Kings’ Jeff Carter out of World Cup with an injury; Ducks’ Corey Perry replaces him

Kings forward Jeff Carter is out of the World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada because of a lower-body injury and right wing Corey Perry will replace him, joining Ducks teammate Ryan Getzlaf for the eight-team tournament, which begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.

Team Canada opens its training camp Monday in Ottawa.

“I know Jeff wanted to play and represent Canada and his decision to step aside as they continue to monitor his injury speaks to his character and willingness to put Team Canada’s success above all else,” Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong told TSN.ca Friday.

“We look forward to seeing him back on the ice when the NHL season resumes.”

Carter’s status is said to be day-to-day. The Kings begin training camp Sept. 23 at their El Segundo training facility. He scored 24 goals last season. Carter was Perry’s teammate on the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Perry is one of eight active players to have won a Stanley Cup championship (2007), Olympic gold (2010, ’14) and World Championship gold (’16). He also is one of two players to have added a World Junior Championship, joining former Ducks teammate Scott Niedermayer.

As a 50-goal scorer and Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s MVP in 2011, Perry’s absence from Canada’s initial roster was a surprise. He led the Ducks with 34 goals last season, his sixth consecutive season with 30 goals or more, matching Paul Kariya for second-best in team history.

Ducks exit interviews: Andrew Cogliano

Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano on Saturday addressed the notion that the team’s core players, himself included, were more to blame for another Game 7 defeat than coach Bruce Boudreau. He spoke at length about that subject. Here’s some of what he said during his season-ending interview with reporters:

“Questions about the core are fair. We haven’t gotten the job done. We’ve made some good strides during the year. We showed character in coming back. There’s positives. But we haven’t done the job at the right time and rhythm when it really counts. I think…I’m not sure what the factors are. Bob (Murray, the Ducks’ GM) is right. This isn’t on Bruce. I think a lot of guys need to know where they’re at and figure out where we went wrong. A lot of them have been here for a while. I’m not just talking the captains.. Myself, Cam (Fowler), guys like Hampus (Lindholm) and Sami (Vatanen) aren’t young anymore..Not singling them out, but we’ve been here for a while now. We don’t have a lot of young guys in the lineup. Like i said, guys have to figure out where we’re gone wrong. Today’s a much different feeling leaving the rink. In those years there’s been a sense of hope. Today there’s zero feeling like that.”

Cogliano also spoke about not doing enough individually this season, but especially during the playoffs. Here’s more:

“My meeting with ‘Murph’ (Murray) won’t go the same as it has. I wasn’t good enough, simple as that. Everyone can say the same thing. I had good moments but ultimately I  didn’t do enough. Everyone wants to talk about that we have ‘Getz’ (Ryan Getzlaf) and ‘Pears’ (Corey Perry), but we have guys who have been here and need to play better. Guys could have stepped up more. They’re not the captains of the team. I’ve played over 700 games, Cam’s been in the league since 18. Hampus, Sami, ‘Raks’ (Rickard Rakell) … we’ve learned the hard way but it’s not acceptable, simple as that, and we let a real good opportunity get away from us. I don’t know why. Maybe we came into the playoffs thinking we were better than we thought. That wasn’t the case.”

First look: Ducks vs. Predators

DUCKS vs. PREDATORS

Records: Ducks 46-25-11, 103 points (first in the Pacific Division); Predators 41-27-14, 96 points (fourth in the Central).

Season series: Predators 2-1.

Results: Predators won 5-1, Oct. 22 at Nashville; Ducks won 4-2, Nov. 1 at Anaheim; Predators won 3-2, Nov. 17 at Nashville.

Ducks leading scorers: Center Ryan Getzlaf (13 goals, 50 assists), right wing Corey Perry (34 goals, 28 assists), center Ryan Kesler (21 goals, 32 assists).

Predators leading scorers: Center Filip Forsberg (33 goals, 31 assists), defenseman Roman Josi (14 goals, 47 assists), left wing James Neal (31 goals, 27 assists).

Ducks top goalies: Frederik Andersen (22-9-7, 2.30 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, 3 shutouts); John Gibson (21-13-4, 2.07 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, 4 shutouts).

