The Ducks sought to spread their wings again but their effort ended up little more than a feather in the cap of the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in Calgary, and now they’ll face two of the runners-up among a group of Montreal Canadiens that they’ll welcome for a Sunday matinee.
The Ducks had erupted for 16 goals in three games, all victories, but were stifled Thursday by the Flames’ Dustin Wolf. His sparkling home record gleaned brighter after a 30-save performance that factored into his honor as the league’s top rookie in January.
Next up, they’ll likely face another first-year goalie of renown, Jakub Dobeš, as well as the small-but-mighty Lane Hutson, a rookie defenseman who has drawn comparisons to Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.
It’ll be the first of three games in Southern California, two at home plus a visit with the Kings, that will precede the 4 Nations Face-Off break. For every Duck but Leo Carlsson, who will skate for Sweden, that will signify a dozen days of downtime.
“We’ve got to end on a good note,” Jackson LaCombe told Victory+. “For us to get a few more points and have some momentum going into the break is huge, so that’s what we’ve got to do.”
LaCombe has been the biggest year-over-year improver, lapping the field in scoring among Ducks defensemen with twice as many points as their next most prolific blue-liner. Beyond his physique, LaCombe has been noticeably more confident and, in turn, more assertive this season.
“All the guys have helped me so much, growing my confidence and continuing to play a more offensive game has been huge for me,” said LaCombe, who entered the match with Montreal on a three-game scoring streak (four points, plus-five rating).
He took the title of hottest Duck from Mason McTavish, who after a torrid stretch that saw him named one of the NHL’s Stars of the Week did not score in Calgary and found his status in at least some question for Sunday.
Coach Greg Cronin told reporters that McTavish’s absence from Saturday’s practice was due to an unspecified medical issue, but that he expected McTavish to be a likely participant Sunday. Earlier in the season, McTavish was experiencing “tightness,” and then missed a half-dozen games.
For Montreal, Cole Caufield’s 25 goals are tied for the eighth most in the NHL while captain Nick Suzuki leads the team with 51 points, although the Habs’ active four-game winless slump has knocked them back out of playoff position.
Hutson’s 39 points in 51 games and heavy back-end responsibility may have vaulted him to the top position in the jockeying for the Calder Trophy. He’s gone pointless in four straight games for only the second time this season, just after he completed a chain of nine consecutive games with at least one point across which he totaled 13 points.
Dobeš has emerged from the shadow of starter Samuel Montembeault, going 5-1-1 with a lean 2.10 goals-against average and .927 save percentage. Dobeš suffered his first regulation loss of his young career Thursday, when Quebec native Marc-André Fleury recorded an emotionally charged shutout for the Minnesota Wild in what may have been his last NHL game in his home province.
Montreal at Ducks
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Honda Center
How to watch: KTTV (Ch. 11), Victory+