Canucks at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have been playing leapfrog with Los Angeles for the top spot in the Pacific Division, and they hope to take advantage of their turn when they continue their final homestand of the regular season Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. After overtaking the Kings for the division lead and extending their winning streak to three games by routing Calgary on Wednesday, the Ducks fell back into second place a night later as Los Angeles blanked the Flames.
Ryan Kesler recorded a career-high four points in the opener of the Ducks' four-game stretch at Honda Center and has collected 12 (four goals) during his last eight contests. Vancouver halted its nine-game slide (0-8-1) in a big way Thursday, enjoying its biggest offensive output since March 12 in a 4-2 victory at San Jose. The Canucks struggled to score during their skid, producing a total of eight goals while getting shut out on four occasions. Vancouver and Anaheim split the first four contests of their five-game season series, with the Canucks posting both of their victories in the shootout.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), Prime Ticket, FSN San Diego (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (28-36-13): Jannik Hansen ended his six-game goal-scoring drought Thursday, hitting the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career and joining Daniel Sedin as the only members of the Canucks to reach the mark this season. Chris Tanev returned to the lineup against the Sharks after missing six games with an upper-body injury while fellow defenseman Nikita Tryamkin was back following a one-game absence because of a bad ankle. Sven Baertschi, who is third on the team in goals with 15, suffered an upper-body injury Thursday and is questionable to face Anaheim.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (43-23-10): Kesler has registered 48 points in 74 games this season — one more than the amount he recorded over 81 contests in his debut campaign with Anaheim in 2014-15. The 31-year-old is two tallies shy of reaching the 20-goal plateau for the third consecutive season and eighth time in his career. Corey Perry, who has hit the 30-goal mark in five of his last six campaigns, has tallied in two straight contests and is riding a five-game point streak.
OVERTIME
1. Perry is two games shy of 800 for his NHL career.
2. Vancouver RW Jake Virtanen will finish serving his two-game suspension for delivering a late hit on San Jose's Roman Polak on Tuesday.
3. Anaheim concludes its homestand against Dallas and Winnipeg before beginning a season-ending three-game road trip with a showdown in Los Angeles on April 7.