Tag Archives: Kevin Bieksa

Ducks hurting for certain going into regular season’s home stretch

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The Ducks announced a number of injuries and illnesses after Friday’s morning skate at the Honda Center. Here’s the list:

Goalie Frederik Andersen suffered a concussion during a relief appearance during an 8-3 victory Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. He was unavailable to play in Friday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. His layoff is to be determined, but the Ducks recalled Anton Khudobin from San Diego of the AHL.

Left wing David Perron has a separated right shoulder and will be lost to the team for between four to six weeks, an MRI revealed. Perron was hurt during the Ducks’ victory March 20 over the Winnipeg Jets. Perron sat out for the sixth game Friday. He has been able to work out in the gym, but hasn’t resumed skating yet.

Center Rickard Rakell underwent an appendectomy and will be sidelined for up to one week. Chris Wagner was recalled from San Diego to fill his spot. Rakell fell ill and couldn’t play Wednesday. It was later determined that he needed an appendectomy. Ryan Getzlaf had a similar procedure earlier this season.

Defenseman Hampus Lindholm was sent home before the morning skate Friday because he was ill.

The Ducks also were without defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Simon Despres because of upper-body injuries.

Ducks-Oilers preview

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DUCKS AT OILERS

Faceoff: 6 p.m.

TV/Radio: FSW / 830-AM

Update: Ducks center Ryan Kesler is expected to rejoin the lineup after a two-game absence to attend to a family matter at home. A victory over the Edmonton Oilers (30-41-7, last in the Pacific Division) would give the Ducks (41-23-10, second in the Pacific) a 3-1-1 record on their five-game trip across Canada. The Ducks have eight regular-season games remaining and catching the first-place Kings (45-25-5) remains a possibility. The Ducks are bruised and battered, however. They rallied for a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday over the Ottawa Senators without Kesler, Kevin Bieksa (upper-body injury), Simon Despres (upper body), David Perron (shoulder) and Sami Vatanen (head) in the lineup. Chris Stewart played Saturday after a 20-game absence because of a broken jaw. Rickard Rakell scored his 20th goal Saturday, extending his career high. Patrick Maroon, a former Duck, scored twice in the Oilers’ 6-4 loss Saturday to the Kings. Maroon has skated on a line with Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle. He was with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf at times last season with the Ducks

Game report: Rangers 2, Ducks 1

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Key play: Kevin Klein scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the New York Rangers went on to take a 2-1 victory Wednesday over the Ducks at the Honda Center. The Rangers also ended the Ducks’ 9-0-1 point streak on home ice.

Pivotal performer: Klein more than made up for a first-period giveaway that led to Jamie McGinn’s goal that gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 14:03. Klein scored the first goal for the Rangers off a long rebound and then had the puck deflect off his stick for their second one.

Quote, unquote: “I thought they deserved at least one,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said of going without a power play opportunity for only the third time this season and the first time since a 2-1 victory Dec. 19 against the New Jersey Devils.

Between the pipes: John Gibson returned to the Ducks’ net after Frederik Andersen played the last two games as Boudreau continued his two-on, two-off rotation. Antti Raanta started for the Rangers in place of Henrik Lundqvist, who is expected to play tonight against the Kings.

Injury updates: Ducks defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Sami Vatanen didn’t play against the Rangers. Bieksa sat out for the second consecutive game because of a lower-body injury. Vatanen couldn’t play for the third game because of an upper-body injury.

Ducks defensemen Kevin Bieksa, Sami Vatenen questionable to play against Devils

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Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said Sunday that injured defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Sami Vatanen were “questionable” to play Monday against the Devils at the Honda Center. Korbinian Holzer and Clayton Stoner will replace them if they can’t play against New Jersey

Bieksa suffered a lower-body injury during a 5-2 defeat Friday against the St. Louis Blues. Vatanen was forced from Wednesday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche because of an upper-body injury. Boudreau wasn’t sure when they might play again, but called them “day to day.”

“I don’t think either of them is long term at all,” Boudreau said. “I think it’s a short term thing and, hopefully, they’ll both be back before the end of the week. Right now, it’s just day to day.”

