The Anaheim Ducks, holding a 34-24-3 record, are set to face the Montreal Canadiens at Honda Center as they continue their homestand. The game will begin at 6 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on KCOP-13 and Victory+.
Anaheim recently defeated the New York Islanders 5-1, marking their sixth win in seven games. This victory kept the Ducks in second place in the Pacific Division, trailing Vegas by just one point.
In Wednesday’s win, Cutter Gauthier scored his 31st goal of the season and became the first player in franchise history to score five consecutive team goals. Beckett Sennecke also reached a milestone with his 20th goal of the season, tying Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer for most goals by a rookie this year.
As the trade deadline approached, Anaheim signed Ryan Poehling to a four-year contract extension and acquired defenseman John Carlson from Washington. Carlson has recorded 10 goals and 36 assists over 55 games this season but will not play tonight.
Head coach Joel Quenneville commented on Anaheim’s approach at this stage of the season: “I think in past years here, at this time of the year, the team was in a ‘sell mode,’” Quenneville said. “I think it shows that this year, we’re excited about our opportunity to try and make the playoffs. [Carlson] adds that presence that is necessary and shows that we believe this year, let’s make that push.”
Radko Gudas spoke about Carlson’s impact: “He’s a well-experienced guy, he played a lot of big number of games,” Gudas said. “He knows how to win. He knows how to shoot the puck. He sees the puck very well. He still moves very well. He can play big minutes and important minutes and he’s never losing his composure. He’s a big, experienced guy who’s gonna bring a lot of things to our blue line. His vision on power plays is something fun to watch.”
Additionally, veteran forward Ryan Strome was traded to Calgary for a seventh-round pick in 2027.
Montreal arrives after losing 7-5 against San Jose during their California road trip but currently holds the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Alex Newhook has points in three straight games (two goals and two assists), while Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 50 assists and 69 points overall; Cole Caufield tops their goal tally with 35.
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal will start tonight according to Quenneville. This marks the first matchup between Anaheim and Montreal this season; they are scheduled to meet again March 15 in Montreal.
