The Ducks will make the the short trip across the Hudson River for the front half of a road back-to-back tonight, facing off with the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
PUCK DROP: 4 P.M. PT | TV: BALLY SPORTS SOCAL | DUCKS STREAM | NHL GAMECENTER
Anaheim hopes to flip the script midway through a four-game road trip that's already seen setbacks a pair of setbacks in New York City.
The Ducks fell 5-1 to the Rangers Friday night, unable to hold on to an early lead as New York's power play made the visitors pay for a march to the box.
"I thought we played hard and then we get into penalty trouble again, and then it's bingo ball, who's going to get the next penalty," head coach Greg Cronin said. "It's unfortunate. It's a 2-1 game and then we take some penalties and before you know it it's 4-1."
The loss, Anaheim's fifth in a row, dropped the club to 10-19-0 on the season, last in the Pacific Division.
"Frustration, trying not to let it get to that," Troy Terry told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "It feels like a similar story. We get into penalty trouble or whatever the case is, and when the game ends you feel like you generated a lot and played pretty even 5-on-5. It's hard to continue doing it."
"We played hard but at the end of the day, we've lost too many in a row and have to start finding ways to win," added Brett Leason, who scored Anaheim's lone goal Friday night. "It's frustrating. We feel it in the room. We need to get something going here."
Their next chance to right the ship comes tonight against another of the Eastern Conference's top teams in the Devils. New Jersey's high-powered attack was on full display last night in Columbus, as the Devils scored at five goals for the ninth time this season in a 6-3 win over the Blue Jackets.
"It's an offensive team, good transition," Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent said of the Devils to media postgame. "Their line of centers is one of the best of the best in the League. They're a good defensive team and with their skating, their offensive ability to make plays and their skating ability it makes it hard to play against when we have the puck, too, because they're transitioning and they're quick too.”
The best of those centers, former first overall pick Jack Hughes, scored his 100th career NHL goal as part of a hat trick in the win. Hughes is tied for 12th among NHL leaders in points this season (37).
"Me and Jack have played a lot together with our speed and our chemistry,” linemate Jesper Bratt told NHL.com's Craig Merz. “We have found each other to read off each other with our speed and our hockey sense, so we were successful."
The Devils (16-11-1, 33 points) are fifth in the Metropolitan Division, but just four points back of second place with two games-in-hand.
