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Game #51
Colorado Avalanche @ Anaheim Ducks
Tuesday, January 31st, 2016 7:00 PM PST
Honda Center
TV: PRIME
Radio: AM 830, AnaheimDucks.com
Your Enemy: Mile High Hockey
After the All-Star break, the Anaheim Ducks are back on home ice for a brief moment as they face-off against the Colorado Avalanche before they head out to Florida.
It’s been a rough season for the Avs to say the least. They currently sit dead last in the NHL, and are really only holding out for the March 1st trade deadline. Already rumors and speculation are swirling around the players that will be available. Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are among some of the names that have been thrown out for a potential trade. Obviously, the price will be high as they are rumored to be asking for at least a top-4 defenseman + leading prospect + Round 1 draft pick. At least.
Safe to say, we can look forward to another year of interesting and potentially league-shaking trades come March 1st.
Additionally, it has been confirmed that Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov underwent season-ending hip surgery last week. In his place will be a young goaltending tandem between Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin. Erik Johnson has been out with a broken fibula since December, but has since skated (although still without a set timeline to return). Defenseman Tyson Barrie and forward Rene Bourque were also placed on IR last week, but are traveling with the team to California with plans to return.
Now switching to Anaheim. Right before the All-Star break, we were beginning to see the captain Ryan Getzlaf in his usual form. There were times in the earlier half of the season when Getzlaf and Corey Perry were forgettable and invisible. But Getzlaf is beginning to take charge once again and when he’s in his beast mode, it’s hard to stop him.
Both Jakob Silfverberg (missed the last 3 games from a head injury) and Nate Thompson (remember him?) actually skated yesterday, but are not confirmed for tonight’s game.
The Ducks currently trail one point behind the San Jose Sharks and the Edmonton Oilers, who are sharing first in the Pacific. Anaheim has already taken the first two games of the series and are looking to sweep tonight.