Anaheim Ducks News

Mrazek will be back between the pipes for the Blackhawks on Friday after getting Thursday night off in favour of back-up netminder Arvid Soderblom. Mrazek has been in good form of late, posting a .929 SV% across his last five starts, though a predictable lack of goal support from his fellow Blackhawks means he's only been able to scrape together a pair of wins across that stretch. The 12-year-veteran has managed to post a respectable .907 SV% and an 11-16-1 record on the season despite playing behind one of the most underwhelming lineups in the league. As per usual, Mrazek and the Blackhawks find themselves as big underdogs on Friday, even on home ice, with the Islanders being favoured at -250 in Chicago.

Granlund suffered a significant upper-body injury, and although he will not need surgery, he is expected to be out on a week-to-week basis. With 29 points (5G / 24A) in 38 games, Granlund was pacing for his second-best point output in the last six seasons.

Robert Hagg will take his place in the lineup as Gudas was a late scratch due to the lower-body injury. Gudas has six goals and five assists in 38 games this season.

Despite failing to register a win, Mrazek is amid a strong three-game stretch in which he has allowed only two goals in each contest, posting a .917 SV% against a series of difficult opponents. Mrazek will likely return to the crease on Monday against a more favourable foe, as the Blackhawks are a rare -145 home favourite against a San Jose Sharks team that was shut out 3-0 yesterday afternoon and has lost 14 of their last 15 games (1-14-0).

Despite failing to register a win, Mrazek is amid a strong three-game stretch in which he has allowed only two goals in each contest, posting a .917 SV% against a series of difficult opponents. Mrazek will likely return to the crease on Monday against a more favourable foe, as the Blackhawks are a rare -145 home favourite against a San Jose Sharks team that was shut out 3-0 yesterday afternoon and has lost 14 of their last 15 games (1-14-0).

Carlsson has not played since December 21st but is expected to make his return to the lineup on Monday afternoon against the Florida Panthers. The 2023 second-overall pick has eight goals and seven assists through the first 23 games of his rookie season.

Mintyukov's injury wasn't the only piece of bad news the Ducks were handed on Thursday, with the team also announcing Trevor Zegras would miss six to eight weeks with a broken ankle. The updated timeline for Mintyukov has him on track to return near the end of February. The 2022 tenth-overall pick was off to a fine start in his rookie campaign, compiling two goals and 17 assists across 40 games.

Mrazek wasn't tested heavily on Tuesday and allowed two goals on only 15 shots (.867 SV%) in a 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He will return to the crease on Thursday for his third straight start as the Blackhawks take on another difficult foe, the Winnipeg Jets, who are riding a seven-game winning streak. Considering Mrazek plays on the second-worst offence in the league (2.36 GF / GP), it is remarkable that he has salvaged a 10-14-1 record along with a .902 SV%.

Trouba did not participate in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday as he was expecting the birth of his child but will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. The 29-year-old Trouba has been an effective producer for the Rangers lately, scoring three points (1G / 2A), registering 19 hits, and 18 shots in his last five games.

Johnston has played 29 games for the Ducks this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A) while averaging only 7:28 time-on-ice. The Ducks are expected to welcome Brock McGinn and Bo Groulx back into the lineup on Thursday as Johnston will be a healthy scratch.

Mintyukov left the Ducks' game Tuesday after 12:53 TOI due to an undisclosed injury and did not practice Wednesday. The 20-year-old rookie standout is without a timetable to return as the Ducks' have provided little updates with Anaheim on an off day Wednesday. He has excelled in the first 40 games of his career, with two goals, 17 assists, 60 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -11 plus/minus.

Carlsson seems to be ahead of his original four-to-six-week prognosis after suffering a sprained right MCL in an awkward collision with Mackenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames in late December. The 2023 second-overall pick has eight goals and seven assists through the first 23 games of his rookie season.

Trouba did not participate in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday due to personal reasons but will likely play on the Rangers' upcoming two-game road trip. The 29-year-old Trouba has been an effective producer for the Rangers lately, scoring three points (1G / 2A), registering 19 hits, and 18 shots in his last five games.

Dostal will get the nod in back-to-back for the first time since December 23rd as he will be between the pipes when Anaheim travel to Nashville on Tuesday. Dostal took the loss his last time out, allowing three goals on 28 shots enroute to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Red Wings on Sunday. His record on the season sits at 6-9-1 to go along with a .901 SV% and 3.50 GAA. He'll have his hands full on Tuesday with Anaheim being +190 underdogs in Nashville.

Mrazek will start the second straight game for the Blackhawks on Tuesday in a daunting matchup against the high-flying Edmonton Oilers. Mrazek was terrific on Sunday, saving 28 of 31 shots (.903 SV%) for an injury-depleted Blackhawks squad in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. That said, much of the Blackhawks roster remains injured heading into Tuesday's matchup, and, as such, they are significant +358 home underdogs against the Oilers, who are riding a seven-game winning streak. The Blackhawks last played the Oilers on December 12, when Mrazek allowed four goals on 29 shots (.862 SV%) in a 4-1 loss.