After sandwiching a convincing victory between two blowout losses, the Ducks will have a chance to balance the ledger of their four-game road trip in its finale on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres.
They defeated Buffalo 4-2 at Honda Center on Jan. 23, largely behind strong performances from their veterans as Jakob Silfverberg had two goals and Cam Fowler contributed a pair of assists. They got another seasoned vet back on Saturday in two-time Stanley Cup winner Alex Killorn (knee), though his assist felt a bit like spitting in the ocean of offense that was a 9-2 defeat by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It will be the second straight game that the Ducks will play against one of defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin’s former teams. “The Russian Bear,” as he’s known to some, made an instant impression in Toronto, where the Ducks floundered on Saturday and Lyubushkin roamed the Maple Leafs’ blue line for 31 games down the stretch in 2022. He then moved across the border to Buffalo, where he led the Sabres in hits last season despite playing a modest 15 minutes per game.
“He’s a team-first guy, whether it’s blocking shots or finishing checks. He’s just a blue-collar guy in terms of all those qualities,” said Coach Greg Cronin via phone.
Known for his gregarious, upbeat demeanor, Lyubushkin has a “great sense of humor” and even appreciated a few jokes at his own expense, Cronin said.
Lyubushkin, 29, has frequently paired with rookie Pavel Mintyukov, 20, and both hail from Moscow originally, helping to create a natural mentorship.
“He’s very humble, and he’s been great with Minty,” Cronin said.
A 5-1 win in Ottawa was wedged between Saturday’s drubbing, which included a hat trick as part of a five-point night for Auston Matthews and nine Maple Leafs with multipoint performances, and a whimpering 5-0 shutout at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.
In Montreal, Cronin was asked about any tension heading toward the trade deadline, at which the…
Read the full article here
