The Ducks chipped as much rust off left wing Nick Ritchie as possible Monday, inserted him into their lineup and gave him plenty of ice time while slotting him onto a line with center Adam Henrique and right wing Devin Shore for their 4-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.
Ritchie scored a third-period goal while the Ducks were on a power play, a well-placed shot that beat Sharks goaltender Aaron Dell with a little less than two minutes remaining. Overall, Ritchie was on the ice for 20 shifts over 17:53.
Of scoring his fourth goal of the season and first since Nov. 21, he said, “That was nice even though we came out on the wrong side of it (the final score). From a personal standpoint, to be out for close to two months and come back and get that going was good, too.”
Ritchie played for the first time since spraining his knee on a late and low hit by Radko Gudas of the Washington Capitals on Dec. 6 at Honda Center. Ritchie was sidelined for 19 games, and it showed at times during his return to the lineup Monday against the Sharks.
“Nick looked like he hadn’t played in five weeks,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “But it was good for him to get a goal late. I think that certainly helps. It goes back to, when you’re injured and you’re out a long time, it’s impossible to replicate playing. That’s why we have to be so diligent with our conditioning, with our commitment to being ready to play. So, at least that one is out of the way for him.”
THE SILFVERBERG FACTOR
Jakob Silfverberg rejoined the Ducks for their practice Tuesday, one day after missing their loss to the Sharks in order to be with his wife, Clara, for the birth Monday of the couple’s second child. He was expected to play in Wednesday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes at Honda Center.
It’s possible Silfverberg will skate on a line with Ritchie and Henrique against the Coyotes, replacing Shore.
To say Silfverberg has been central to the limited success the Ducks have achieved this season would be an understatement. He is their co-leader with 15 goals and is second with 29 points. Only Ryan Getzlaf, with 33 points, has more this season.
But the Ducks are 0-5-0 when Silfverberg has been sidelined by illness or injury or while on baby watch. The Ducks lost Dec. 22 to the Rangers when Silfverberg was ill, and dropped games Jan. 9 to the Stars, Jan. 11 to the Blackhawks and Jan. 13 to the Blues when he had an upper-body injury.
Then the Ducks lost Monday to the Sharks while he was by his wife’s side back home in Southern California.
Silfverberg, a right wing, was named to represent the Ducks at the All-Star Game last week in St. Louis, but withdrew in order to be with his expectant wife. Clara was due to deliver Jan. 22, but when she didn’t, labor was induced Monday and a daughter, Flora, was born.
BREAK OR BREAKDOWN?
The Ducks went into their nine-day layoff for their bye week and the All-Star break with rousing victories over the Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes. They exited the break with a clunker of a loss Monday to the Sharks, when they trailed 2-0 less than five minutes into the game.
“We went into the break playing two really good games, with two wins,” Eakins said. “That’s when you don’t want the break. I think you want the break if you had lost a whole bunch in a row and tried to come back fresh. This break did not benefit us as a team in any way.”
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January 28, 2020 at 03:20PM
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Ducks left wing Nick Ritchie showed rust despite goal vs. Sharks - OCRegister
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