Tag: Anaheim Ducks

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NBA (Basketball)

Ducks forward Trevor Zegras exits the game unexpectedly and is ruled out due to a lower-body injury

Trevor Zegras, , and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game

Just as Trevor Zegras seemed to be improving as a two-way player for the Anaheim Ducks, he suffered another injury.

The Ducks are hoping that this latest injury won’t be serious enough to slow down Zegras’ strong start to the season.

Zegras left Anaheim’s 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury on Wednesday night. He was unable to put weight on his injured leg when he left the ice early in the second period.

Ducks coach Greg Cronin didn’t have an update on Zegras after the game, but he mentioned that the forward would undergo more tests on Thursday.

“It’s disappointing,” said Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler. “Seeing any of your guys go down is hard as a teammate. We’re a family in here, so we’re all thinking about each other. ‘Z’ is a big part of the team. Hoping that he’s OK, but any time you see somebody go down, your heart goes out to him.”

It’s unclear how Zegras got injured, but it wasn’t due to a collision. After taking a faceoff in Anaheim’s defensive zone, he spun around and fell awkwardly when his skates and sticks briefly tangled with William Karlsson’s. Zegras immediately waved to the bench and needed help to leave the ice.

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

Zegras, 23, is known for his puck-handling skills and for scoring lacrosse-style “Michigan” goals, but this might be his third major injury in just over a year. Last season, he was limited to 31 games due to two injuries, including a broken ankle that required surgery.

“Hopefully long-term, he’ll be OK,” Fowler said. He had just returned from his own injury absence on Wednesday.

Zegras had played in all 23 games this season, scoring four goals and recording six assists. More importantly, he had made noticeable progress in improving his defensive game and overall offensive play, after struggling in the past to find consistency as a two-way player.

Zegras was drafted 9th overall in 2019 and has scored 59 goals in 235 games over his five seasons with Anaheim.

Zegras’ injury leaves the Ducks without two of their most talented young offensive players. Leo Carlsson, another promising young player, missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. Earlier on Wednesday, Carlsson was named to Sweden’s team for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

“When you lose any player, it disrupts the flow,” Cronin said. “We’re not giving any different directions whether ‘Z’ is in or out, or whether Leo is in or out. (We) try to play the same way. The simplification is really what we’re trying to follow.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Ducks aim to reverse their recent struggles in their matchup against the Senators

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

The Anaheim Ducks have won only one of their last four games as they get ready to play against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

That’s the negative side.

However, the Ducks see it more positively, considering they are 5-3-1 in their last nine games. They also feel their recent loss wasn’t so bad because they played well against their biggest rivals.

As the Ducks prepare for the Senators, they are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, which started their four-game homestand. The Ducks were leading in the game at one point, but couldn’t hold off the Kings, despite outshooting them 31-18, including 12-4 in the third period.

“We had the puck maybe more than we have had in the past against these guys,” Ducks forward Ryan Strome said. “In the past, I feel like we have been on our heels and they kind of come in waves at us. … We were kind of pushing the pace on them.”

The Ducks are not likely to make the playoffs but have shown signs of improvement, especially on defense. The team has struggled with allowing goals in the last two seasons, finishing in the bottom three, but their defense has been much stronger recently. The Ducks are now ranked 10th in goals-against and have been perfect on the penalty kill in their last six games.

Ottawa Senators (NHL)

“The last 10 or 11 games we haven’t had too many stinkers,” coach Greg Cronin said. “We had some, maybe, periods that were off, but I think for the most part we’ve played really well as a group.”

The Senators arrive in Anaheim after losing 5-2 to the Kings on Saturday, ending their short two-game winning streak, which followed a five-game losing streak (0-4-1).

“I like that we play (Sunday) night. When you play a game that stings a little bit, you don’t like to sit around and wait,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said.

The Senators desperately need a winning streak to get back into playoff contention. They had a chance to win against the Kings when they were leading 2-1 early in the second period, but then they gave up four unanswered goals.

“It’s frustrating,” defenseman Travis Hamonic said. “We felt at parts we played a really good game. But we’ve got to turn the page.”

Green believes his team played better against the Kings than in their win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, which started their three-game road trip. But some defensive mistakes cost them the game.

“It should sting,” Green said. “I’m pretty open and honest with our team after the game, and my assessment was … we played hard enough to get a point or get a win, but we made a couple mistakes that I don’t think were from them earning the goal.”

There is some good news for the Senators. Tim Stutzle scored a goal, extending his point streak to six games with three goals and five assists. Adam Gaudette has also scored in three straight games and has already matched his career-high with 12 goals.

But despite these individual streaks, the team needs to win to be successful.

“It’s the unfortunate reality that we have to get that angry with losing that things will change,” captain Brady Tkachuk said. “To be able to move on and focus on the task at hand is a good opportunity for us. It’s an opportunity to finish the road trip off right.”

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NFL (American Football)

Shane Wright makes an impact in his return, leading the Kraken to a win over the Ducks

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

Shane Wright made a strong return to the lineup with a goal and an assist, helping the Seattle Kraken beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Monday night in the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams.

Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Montour also scored, and Ryker Evans contributed two assists for Seattle, which had lost five consecutive road games since late October. Goaltender Joey Daccord made 21 saves to earn his sixth win in the last seven games.

For Anaheim, Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano scored. Troy Terry provided two assists, and Lukas Dostal made 24 saves on 27 shots. The Ducks are now on a two-game losing streak (0-1-1).

The Kraken were down 2-1 going into the third period but quickly turned the game around by scoring twice within the first 1:10.

Burakovsky tied the game just 46 seconds into the third, redirecting a pass from Jared McCann at the left post. Wright then won a faceoff in the offensive zone, sending the puck to Montour, who fired a slapshot from the right point into the upper left corner of the net just 24 seconds later, giving Seattle the lead.

Seattle Kraken and Columbus Blue

Seattle had scored the first goal at 7:12 of the first period. Wright battled a defender in front of the net and redirected Oliver Bjorkstrand’s shot past Dostal. Wright, who was a healthy scratch in the last three games, hadn’t scored a point since October 17.

Anaheim equalized at 15:59 of the first when they had an extra attacker on the ice. Terry passed to Zegras, who fired a shot from the left faceoff circle over Daccord’s shoulder to make it 1-1.

In the second period, the Ducks took the lead when Vatrano scored a rebound goal at 6:17 after Daccord made a save on Olen Zellweger.

Late in the second period, Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, suffered an upper-body injury after crashing into his own net following a hit by Seattle’s Tye Kartye, who was penalized for interference. Carlsson did not return to the game.