nhl

Quack of Dawn: TST’s Ducks Morning Report

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee shares thoughts and quotes from the Ducks’ Friday afternoon practice

IRVINE, Calif. – The Ducks were back on the ice Friday afternoon, just about 12 hours removed from a loss to the Dallas Stars.

Adam Henrique was back on the ice after missing out on Thursday night due to an illness and was on a line with Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jakob Silfverberg.

Lines remained relatively unchanged otherwise. Ross Johnston and Max Jones split time as the left wing on the fourth line alongside Sam Carrick and Brett Leason and it’s possible that the two players will split the games as well.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up in practice today:

ZegrasCarlssonTerry
VatranoMcTavishStrome
HenriqueGroulxSilfverberg
Jones/JohnstonCarrickLeason
FowlerLuneau/Vaakanainen
LaCombeGudas
MintyukovLyubushkin

Jamie Drysdale was not on the ice again as he continues to deal with a lower-body issue. The expectation is that he will not play in either game this weekend for Anaheim.

In his absence, Tristan Luneau filled in on the top defensive pair alongside Cam Fowler. Luneau made his NHL debut last night against the Stars and figures to play in one, if not both, of the Ducks’ games this weekend against Arizona and Boston.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau (67) in action against the Dallas Stars during the first period at Honda Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

“It felt great,” said Luneau. “You’re kind of expecting something from your first NHL game, but it exceeded my expectations. The way I felt out there on the ice was awesome, just being out there with everyone and competing at the highest level you can. That’s pretty special to me.”

He credited his defensive partner Fowler with making the game a lot easier for him. “He’s a veteran, so he talks a lot, takes charge on the ice. (It) releases a bit of stress, you can kind of focus on your own game knowing that your teammate always supports you and makes it easier for you.”

Luneau said he hasn’t chosen a goal song yet: “I kind of forgot about it, honestly, now that you say it.” He said that he’ll probably go with a typical song that you would hear at the rink and pointed out AC/DC’s “Hells Bells”—which was blaring from the locker room speakers—as a potential candidate.

One player who has chosen his goal song already is Leo Carlsson, who also made his NHL debut last night and got to hear his goal song—“Drip Too Hard” by Lil Baby & Gunna—blast out among the Honda Center crowd after he scored in the third period to knot the game at two apiece.

Carlsson also chose this song as his walk-up song when he got drafted back in June. “It’s a good song, what can I say?” he said with a smile. “I love both of them, it’s a good song.”

Plenty of calls and texts came in from Sweden prior to making his debut and after his debut and goal as well. “Just happy” was how Carlsson described feeling after scoring the goal. “Just a good moment there with Troy (Terry) and (Trevor Zegras) as well.”

A Saturday matinee on the road is next on the docket for the Ducks followed by a Sunday night matchup back home. It’s the second consecutive weekend that Anaheim has had a road-home back-to-back.