Game 1: Ducks at Sharks

Graphic: NHL

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks start this season against a familiar opponent in the San Jose Sharks. Last season ended abruptly for the Ducks when they were swept out of the playoffs by the Sharks.

Anaheim Outlook

The Ducks are starting the season, well, like they did last year with plenty of injuries. Anaheim will be without Patrick Eaves(shoulder), Ondrej Kase(head), Ryan Kesler(hip), and Corey Perry(knee). Eaves is expected to be back sometime after Game 5 of the season. Kesler traveled with the team to San Jose, but will not play tonight. Kase was placed on the IR with the concussion he sustained in the Ducks final preseason game. Perry will be out for several months. Also not with the team is Nick Ritchie, who is still yet to have signed a new deal with the club. Brian Gibbons(hand) could be available tonight. He was on the ice for the morning skate according to Eric Stephens of the Athletic.

Anaheim will look to several new faces to get their 25th Anniversary Season started. Maxime Comtois, Sam Steel, Troy Terry, and Kiefer Sherwood are among the youth movement in the Ducks lineup. The four are sprinkled throughout the Ducks forward lineup with one on each line. It will be interesting to see how the team does with so many kids in the lineup.

Projected Lineup

Offense
Rickard Rakell – Ryan Getzlaf – Troy Terry
Maxime Comtois – Adam Henrique – Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano – Sam Steel – Pontus Aberg
Ben Street – Carter Rowney – Kiefer Sherwood

Defense
Cam Fowler – Josh Manson
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Montour
Marcus Pettersson – Luke Schenn

In Net
John Gibson (Confirmed)

San Jose Outlook

The San Jose Sharks are looking to make another run during the season and into the postseason. They won the Erik Karlsson sweepstakes and now have two all-star defensemen on their blue line. Jumbo Joe Thornton is also back for another season and he actually shaved his beard. With Karlsson and Brent Burns on their blueline, the Sharks will look to get the Ducks into penalty trouble so they can capitalize on the power play. Last season their power was 20.6%, which was 16th in the league.

Projected Lineup

Offense

Timo Meier – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Tomas Hertl – Logan Couture – Kevin Labanc
Evander Kane – Antti Suomela – Joonas Donskoi
Marcus Sorensen – Barclay Goodrow – Melker Karlsson

Defense
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Erik Karlsson
Joakim Ryan – Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon – Justin Braun

In Net
Martin Jones (Projected)

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October 3rd, 2018