Music: {allcanada} DUCKS (42-18-7) at CANUCKS (37-24-4)

Sunday, March 8, 2015

{allcanada} DUCKS (42-18-7) at CANUCKS (37-24-4)

Monday, March 9, 2015

10:00 PM ET

DUCKS (42-18-7) at CANUCKS (37-24-4)

TV: SNP, FS-W

Season series: The Anaheim Ducks have won three of the first four games against the Vancouver Canucks, including 4-0 in Vancouver on Jan. 27. Each of the first three games went past regulation. Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen is 3-0-1 with a .947 save percentage.

Canucks team scope: Vancouver, which rallied for a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, continues to get healthier after hanging on to second place in the Pacific Division through a rash of injuries. Top defenseman Alexander Edler and forward Alexandre Burrows, who was playing on the top line before he was injured, each returned to the lineup Thursday after missing several weeks. Center Brad Richardson and defenseman Christopher Tanev may return this week. Tanev, who has been on the top pairing with Edler, hasn't played since hitting his head on the goal against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 14. He skated and was expected to return last week, but then had to stop. Tanev wasn't sure if he'd return against Anaheim after skating with Edler in practice Sunday. "It's obviously tough," Tanev said. "You feel good for a few days, and then you don't."

Ducks team scope: Left wing Matt Beleskey (upper body) and defensemen Sami Vatanen (lower body) and James Wisniewski (foot) each practiced in Anaheim on Sunday before traveling to Vancouver and could return during the three-game road trip. None is likely to face the Canucks. "They all looked like they were practicing well," coach Bruce Boudreau told the Ducks website. "I'm thinking by the end of the week, they're all eligible unless any of them have a setback." Beleskey, who has 21 goals, and Vatanen, who has seven power-play goals, have not played since Feb. 15. Wisniewski, acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the March 2 NHL Trade Deadline, has not played a game with the Ducks. Boudreau shook up three of his forward lines at practice, moving Patrick Maroon from the fourth to first line as part of the changes, which he hopes will help the power play once Vatanen and the hard-shooting Wisniewski are ready. "We're trying to get two units that can move forward and be good," Boudreau said. Rookie goalie John Gibson, who had a shutout in his NHL debut in Vancouver last April, might start. Andersen allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

Team Stats