The Ducks will continue their eight-game homestand tonight with a rematch against a divison rival, hosting the Calgary Flames at Honda Center.
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Preview: Nesterenko to Make NHL Debut as Ducks Battle Flames
Anaheim moves past the midway point of the homestand tonight, the second-longest home stretch in franchise history, looking to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Vancouver on Sunday.
The Ducks pulled within one late in the third period that night, but were unable to find the equalizer on a night that mathematically eliminated the club from postseason contention.
"It's hard," defenseman Cam Fowler said. "I think everyone understands where we are as a club, a team that's retooling and trying to shape things for the future...It's not a spot we want to be in, but we have to do things the right way to prepare for the future. We have a lot of belief in management, scouting and everything that we have moving forward. That part is exciting, but for the guys in here competing, it's always difficult. You want to be playing playoff hockey and that's what we are working towards."
"Obviously, where we are in the standings is tough, but we want to take a step next year and continue to improve," Strome said. "We can't have nights like Sunday. I think these are things that we want to get out of our game. A lot of the guys in here are going to be guys that are going to be here next year. We have to keep moving that needle. It's tough right now, obviously. It's a frustrating year, but these are important times and we have to keep pushing and keep growing as a team.
"I felt the third period had a lot of positive things to it. We just looked desperate. We looked like we were on our toes versus our heels...We've been on a decent stretch here in the last ten games. I think we've started to move the needle in the right direction."
Despite the setback, the Ducks have earned points in nine of their last 12 games and own a 6-4-4 record over the last month.
"I think we've grown in a number of areas," Eakins said. "I think all of our young players have gotten better. We talk a lot about Trevor Zegras] and [Mason McTavish], but I think Troy Terry's overall game has gotten better. Max Jones has gotten better. Lundestrom has had some ups and downs this year, but he's starting to come out of it and he's one of our top penalty killers now. I think Comtois over the last month has played much better. That's part of it. I really think Strome and Frank Vatrano have now really settled in and understand where they fit in the group. I think Cam Fowler's game has improved. He's having a career-year in a season that's been tough for the team.
"When you look at the standings, it's hard to look at, except it's kind of necessary for us to rebuild the team. Quietly, I think there's been a lot of growth here in the second half of the season."
A renewed focus for Anaheim tonight will be getting a struggling power play back on track. The Ducks have scored just one power-play goal in their last six games, leading to some obvious frustration at a lack of results.
"The type of mindset we've come in here all with here is get better today, get the negativity out of the room and take a neutral mindset," Eakins said. "The opposite has seemed into our power play a bit. We're trying to force things, or the opposing team does something well and it's wearing on us a bit. We've just got to let it go. There's nothing you can do but learn and move on.
"I will say, we had a power play two nights ago where we had 10 shots on it. Our second unit the game before was excellent, we just didn't score. So I do think we are coming out of that, but the most important thing on the power play, in your game and in your day-to-day is where your head is at."
Tonight's game will also feature the NHL debut of new Ducks signee Nikita Nesterenko. Acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline and inked to an entry-level contract last week, Nesterenko will skate on a line with Jakob Silfverberg and Isac Lundestrom.
"I don't know if it will hit me until my first shift or warmups," Nesterenko said through a big smile. "I want to stay calm and collected, try to have fun. That's the main thing. Don't want to get too nervous or too ahead of myself. Stick with my teammates and learn from them through the process."
Nesterenko will make that debut against a Flames team looking to turn the page on a frustrating loss last night in Los Angeles, and one running out of time to sneak into the playoff picture.
"It was a brutal game,"
[Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson frankly told NHL.com's Dan Greenspan
. "You know, there's nothing more to say really. Quick turnaround. We've got to be better [tonight]."
The Ducks earned a 3-1 win over the Flames earlier this month in the finale of a three-game northwest road trip.
"They're going to play harder and harder, that's it," Eakins said of facing his longtime friend, Calgary coach Darryl Sutter. "They're going to play a simple game. Darryl is just an incredible human being. He's had a big effect on my life and my career. I look to him as a great, great friend. I would love to see his team make the playoffs, but not at the expense of our two points tonight."
Calgary (31-25-15) is four points behind Winnipeg for the Western Conference's second and final Wild Card spot.
