The Anaheim Ducks should feel good about their opening week of the season.
They’ll be home Thursday night to take on a team that’s probably feeling even better about early trends when the Carolina Hurricanes visit.
Anaheim has won its past two after falling in the opener, while Carolina has started a season with three consecutive victories for the fifth time in franchise history.
The Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a successful home opener Tuesday night.
“We don’t get discouraged and we chipped away at it,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Hurricanes began their six-game road trip by defeating the San Jose Sharks 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Carolina’s penalty-killing unit will need to be on full alert after Ducks winger Chris Kreider scored a pair of power-play goals against Pittsburgh, including the game-winning tally late in the third period.
Three of Kreider’s four goals this season have come with the man advantage.
“I’m trying not to move too much, but they’re just zipping it around and it’s fun to watch,” Kreider said of puck movement by his teammates.
Carolina is without standout defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Mike Reilly made his Hurricanes debut on Tuesday in Slavin’s spot.
“You’re not going to replace (Slavin),” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We know we need him back desperately, but Reilly stepped in.”
The Hurricanes also have defenseman Charles Alexis Legault on board as he was recalled from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He didn’t play Tuesday.
Carolina figures to go back with goalie Frederik Andersen on Thursday after Brandon Bussi’s successful NHL debut Tuesday night.
The Hurricanes allowed only 17 shots on goal against the Sharks, a significant upgrade in attention to details in the defensive zone after some loose moments during the weekend. San Jose didn’t register any shots in the third period.
Carolina provided plenty of feel-good moments in the first week in addition to winning all three games. Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake, Shayne Gostisbehere, Taylor Hall, Seth Jarvis, Alexander Nikishin, Jordan Martinook and Eric Robinson all have three-game point streaks.
“You go down the whole list,” Brind’Amour said. “Some guys had really good games, but everybody was impactful.”
At no other time in franchise history have the Hurricanes had more than four players with points streaks of three or more games to open a season.
That’s a reflection of recent seasons when Carolina has excelled collectively without what might be considered overwhelming star power.
“It’s a testament to our depth,” Robinson said. “You never know on a nightly basis who is going to contribute. I think that’s kind of how we wear teams down and why we’ve been successful.”
The Hurricanes and Ducks each have won an overtime game this season. The teams split two meetings last season.
The Ducks, who announced a record crowd of 17,622 for the opener, will be anxious to see if the buzz remains on Thursday before embarking on a five-game road trip.
–Field Level Media
