Anaheim Ducks News

Gudas was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct after striking the Leafs captain with a knee-on-knee hit. Matthews immediately left the game and it was announced on Friday that he would miss the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 3 MCL tear.

The Ducks will hand Dostal his 44th start of the season when they travel to Toronto on Thursday. Dostal was sharp in what admittedly amounted to very little work in his last start, stopping 12 of the 13 shots he faced in a 4-1 win in Winnipeg on Thursday. The 25-year-old netminder brings a 26-14-2 record and an .893 SV% into Thursday night's matchup, where the Ducks enter action at -105 on the money line.

Helleson has not played in over a week and will make his return to the lineup on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old defenseman is averaging 17:25 time-on-ice and has 12 points (2G / 10A) in 51 games this season.

Harkins will immediately re-enter the lineup after sitting out Sunday's game against the Blues. Frank Vatrano will sit in his place.

Vatrano just recently returned from a nearly two-month long absence due to personal reasons. After three straight twenty goal seasons, the 31-year-old's production has plummeted this season. He has just four goals and four assists through 41 games.

Dostal entered the Olympic break on an outstanding run, winning eight of nine games (8-1-0) while posting a tremendous 1.96 GAA and .930 SV%. That said, he has not been able to carry that momentum into the post-Olympic stretch, allowing four or more goals in four of five games, though he has salvaged a solid 4-1-0 record. The Ducks enter Tuesday's contest as +123 road underdogs against a Winnipeg Jets team with points in six straight games (4-0-2).

After 17 seasons and one Stanley Cup victory, John Carlson was surprisingly traded by the Washington Capitals to the Anaheim Ducks before last week's trade deadline. Carlson has been nursing an injury and has not played since February 5th, but is aiming to make his Ducks' debut this weekend. The 36-year-old appeared in 1143 games with the Capitals, picking up 166 goals and 771 points while posting an impressive a +117 plus/minus. He should step right in to a top line and power play role with the Ducks and will make an excellent mentor of budding star Jackson LaCombe.

Jansen Harkins will re-enter Anaheim's lineup on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets, sending Vatrano to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Vatrano is averaging 12:18 time-on-ice and has just eight points (4G / 4A) through 41 games, a steep decline after scoring over 20 goals in his previous three seasons.

Frank Vatrano will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Harkins to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 28-year-old Harkins is averaging 10:12 time-on-ice and has six points (3G / 3A) in 36 games this season.

Dostal had the night off in Anaheim's previous game, following a poor outing where he allowed five goals on 26 shots (.808 SV%) in a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, and hopes to rebound on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens. Before his recent blip, the 25-year-old Czech goalie was on a tremendous run, posting a stellar 2.35 GAA and .917 SV% while winning 11 of 12 games (11-1-0). The Ducks enter Friday's contest as slight -103 home underdogs against a Canadiens team that has lost two of their last three games (1-1-1).

After 17 seasons and one Stanley Cup victory, John Carlson is no longer a member of the Washington Capitals after he was acquired by Anaheim for conditional 2026 or 2027 1st round pick and a 2027 3rd round pick late Thursday. The 36-year-old appeared in 1143 games with the Capitals, picking up 166 goals and 771 points while posting an impressive a +117 plus/minus. He should step right in to a top line and power play role with the Ducks and will make an excellent mentor of budding star Jackson LaCombe. He will not play on Friday and is hopeful to make his debut on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues.