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Another one bites the dust |
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I apologize in advance for not writing sooner about what you already know...Corey Perry is hurt. The Ducks leading scorer is listed as week-to-week with a lower body injury. This latest blow comes at a time when Humpty Dumpty was almost back together again. Then WHACK...he falls back down.
The injury doesn't sound too serious, but it stings none the less. Perry will be re-evaluated next week. There is some good news here according to Eric Stephens.
Perry was injured in the first period of Monday night’s 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. After a fairly slow start, the former 50-goal scorer was starting come around with five points (2g 3a) in his last five games. He has six goals and 16 assists in 31 games this season.
The injury to No. 10 happened to occur in the same game Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg returned from injuries of their own. And per the Ducks twitter account, more help is on the way.
We were sooooo close to a nearly whole Ducks squad. Horse shoes and hand grenades people. Horse shoes and hand grenades.
The loss of Perry is frustrating for so many reasons, but I'll just give two.
1. Perry is an extremely streaky player and he's become more so with age. He was definitely starting to heat up at a time when the Ducks are scrambling for points. The quack attack needs his hot hand and offensive punch now more than ever.
2. Getzlaf is back. Perry and the captain form one of the NHL's most formidable one-two-punches when they are healthy and whole. Even in his first game back, Getzlaf was wreaking havoc in the offensive zone with his puck possession and cycling ability. When he that effective it allows Perry to find space to score. When they click, it's a thing of beauty. Now we wait...some more.
Playoff Chase Update:
Anaheim is one point behind the Flames (Calgary has a game in hand) for the final Wild Card spot in the West. They trail the Sharks by two points (San Jose has two games in hand) for third place in the Pacific Division.
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Bright spots from Monday's win at the Honda Center:
- Logan Shaw had his first multi-point game of the season, including the game-winning goal.
- Rookie defenseman Andy Welinski looked pretty sharp in his first NHL game. He even earned his first NHL point with an assist. Kid looks like a keeper.
- Jakob Silfverberg scored his 7th goal of the season in his first game back after missing the previous five. It was such a Silfverberg goal too. He took advantage of a defensive miscue for a nifty breakaway goal in the waning moments of the 2nd period.
- John Gibson was a beast once again. He made 28 saves for his ninth win of the season. His record of 9-10-3 is not impressive on the surface. When we dig a little deeper, we find his real value. Gibson's 2.91 GAA ranks 30th in the league but his .921 save percentage is 5th among goalies with at least 24 appearances.
- Derek Grant scored his first goal since Nov. 22. The goal was just his second point in the last 10 games.
Anaheim is back on the road for a critical six-game trip before the Christmas break. The Ducks first game is in St. Louis. Anaheim knocked off the Western Conference-leading Blues in their other meeting this season, a 3-2 victory, also behind enemy lines. I believe it was the game prior to the Adam Henrique trade. This time they face them in the game right after they lose Corey Perry. Go figure.
It should be a dandy.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
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