Smarting from a four-point loss with more than its share of wonky bounces, funky goals and near misses, the Ducks will again try to claw their way up the wild-card standings when they host the New York Islanders on Sunday.
They beat the Isles 3-1 on Oct. 29, led by three of their four top scorers: Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry.
The three of them all factored into a frantic rally against St. Louis on Friday that saw the Ducks cut their disadvantage to one off Vatrano’s goal from Terry, allow an empty-netter, halve their deficit anew when Terry connected with Alex Killorn and then nearly force overtime on McTavish’s bid that beat the goalie but not the buzzer.
For several Ducks, the Islanders sweater once represented home, as Terry and Vatrano’s centerman Ryan Strome, enforcer Ross Johnston and coach Greg Cronin all resided on Long Island, with Cronin enjoying two separate assistant coaching stints there.
The Islanders got a significant haul for sturdy center Brock Nelson from the Colorado Avalanche near the trade deadline, so significant that they sent one of the pieces to the Ducks, defenseman Oliver Kylington, for future considerations. It was a deal that responded to the Ducks’ trading Brian Dumoulin to another New York metro area franchise, the New Jersey Devils, to help open up games and minutes for Olen Zellweger.
Zellweger was part of a noticeably livelier power play Friday, quarterbacking one unit and showing off his ability to skate laterally, walk the blue line and create shot opportunities out of thin air.
Cronin lauded Zellweger’s work with the extra man, saying he gave the Ducks “a jolt.” Zellweger is more than a specialist, however.
“Zelly’s up and down the ice. He’s fearless. He just adds a dimension of pace and speed. When he gets the puck, his head’s up and he’s looking for opportunities to generate offense,” Cronin said.
He added: “Not to put too much weight on him, but he’s got a little bit of that Quinn Hughes in him. I know he’s religious about his preparation and his work habits, so he’s got a really bright future.”
Zellweger could further augment the Ducks’ skill and mobility on the left side behind Pavel Mintyukov and the Ducks’ top defenseman this season, Jackson LaCombe. Their defense corps skewed stalwart and a bit rigid, but has gained better balance over time.
LaCombe has 10 points in his past eight games with a +7 rating over that span. On the season, he has 20 more points than the next highest-scoring defenseman, Zellweger, though that’s also a feather in Zellweger’s cap since he’s played 13 fewer games and in a lesser role.
LaCombe, however, has been the biggest revelation.
“He’s extremely poised with the puck. He’s a one-man breakout machine, he’s very skilled at the offensive blue line and he defends really well. He’s arguably our best player,” Cronin said.
The Islanders were in a similar spot to the Ducks as both teams entered Saturday’s docket on the wrong side of the playoff bubble, with the Ducks trailing Vancouver by eight points and the Isles five back of Columbus.
New York won seven straight under coach and Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy, but has since returned to its middling ways, seizing four of its past 10 opportunities. Nelson was in a three-way tie with captain Anders Lee and former Canuck Bo Horvat atop the Islanders’ scoring leaderboard. The dynamic Mathew Barzal has been sidelined by a knee injury but will likely return later this month.
New York Islanders at Ducks
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Honda Center
TV/radio: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)