Sabres at Ducks
Captain Ryan Getzlaf is lifting his game to a higher level at the right time and his Anaheim Ducks are attempting to break away from a three-way battle for second place in the Pacific Division as they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Getzlaf recorded three goals and nine assists over the last seven games since the league-mandated “bye week” and the Ducks are 5-2-0 in that stretch.
“It’s just been building,” Getzlaf, who is one shy of 800 career points, told reporters. “This time of year is a fun time of year. Coming out of that break, my body felt rested and prepared to do what we need to do to push for the playoffs. And we’ll continue playing that way and building this and getting better and better.” Anaheim leads Edmonton by a point and Calgary by two in the race for home ice in the first round of the playoffs after knocking off surging St. Louis 2-1 on Wednesday. The Sabres have faded out of the race for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with six losses in their last seven games (1-5-1) and fell 2-0 at Los Angeles on Thursday. Buffalo’s Jack Eichel was kept off the scoresheet for just the second time in 15 games, but the 20-year-old center owns a team-leading 48 points in 50 games.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, MSG Buffalo, Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE SABRES (28-31-12): Buffalo had posted 14 goals in a four-game span before being limited to one in the last two contests, including a 4-1 setback at San Jose on Tuesday. Eichel has seven goals in his last 10 contests and took over the team lead in scoring from center Ryan O’Reilly (46 points) along with Kyle Okposo (43), who is out indefinitely with a rib injury. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen boasts four points in five games and leads the team in assists (38) while right wing Evander Kane tops Buffalo with 25 goals – four in his last nine contests.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (37-23-10): Jonathan Bernier continues to hold down the fort in net with John Gibson recovering from a lower-body injury, allowing three goals in the last three games and boasting a .947 save percentage in March. “I’m feeling good, obviously,” Bernier told reporters. “Just trying to do my job. Stop the first shot and it seems like guys are making the right play when I’m giving up a rebound.” Getzlaf leads the team with 58 points – eight better than Ryan Kesler – and fellow forward Rickard Rakell boasts goals in three straight to reach 30 for the first time.
OVERTIME
1. The Ducks have won six of the last seven meetings, including a 5-2 triumph in Buffalo on Feb. 9 with two goals and an assist from RW Corey Perry.
2. Buffalo RW Hudson Fasching has gone seven games without a point this season after notching a pair in seven appearances in 2015-16.
3. Anaheim is struggling on the power play since Feb. 1 at 4-for-53 while Buffalo is second in the league with the man advantage (23.6 percent).