The Ducks kick off a five-game homestand with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Ducks are coming off one of their worst losses of the season in which they conceded two goals in the final two minutes of the third period, falling 4-3 to the San Jose Sharks. The Blues are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
“It hurt,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said of the late collapse. “I thought we were doing a lot of good things in that game. I thought we checked well. I thought we played with the lead with a purpose and then all of a sudden, you give up a late, late goal, and then they do it again before the buzzer ends. So that hurt, leaving a point or two on the board. But we’ve been fortunate to be on the other side of that equation almost all year, so it’s a good lesson.”
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“A couple of breakdowns at the end of the game,” Alex Killorn said. “Other than that, it was a pretty good game. But those breakdowns obviously hurt us. Today’s a new day.”
2022 first-round pick Nathan Gaucher made his NHL debut in that game, totaling 7:08 in ice time. He centered the fourth line, flanked by Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano.
Ducks Forward Prospect Nathan Gaucher Recalled from AHL
Ducks Forward Prospect Nathan Gaucher Recalled from AHL Gaucher’s scorching offensive surge propels him to the Ducks. Expect an energetic, physical presence ready to disrupt opponents and ignite the bottom six.
“He gives us some size,” Quenneville said. “A (right-handed) shot, jumping in on the faceoff now and again. Had a couple opportunities to maybe put the puck in the net as well. First game, I thought he did a good job.”
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“(The game) goes fast,” Gaucher said. “Everyone’s on task. The structure of both teams are always on points. You can’t really make mistakes out there because it’s going to go in the back of your net.”
With almost 200 AHL games under his belt, Gaucher is grateful for the opportunity he’s been given. His latest stretch prior to being called up saw him score 14 points in 18 games.
“All the hard work you put in is for that reason, you want to play in the NHL,” he said. “You want to play with the best of the best, so I was just so grateful, so excited. I worked hard for that. I was excited to get started with this team.”
After losing their last three games, the Ducks are now tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first in the Pacific Division, with the Ducks currently having a game in hand. Third-place Vegas is just three points back as well.
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“It’s the most exciting time of the season,” Killorn said. “As you get older, you want to make the most of these moments. These playoffs are so important. It’s great for these young guys to get a taste of playoffs, but I think with the way our team’s been going, there’s a lot that can be done in the playoffs as well. So it’s an exciting time for everyone and it’s an exciting time for the fans, too. They’ve been waiting for this for a while.”
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry
Alex Killorn – Tim Washe – Mikael Granlund
Jeff Viel – Ryan Poehling – Beckett Sennecke
Mason McTavish – Nathan Gaucher – Frank Vatrano
Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba
Ian Moore – John Carlson
Olen Zellweger – Drew Helleson
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Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Blues Projected Lines
Dylan Holloway – Robert Thomas – Jimmy Snuggerud
Jake Neighbours – Pavel Buchnevich – Jordan Kyrou
Otto Stenberg – Dalibor Dvorský – Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko – Jack Finley – Pius Suter
Philip Broberg – Logan Mailloux
Theo Lindstein – Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler – Justin Holl
Jordan Binnington (projected)
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