Predators top goalie: Pekka Rinne (34-21-10, 2.48 goals-against average, .908 save percentage, 4 shutouts).

Schedule

Game 1: Honda Center, Friday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN

Game 2: Honda Center, Sunday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN

Game 3: Nashville, April 19, 6:30 p.m., USA

Game 4: Nashville, April 21, 5 p.m., CNBC

Game 5 (if necessary): Honda Center, April 23, TBD, TBD

Game 6 (if necessary): Nashville, April 25, TBD, TBD

Game 7 (if necessary): Honda Center, April 27, TBD, TBD

Game report: Jets 2, Ducks 1 (OT)

Key play: Blake Wheeler scored 3:07 into overtime and the Winnipeg Jets rallied from a one-goal deficit to take a 2-1 victory Tuesday over the Ducks at the Honda Center. The Ducks dominated the play in OT, hanging on to the puck for extended stretches, but Wheeler scored on a counterattack.

Playoff update: The Ducks (44-24-11, 99 points) are tied with the Kings (47-28-5, 99 points) in standings points, but lead because they have played one fewer game. The Ducks and Kings play Thursday at Staples Center. The Ducks have three regular-season games to play and the Kings have two.

Pivotal performer: Ducks right wing Corey Perry tapped in a rebound of a Ryan Getzlaf shot off the goal post for his team-leading 33rd goal of the season, at 13:33 of the first period. Perry has four goals and six points in his past eight games.

Quote, unquote: “Until the third period I thought we were just playing to play with them,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We weren’t pushing like we were against Dallas. I thought we played better in the third period and in the overtime. But when the best faceoff player in the league (Ducks center Ryan Kesler) loses a draw and you don’t cover the guy (Winnipeg left wing Marko Dano) in front of the net, bad things happen (and the Jets scored the tying goal).”

Injury update: Ducks defenseman Simon Despres (upper body) returned to the lineup after sitting out six games. The Ducks were without Frederik Andersen (concussion), Kevin Bieksa (upper body), David Perron (shoulder), Brandon Pirri (upper body) and Rickard Rakell (appendectomy).

Game report: Ducks 8, Flames 3

Key play: Corey Perry’s goal 57 seconds into the game propelled the Ducks to a x-x victory Wednesday over Calgary, sending them past the idle Kings and into first place in the Pacific Division. The Ducks’ win also was their 23rd in a row over the Flames at the Honda Center, dating to 2003-04.

Playoff update: The Ducks (43-23-10, 96 points) lead the Kings (45-26-5, 95 points) by one point and the third-place Sharks (43-28-6, 92 points) by four. The Kings can retake first place with a victory Thursday over the Flames at Staples Center.

Quote, unquote: “You know what? We’re not even talking about that,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said of chasing a fourth consecutive Pacific Division championship. “We’ve got six games left. Let’s play as well as we can. No matter who choose in the playoffs, it’s going to be a battle. We’ve won the division three years in a row, it’s not a big deal for us.”

Pivotal performer: Ducks center Ryan Kesler had a career-high four points (one goal, three assists) in his second game back in the lineup after a two-game absence to attend to a family matter. He also won 12 of 18 faceoffs (67 percent) as the Ducks went 38-25 in the circle (60 percent).

Injury update: Ducks goalie John Gibson left the game after teammate Hampus Lindholm accidentally crashed into him midway through the second period. Frederik Andersen replaced Gibson for the final 9:40 of the second before Gibson returned to the net to start the third.

Game report: Ducks 4, Bruins 0

Key plays: Jamie McGinn and Ryan Kesler scored 1:16 apart in the opening minutes of the first period and the Ducks went on to take a 4-0 victory Friday from the Boston Bruins at the Honda Center. The win moved the Ducks within four points of the Pacific Division-leading Kings.

Pivotal performer: Team captain Ryan Getzlaf assisted on goals by McGinn and Hampus Lindholm to help the Ducks take a commanding 3-0 lead by the opening minute of the third period. Getzlaf has seven goals and 21 points in his past 19 games.

