Having allowed six goals against on opening night, the start of the 2013-14 season was not pleasant for the Anaheim Ducks. Facing the upstart Colorado Avalanche -- who were considered a lock for the draft lottery -- the Ducks were held without a goal for 59:53 until Jakob Silfverberg ended Semyon Varlamov's shutout bid.
Ducks vs. Maple Leafs: Anaheim looks to extend 7-game winning streak
The Anaheim Ducks have won seven straight games and will look to make it eight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
After such a dismal performance against a seemingly inferior opponent, Anaheim could have fallen into an early season funk. However, it didn’t play out that way as the Ducks recorded seven-consecutive victories and outscored opponents, 28-13 over their next seven games.
The club will attempt to make it eight-straight as they challenge the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.
Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf both enter the contest with nine points, which was substantially augmented following Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars, where Getzlaf recorded four points (goal, three assists) and Perry picked up three points (two goals, an assist). Getzlaf currently leads the Ducks in assists with six, while Perry leads the team in goals with five. This is the kind of production Anaheim management expected after signing the players to maximum-term, eight-year contracts last season.
In addition, the Ducks have received ample production from Mathieu Perreault who was acquired in training camp via trade with the Washington Capitals for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft and an AHL player. Perreault enters Tuesday night with eight points (three goals, five assists), which ranks third behind Getzlaf and Perry (he is also on a three-game point streak).
Perreault isn't the only offseason acquisition producing, as Silfverberg has registered six points and is second on the team in goals (four) behind only Perry. Silfverberg was a primary piece in the trade that sent Bobby Ryan to the Ottawa Senators and has helped fill the void that could have been left by the four-time 30-goal scorer.
And of course, Teemu Selanne has opened his final season with six points (three goals, three assists) in seven games.
The Maple Leafs will enter the contest with the intention of ending the Ducks' streak, in addition to ending a streak of their own. The club has lost two-straight, which began after a bad bounce beat Jonathan Bernier against the Carolina Hurricanes. Coming off a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night, the Maple Leafs will attempt to return to their winning ways.
A point of emphasis for Toronto has been turnovers, as the club has been credited with 134 giveaways, according to NHL.com, which is the most in the league. In addition, the team is being outshot 320-245, which many believe will cause problems in the longterm if not corrected.
Tuesday night’s game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
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