Ducks at Jets
Frederik Andersen continues making the most of his opportunities, and the Anaheim Ducks look to keep pushing for the Pacific Division title when they play at the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Andersen started for the John Gibson (illness) in goal Friday, making 38 saves in a 4-0 shutout of Boston as the Ducks improved to 2-3-1 after an 11-game winning streak.
Andersen (20 wins, .924 save percentage) and Gibson (16 wins, .919 SP) combine to give Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau two viable goaltending options as the Ducks try to catch Los Angeles in the Pacific. “I don’t think too often you have goalies as equal as we have,” Boudreau told reporters after Friday’s victory, which pulled Anaheim within four points of the Kings. The Jets, who lost in a four-game sweep to the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs last season, are buried in last place in the Western Conference and have dropped eight of their past 11 after Friday’s 4-0 loss to Chicago. “They got those two before the end of the second period and we kind of folded after that,” Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler told reporters afterward.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FSN West (Anaheim), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (39-22-9): Anaheim maintains hope of catching the Kings and winning its fourth consecutive division title, but opens a five-game road swing Sunday and plays eight of its final 12 away from home. Center Ryan Getzlaf collected two assists Friday as the Ducks seized control early, scoring twice in the opening 4:07 and Andersen won for the 15th time in his past 17 starts – allowing two goals or fewer in 13 of those outings. Gibson is second in the NHL in goals against average (2.07) while Andersen is tied for fifth (2.17).
ABOUT THE JETS (29-37-5): Little has gone right for Winnipeg in the second half of the season as it has dropped to 1-26-3 when trailing through two periods after allowing Chicago’s two goals in a 26-second span late in the middle frame. Winnipeg has scored one goal in its past two games after netting eight during back-to-back victories over Colorado and Vancouver. The Jets went 0-for-4 on the power play Friday and entering Saturday’s games sat next-to-last in the NHL at 15 percent.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg, which plays the second of a four-game homestand Sunday, is 4-13-1 at home since Jan. 10.
2. Getzlaf and Wheeler sat tied for seventh in the league in assists (44) entering Saturday’s action.
3. Anaheim D Kevin Bieksa and C Rickard Rakell each recorded a goal and an assist in the only meeting so far this season between the two teams -- a 4-1Ducks victory Jan. 3 at home.