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Ducks, Red Wings traveling a long and winding (rebuilding) road

Just how are things going for those two long-standing Lottery Club members – Detroit and Anaheim?

While the Ducks last made the playoffs in 2018, club scholars know that the Red Wings’ drought has been even longer. Detroit’s most recent appearance in the playoffs was 2016.

As teams inch toward the first-quarter mark of the season, the Red Wings (7-5-3) show signs of emerging from the abyss, though still prone to the wild swings often encountered at this stage of a rebuild.

This season, Detroit’s leading goal-scorer is Dominik Kubalik with seven, and the Ducks’ leading goal-scorer, Trevor Zegras also has seven. Kubalik leads the Red Wings in points with 18, while Troy Terry leads the Ducks with 19.

That’s where the similarities come to a halt.

Heading into Monday’s action, the Red Wings are in the middle of the NHL pack, ranked 16th overall with 17 points (.567 winning percentage), and the Ducks are tied for last with Columbus with nine points and are last overall in winning percentage (.300).

The Ducks (4-10-1) are still searching for their first win in regulation and will be trying to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night against the Red Wings at Honda Center. Detroit beat the visiting Ducks, 5-1, on Oct. 23, which featured a three-point performance from Kubalik. Three Ducks defensemen in that game have been out of the lineup – Jamie Drysdale, who had shoulder surgery, and Kevin Shattenkirk and Nathan Beaulieu are day-to-day.

The injuries have opened the door for the likes of defensemen Colton White and Austin Strand, who was called up from San Diego, and played his usual solid physical game in his Ducks’ debut, against Chicago on Saturday, logging 11-plus minutes of ice time.

Also 

Speaking of the future …

On Monday, San Diego Gulls goaltender Lukas Dostal was named the AHL Player of the Week. In his last three starts, Dostal went 2-1-0, stopping 83 of 86 shots. That included a 7-0 victory on the road at Henderson on Tuesday, which was Dostal’s first shutout of the season.

 

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