Boudreau said he didn’t know if there was any consideration made to recalling Shea Theodore or Brandon Montour from the Ducks’ American Hockey League team in San Diego.

 

 

Game report: Capitals 2, Ducks 1 (shootout)

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Key play: Nicklas Backstrom scored in the third round of a shootout to give the Washington Capitals a 2-1 victory Monday over the Ducks at the Honda Center, ending their 11-game winning streak. The Ducks’ point streak was extended to 14 games in a row, however.

Pivotal performer: Ducks goaltender John Gibson was sharp from the start, and he had to be as the Capitals swarmed his net for extended stretches. He gave up only Andre Burakovsky’s tying goal in the opening minutes of the third period during regulation and overtime. He made 31 saves.

Quote, unquote: “We played against, in my opinion and a lot of people’s opinion, the best team in the East and we matched up well against them and it was a good game,” Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “You’re not going to win every game, but we played well tonight. We play that game over again and who knows? Maybe we get a different result.”

Milestone delayed: Bruce Boudreau went into the game with 199 victories in 334 contests as the Ducks’ coach. Overall, he was 199-98-37 in four-plus seasons with the Ducks. Randy Carlyle holds the franchise record with 230 victories between 2005-06 and 2011-12.

Between the pipes: Gibson returned to the net after Frederik Andersen started the past two games for the Ducks as Boudreau stuck to his recent two-on, two-off rotation. Gibson lowered his goals-against average to 2.05, best in the NHL. Branden Holtby made his 54th appearance for the Capitals and stopped 27 shots to improve his league-leading record to 41-8-3.

Game report: Red Wings 2, Ducks 1

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Key play: Riley Sheahan scored the go-ahead goal with 3:44 left and the Detroit Red Wings took a 2-1 victory Sunday from the Ducks at the Honda Center. The Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf failed to control a clearing pass and Dylan Larkin picked it up and passed to Sheahan.

Pivotal performers: The Ducks’ penalty killers showed early in the first period why they have been the NHL’s top-ranked unit for most of the season. With the Red Wings leading 1-0 after only 16 seconds, the Ducks’ penalty-kill blanked Detroit on two pivotal chances over the next few minutes.

Injury update: Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner returned to the lineup after sitting out for three games because of an unspecified lower-body injury. Korbinian Holzer, who replaced Stoner for the last three contests, was scratched from the lineup.

Quote, unquote: “We’re resilient and strong mentally,” Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “We’ve been through a lot already. We’ve taken our lumps and bounced back. We’ve been determined. We’re OK mentally. We’ve had some tough losses this year, and this is one of them.”

Between the pipes: John Gibson started in goal for the Ducks for the fourth consecutive game and figures to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Ducks don’t play on consecutive nights until playing the Capitals in Washington and the Red Wings in Detroit on Jan. 22-23.

Game report: Ducks 4, Jets 1

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Key play: Right wing Corey Perry blasted a shot from the left wing into the back of the net for his team-leading 14th goal of the season to give the Ducks a commanding three-goal lead early in the second period of what became a 4-1 victory Sunday over the Winnipeg Jets at the Honda Center.

Pivotal performers: Ducks left wing Rickard Rakell scored one goal and assisted on another and defenseman Kevin Bieksa also had a goal and an assist. Rakell’s goal was his eighth of the season; Bieksa’s was his first since an off-season trade from the Vancouver Canucks.

Quote, unquote: “It’s nice to contribute,” Bieksa said. “We talked about how we really batten down the hatches defensively. We’re pretty stingy now. At the end of the day, we have to score a couple of goals to get some wins. It’s nice to get four tonight.”

Milestone moment: Ducks goaltender John Gibson earned the second assist on Perry’s goal, his first NHL point in his 41st career game. Gibson played the puck up to Rakell, who passed it to Perry, who completed the play by beating Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson.

Going streaking: Gibson’s scoreless streak ended at 184:30, when teammate Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers was credited with a goal at 6:56 of the second period. Myers’ shot actually deflected off the stick of retreating Ducks forward Carl Hagelin and into the net.