Ducks looking to end woes
The Anaheim Ducks look to halt their longest road losing streak to start a season Tuesday night when they visit the St. Louis Blues, a team they usually defeat.
The Ducks (4-5-1) have been outscored 19-8 while going 0-4-1 in their first five games away from Anaheim. They didn’t lose their sixth road contest in last year’s Stanley Cup-winning season until Dec. 29.
"You’ve got to keep working to get out of your funk and your lack of goal-scoring," said Ducks captain Chris Pronger, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner last summer and a member of the Blues from 1995-2004. "We’ve got to keep working hard in those high-traffic areas."
Pronger, who has a point in his last six games against St. Louis, scored Anaheim’s lone goal Saturday in a 3-1 loss at Dallas. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was chased after allowing all three goals in his first road start of the season.
Backup Ilya Bryzgalov made 11 stops in relief of Giguere.
"They had three goals in 11 shots," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said of the goalie change. "We hung our goalie out to dry. We were looking for some kind of spark."
Giguere was strong away from the Honda Center last season with a 15-7-2 record and 2.34 goals-against average in 26 games. He has also won his last six starts – three on the road – against St. Louis while compiling a 2.92 GAA.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made St. Louis -113 money line favorites (NHL Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 5 goals (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 62% of bets for this game have been placed on St. Louis -113 (View NHL Bet Percentages).
Ducks center Andy McDonald has struggled on the road, with only one point in five games compared to four points in five home contests.
McDonald, though, has 11 points in 10 career games at St. Louis. He had a two-goal performance including the overtime game-winner in a 3-2 victory on March 31 – the last meeting between the teams.
The Blues are looking to rebound from their first home loss of the season, a 3-1 defeat to Minnesota on Saturday which snapped an overall four-game winning streak. Rookie Steve Wagner netted his first career goal in the loss and Martin Rucinsky also achieved a milestone, recording an assist for his 600th career point.
St. Louis hopes goaltender Manny Legace can provide a bounce-back performance after making 31 saves in Saturday’s defeat. He is 8-1-0 with one tie and a 1.98 GAA in 13 career games against the Ducks, with the lone loss coming in his first start against them on Nov. 16, 1998, a 3-1 defeat while with Los Angeles.
Paul Kariya, the Blues’ leading scorer with seven points, was held without a point Saturday for the first time this season. He has seven points in 10 career games against Anaheim, the team for which he starred from 1994-2003.
Anaheim is 6-1-0 against the Blues (4-2-0) – including three straight wins at the Scottrade Center – since a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Oct. 19, 2005.
by: Staff Writers – Email Us
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