Between the pipes: Frederik Andersen returned to the Ducks’ net one game earlier than expected because John Gibson was too ill to play. It would have been Gibson’s turn to start in Boudreau’s two-on, two-off goalie rotation. Andersen made 38 saves for his fifth career shutout.

Quote, unquote: “They’re both playing good,” Boudreau said of deciding between Andersen and Gibson as his No. 1 goalie sooner rather than later. “I’m not sitting there marking, ‘Oh, this guy is better on this night, this guy is better on that night.’ They’re both playing exceptional. It’s something we don’t have to decide for another 3 ½ weeks yet. … It’s going to be a group decision.”

Familiar faces: Boudreau reunited The Twins, Getzlaf and Corey Perry, for Friday’s game. McGinn joined them on the Ducks’ top line. David Perron, Rickard Rakell and Brandon Pirri formed the second line. Rakell scored the Ducks’ fourth goal.

Ducks stats of the night (special hat trick edition)

Jakob Silfverberg became the 17th different player in Ducks history to record a hat trick with his first three-goal game in the NHL in a 7-1 victory Monday over the New Jersey Devils at the Honda Center. It also was the first hat trick by a Duck not named Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry since Andrew Cogliano’s three-goal game March 2, 2013 against the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty talks about the honor of playing for Team Canada at the World Cup

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty talked Thursday about what it means to play for Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey next fall in Toronto. He helped Canada win gold in the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and the World Cup is another chance for him to showcase his country’s national game, and on home soil, too.

“Obviously, it’s an honor,” Doughty said. “It’s something you dream of and for it to be in Toronto, in your home country, it’s even that much more special. You look forward to playing teams like Sweden. I think they have one of the best teams there. They have a lot of talented players. They’re a good team. We played them in the gold-medal game in Sochi, so we’ll have a little bit of a rivalry there.

“And, obviously, one against the States. We’ve played against them since we were little kids. That’ll be fun to play against that team.”

Doughty said he expected Ducks rival Corey Perry, a summer golfing buddy, to be named at a later day. Perry wasn’t among the 16 players selected Wednesday to the preliminary roster. P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens was another who wasn’t on the initial Team Canada roster.

“They named the top 16 they think they have at this time, not that those guys won’t make the team in the future or anything like that, but they could only name 16 or guys like that would be on the team,” Doughty said of Perry and Subban.

.

 

 

Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty, center Jeff Carter and Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf named to Team Canada

Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty of the Kings and Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks were named Wednesday to Team Canada’s preliminary 16-player roster for the World Cup of Hockey next fall in Toronto. Carter, Doughty and Getzlaf were members of the gold-medal winning team at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Corey Perry of the Ducks was snubbed Wednesday, although he’s likely to be named to the final roster. Perry leads the Ducks with 26 goals and was a member of the 2014 and ’10 Olympic championship teams for Canada.

Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf named the NHL’s first star for the month of February

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf got his game together last month. The NHL took notice and named him Tuesday as the league’s first star for February. Getzlaf had six goals and 20 points and a plus-13 defensive rating in 14 games last month. His current streak of 11 games with at least one point continued during the Ducks’ victory Sunday over the Kings, their eighth consecutive win. The Ducks were 12-1-1 in February, the best calendar month in franchise history.

Overall, Getzlaf has nine goals and 51 points and a plus-14 rating.

“Well, for the last two months, he’s worked so hard in practice,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said of Getzlaf, who had three goals and 23 points in the season’s first three months. “I think when you work that hard in practice, it starts coming to you in the games. He’s been working really hard in the games.

“You just add his natural skill and then all of a sudden good things usually happen. We all know he’s a great player, and he has been for 10 years, we were probably more surprised at what he wasn’t doing at the beginning than what he is doing now, which is pretty normal stuff, to me.

“There was no concern. I was hoping for it (a turnaround) because we weren’t doing well. You just knew him and Corey (Perry) were eventually going to become him and Corey. Corey has 26 goals. ‘Getzy’ is the player of the month, so they just took a little longer than we wanted.”

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was the second star.

Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators was the third star.