defeated the Ducks 2-1 on Jan. 10 in Anaheim on Riley Sheahan's goal with 3:44 left in the third period after the Ducks won the previous four meetings.