The Ducks' round one matchup isn't set in stone just yet, so it's a little surprising to see them give Lukas Dostal the night off on Thursday in favour of Husso. Husso's last start came back on April 4th when he surrendered four goals on just 19 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Flames. Husso and the Ducks enter action on Thursday at -125 on the money line.
Ahead of Game 82 of the regular season, Anaheim has called up Tristan Luneau from San Diego (AHL). The 22-year-old defensemen has yet to appear in a game with the Ducks this season but had previously appeared in 13 games across his two year career.
Helleson will slot into the lineup for the penultimate game of Anaheim's regular season. Radko Gudas (lower-body) will sit in his place.
Vatrano will slot into the lineup for the penultimate game of Anaheim's regular season. Chris Kreider (illness) will sit in his place.
Kreider was a surprise scratch on Tuesday, with the Ducks not announcing his absence prior to warmups. Kreider has 22 goals and 28 assists in 74 games this season.
With their playoff seeding still to be decided, the Ducks will roll with Dostal between the pipes for Tuesday's game in Minnesota. Dostal did not enjoy his best performance in his last start, when he allowed four goals on just 26 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks on Sunday. Anaheim's workhorse netminder has appeared in 55 games this season, posting a 30-19-4 record and an .889 SV%. Dostal and the Ducks enter action on Tuesday at -135 on the money line.
Malott did not play in Los Angeles' previous game due to an undisclosed injury and will miss the final three games of the regular season. The 29-year-old forward is averaging 8:49 time-on-ice and has nine points (3G / 6A) in 58 games this season.
Malott has been a steady force on Los Angeles bottom-six but will be a game-time decision vs. Edmonton on Saturday. The 29-year-old has been effective in his first full NHL season, with three goals, nine points and 55 PIMs in 58 games played.
The Ducks will turn to Dostal between the pipes for the 53rd time this season when they welcome the Sharks to town on Thursday. Anaheim's workhorse netminder suffered a fourth-consecutive loss in his last outing, when he allowed five goals on just 25 shots in a 5-0 loss to the Predators on Tuesday. Dostal's record now sits at 29-19-3 on the season to go along with his .889 SV% and 3.13 GAA. Fortunately, Dostal is a decent bet to get back in the win column tonight as the Ducks enter action at -165 on the money line.
Gauthier is having an excellent season in Anaheim, with 65 points (38G / 28A) in 73 games, and has been sorely missed during the team's recent losing streak. The 22-year-old forward will miss a third straight game on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators, but should return in one of Anaheim's following two games.
The Ducks have been abysmal defensively in recent games, allowing four or more goals in each of their last five games (0-4-1), with the brunt of the hardship falling on their goalies. The 25-year-old Dostal allowed six goals on 29 shots (.793 SV%) in his most recent outing, a miserable 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Dostal has salvaged a 5-4-1 record in his last 10 games despite posting an ugly 3.40 GAA and .874 SV%. The Ducks enter Tuesday's contest as -139 home favourites against a Nashville Predators team that had a 3-2 shootout loss last night to the Los Angele Kings as they continue their late-season battle for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Mintyukov just recently returned to the lineup after missing time with a lower-body injury, and quickly returned to the sidelines and missed another two games. That said, he was back at practice on Monday and will return on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The 22-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:26 time-on-ice and has 20 points (8G / 12A) in 68 games this season.
The Ducks have been abysmal defensively in recent games, allowing four or more goals in each of their last five games (0-4-1), with the brunt of the hardship falling on their goalies. The 25-year-old Dostal allowed six goals on 29 shots (.793 SV%) in his most recent outing, a miserable 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Dostal has salvaged a 5-4-1 record in his last 10 games despite posting an ugly 3.40 GAA and .874 SV%. The Ducks enter Tuesday's contest as -139 home favourites against a Nashville Predators team that had a 3-2 shootout loss last night to the Los Angele Kings as they continue their late-season battle for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Mintyukov just recently returned to the lineup after missing time with a lower-body injury, and quickly returned to the sidelines and missed another two games. That said, he was back at practice on Monday and could be an option on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The 22-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:26 time-on-ice and has 20 points (8G / 12A) in 68 games this season.
