The Winnipeg Jets will look to extend one of the league’s most lopsided rivalries when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
In a dominant stretch of play that dates back to the 2016-17 season, the Jets are 16-2-1 in their past 19 games against Anaheim. That includes an 8-0-0 mark in the last eight meetings.
A win by the Ducks on Wednesday would count as an upset against both the series history and the teams’ current placement in the standings. Winnipeg leads the NHL with 47 points from a 23-9-1 record, while Anaheim sits in last place in the Pacific Division at 11-14-4, 26 points.
Anaheim will at least have the rest advantage, as the Jets are making a quick turnaround after earning a 4-3 road win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. The Ducks haven’t played since Saturday, when they ended a five-game losing streak (0-4-1) with a 4-3 overtime road victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Despite a 17-5 shots advantage for the Blue Jackets in the third period, the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe equalized at the 17:14 mark to send the game beyond regulation time. Alex Killorn then scored on a breakaway in overtime as Anaheim salvaged one victory from a 1-2-1 road trip.
“I liked three of our games this trip. We just couldn’t find a way to get points,” Ducks forward Ryan Strome said. “So to find a way in the last one … I thought we played a good, hard game. We didn’t give up. We found a way to win.”
Winnipeg also came back from a 3-2 third-period deficit at San Jose. Adam Lowry scored the game-winner with 73 seconds remaining after Kyle Connor equalized on the power play earlier in the period.
The Jets lead the NHL with a 31.7 percent (32 of 101) power-play percentage. Ten Winnipeg players have scored with the extra attacker, with Connor’s eight tallies leading the way.
Connor said the key to his team’s success has been a flexible strategy with the man advantage and “taking whatever’s available,” depending on how opponents approach the penalty kill.
“We make it a focal point to … adjust to how they’re killing and be dynamic and unpredictable. I think we’ve done a great job of that this year,” Connor said. “(We’re) just scoring different ways every single time. It’s everybody chipping in.”
The dangerous power-play unit presents a particular challenge for the Ducks, whose 72.5 percent penalty-kill percentage is among the worst in the league.
The Jets are 5-1-1 in their past seven games. Winnipeg’s top line of Connor (six goals, five assists), Gabriel Vilardi (four goals, six assists) and Mark Scheifele (four goals, six assists) has combined for 31 points over the seven-game stretch.
Anaheim forward Troy Terry has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his past 10 games. Terry leads the Ducks with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) this season.
Ducks goaltenders John Gibson and Lukas Dostal have been pretty evenly splitting starting duties, but Gibson could get another turn after his impressive 39-save outing in Columbus.
Because Connor Hellebuyck faced the Sharks on Tuesday, Jets backup goalie Eric Comrie will start Wednesday. Comrie is 3-4-0 with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in seven starts.
–Field Level Media