Ducks at Senators
The Ottawa Senators return home riding a three-game winning streak and loaded with confidence when they meet the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in the final game for both teams prior to the Christmas break. Ottawa defeated the Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday, snapping a seven-game losing streak in Chicago for its first victory there since 2001, and sits second in the Atlantic Division - five points behind Montreal as Mike Condon continues to hold down the fort in goal.
Condon is expected to start Thursday with Craig Anderson away from the team to be with his wife who is battling throat cancer and backup Andrew Hammond hobbled by an ankle injury suffered in Sunday's 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Anaheim tries for a .500 road trip after a 5-1 loss to Montreal on Tuesday dropped it to 2-3-0 on its first of two six-game excursions this season and finds itself two points out of first place in the Pacific Division. The Ducks prevailed in the first meeting 5-1 on Dec. 11 in Anaheim as Corey Perry recorded a goal and an assist, giving him seven of each in 12 games versus Ottawa. Perry, though, hasn't registered a point in his last four games after scoring three times in four contests to snap an 18-game goal drought.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (17-12-5): Ryan Kesler (12 goals) shares the team lead in points (28) with Ryan Getzlaf, who was tied for second in the NHL in assists with 24 through Tuesday's games. Rickard Rakell's 14 goals in 23 games lead Anaheim and he has three on the road trip while Kesler hasn't scored in seven games - matching a season-long dry spell that occurred to start the campaign. Cam Fowler scored in two straight games before Tuesday and his nine goals are second among NHL defensemen behind the 13 registered by San Jose's Brent Burns.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (19-11-3): Bobby Ryan scored in his fourth consecutive contest Tuesday - his longest streak since a five-game run in January 2009 while with Anaheim - and added an assist, giving him four goals and two helpers during a five-game point streak. Two-time Norris Trophy winner and 2015-16 finalist Erik Karlsson (team-best 31 points) has 24 assists and his seven goals are tied for fourth among NHL defensemen. Kyle Turris has a team-high 12 goals but only two in his last 12 games although he has three assists in the last two contests, while Mark Stone (26 points) was held off the scoresheet Tuesday after totaling a goal and five assists in the previous three games.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim owns the No. 2 power play in the NHL at 24.3 percent after going 4-for-10 in its last three games.
2. Ottawa killed 14-of-15 penalties over the last four contests after yielding three power-play goals in each of the previous two games.
3. The Ducks won their last six contests following a loss by three or more goals and nine in a row when allowing five or more tallies in their previous game.