With only one of four possible points to show for their journey to date, the Ducks skedaddled from Dallas to Nashville, where they’ll take on the Predators in Thursday’s final clash of their three-game road swing.
The Ducks could salvage a .500 trip after being blown out in St. Louis, and then blowing a lead in Dallas, slipping 4-3 in overtime to miss out on sweeping the A-list Stars. They’ll be looking to take all three meetings with the Preds as well, having beaten them narrowly 2-1 just last week and cruised past them 5-2 on Jan. 25.
Since the two clubs last met, both are winless with 0-1-1 records. Nashville fell in overtime to the Kings, the Ducks dropped a decision in OT at Dallas and both teams lost handily in regulation against the Blues.
In Dallas, Leo Carlsson scored two goals, including one off a penalty shot. He said that Ducks’ third period could give them a blueprint of a simplified yet tenacious approach that could pay dividends in the Music City. Carlsson has 14 points in 14 games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he represented Sweden, after amassing just 19 points in 48 contests prior to the tournament.
“He’s skating more. I think he’s got more confidence. The whole team is energized by being on the fringe of a playoff race,” coach Greg Cronin told reporters in Dallas. “I think they now understand what we need to do to be a playoff-type of team, regardless of what happens.”
Carlsson’s surge has helped elevate the profile of his line, while Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier seem to jell with anyone who’s deployed alongside them of late. Sam Colangelo enjoyed a stretch with five goals in four games skating with that duo, and call-up Nikita Nesterenko has a goal in each of his past two outings since slotting in for Colangelo after he sustained an injury.
“They’re two super-skilled players, so I’m just trying to get to the net and create space for them to let them do their thing,” Nesterenko told reporters.
For the Preds, Barry Trotz’s return to Nashville hasn’t been all they’d hoped thus far. The longtime coach, who went on to win a Stanley Cup with Washington and reach two conference finals with the Islanders before returning to the Music City as general manager, seemed to score big over the summer in free agency. But even with Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skei in the fold, Trotz has only seen his club plummet in the standings.
They’re the only Western Conference playoff qualifier from 2024 currently on track to miss the 2025 postseason, and by a mile, as they’ve compiled the third-worst record in the NHL. They’ve also been without their leader and most impactful skater, Roman Josi, since Feb. 25, further compounding the woes of a team that’s experienced massive disappointment and significant roster turnover throughout its campaign.
Ducks at Nashville
When: 5 p.m. PT Thursday
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
TV: Victory+