The Ducks will host the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break.
That pause will leave them out of action, with the exception of their lone All-Star selection Frank Vatrano, until Feb. 9 when they host the Edmonton Oilers.
In that game, Edmonton could break the more than three-decades-old NHL record for most consecutive wins. The Ducks remain a long way from such aspirations, but they have been buoyed of late by a mix of familiar and fresh faces as they navigate a voyage that’s been destabilized by close losses and extended absences due to injury.
On their brief road trip, the Ducks stole a point in Dallas and turned in a tenacious effort in Minnesota, weathering a stormy second period that was bookended by outstanding frames, leading to a 3-2 victory.
“For four straight games we’ve had really good first periods, and then we absorbed too much of the game in the second period, and part of that’s taking penalties,” Coach Greg Cronin said by phone. “I thought our response in the third period in Minnesota was good footing to move forward from in a positive way.”
From good footing to great footwork, mainstay Troy Terry has been on fire for more than a month and newcomer Olen Zellweger has infused youthful energy – and legs – into the banged-up Ducks’ game in all three zones.
Terry has 22 points in his past 23 contests, including 13 in 11 January games. Not only has he become capable of carrying a line by himself, a distinction reserved for rookie center Leo Carlsson and no one else of late, Terry’s impact has been felt in the win column this year. In the 17 victories the Ducks have earned with Terry in the lineup, he’s poured in 20 points with a plus-10 rating. In 29 losses, he’s had just 15 points with a minus-14 rating.
Early in the season, Cronin said Terry was making massive adjustments to his game, carrying the puck less and moving off it more quickly, effectively reorienting his attack…
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