IRVINE, Calif. – For the first time in more than a week, the Ducks were able to go through a full practice after recently returning from a two-game road trip before a home loss last night to the Washington Capitals.
Lines remained relatively unchanged from last night’s defeat, though Bo Groulx did jump onto the third line as a fourth forward while winger Ross Johnston dropped back to defense to help even out the numbers.
Here’s how the lines looked:
| Alex Killorn | Leo Carlsson | Troy Terry |
| Frank Vatrano | Mason McTavish | Ryan Strome |
| Benoit-Olivier Groulx/Max Jones | Adam Henrique | Jakob Silfverberg |
| Brock McGinn | Sam Carrick | Brett Leason |
| Cam Fowler | Tristan Luneau |
| Pavel Mintyukov | Ilya Lyubushkin |
| Jackson LaCombe | Radko Gudas |
| Urho Vaakanainen | Ross Johnston |
Tristan Luneau, who scored his first NHL goal last night, may play in a third consecutive game after drawing in against Vancouver and Washington. But it’s possible that Urho Vaakanainen, who was a healthy scratch against the Capitals, could draw back in as well.
For Luneau, being inserted into the lineup for two games in a row after being out of the lineup for most of October has been a treat. He was sent on a conditioning loan to the AHL just a couple of weeks ago and it appears to have helped him figure out his game a little bit more.
“It’s fun to play a couple of games in a row and kind of find your rhythm, said Luneau. “Even though you don’t play games, you still get to watch from the stands, sometimes that’s a good thing. You learn a lot more, you get the big picture.
Sometimes being a bit further from the game, you pick some things up and that’s what I did. I felt like that helped me a lot, just watching the game from the stands and getting another look at how things are going.”
Luneau’s parents weren’t there to witness his goal in person, but he was able to call them right after the game and talk to them. He said not only were his parents watching the game at home when he scored, but also his cousins, friends and many other people close to him.
“It was awesome to see that they were watching the game and that they were happy for me, so that was pretty sweet.”
Anaheim’s next game is tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche. It will be the first of two consecutive games against the Avalanche, with the second matchup coming in Colorado next week.
Tomorrow also marks Josh Manson’s return to Honda Center after being traded to the Avalanche at the trade deadline in 2021. Injuries have prevented Manson from playing against the Ducks since the trade occurred, but he is expected to play tomorrow after recently returning from an injury last month.
