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Ducks searching for offense going into game with Islanders

October 29, 2024

The Ducks flew east and landed in a rut, dropping both ends of a back-to-back set that matched them with two of the three New York area teams before sending them ahead to a clash with the Islanders on Tuesday.

They were able to tread water in a competitive 2-1 game with the contending Rangers but sank fast in the second period of a lopsided 6-2 affair in New Jersey the next night. In all, they’ve lost three of their past four games in regulation and mustered just four goals in those losses.

“We’re just having a hard time scoring goals right now,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin told reporters after the loss to the Rangers. “You get energy in a game and you get some chances that don’t go in, we’re at that point now. I think guys are starting to press. We’ve got to find a way to score some blue-collar goals.”

Even-strength offense was labored for much of the 120 minutes against the Rangers and Devils, with the Rangers earning superior quality chances and the Devils also generating a noticeably higher volume of opportunities. Against New Jersey, there were also uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns.

One area that seemed invigorated was the power play, with new orientations and progressions that looked more dangerous across three scoreless opportunities in two games. The chemistry between Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry appeared particularly promising.

“When he’s going, he’s our best player, [he’s] super special to watch,” Ducks forward Ryan Strome told Daily Faceoff. “You don’t see many guys with that [Jack] Eichel style who are 6-foot-4 and dice through the neutral zone – super shifty, super dynamic, and a really good guy.”

Terry, who is coasting on a seven-game points streak and sitting on 99 career goals, hit the net three times with the man advantage in the back-to-back losses. Terry and Carlsson already had the only two power-play goals for the Ducks this season.

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The Islanders join the Ducks in the bottom five in power-play conversion rate. The two clubs were among those tied for eighth league-wide for fewest goals allowed.

Former Duck Kyle Palmieri leads the Islanders in scoring with seven points in eight games, though they’ve relied primarily on goalie Ilya Sorokin (1.74 goals-against average and .937 save percentage). The most offensive-minded Isles, Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, rolled out to modest starts (each has four points in eight games).

The Islanders tried to bolster their attack by dipping into the international free agent market for Maxim Tsyplakov and by signing Anthony Duclair, who was a 31-goal scorer for Florida three seasons ago. Though the two have combined for eight points in 13 games played, Duclair (lower-body) was placed on long-term injured reserve over the weekend. They also brought back veteran Matt Martin on a one-year deal, meaning he and Pierre Engvall, who was waived earlier this season and just recalled, could get games in Duclair’s absence.

DUCKS AT ISLANDERS

When: Tuesday, 4 p.m. PT

Where: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.

TV: Ch. 13

Orange County Register

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Ducks searching for offense going into game with Islanders

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