Ducks ready for first preseason game vs. Kings ‘B’ team
The Ducks and Kings, or some renditions thereof, will answer the bell for this season’s first Freeway Faceoff, a preseason game at 5 p.m. Sunday at Honda Center.
For the Kings, their main roster, with the exception of Brandt Clarke who stayed behind due to a shoulder injury, will have just completed a pair of preseason affairs in Australia against the Coyotes, meaning the Kings will ice a sort of “B team” against the Ducks.
That won’t be all that far out of step with what’s going on in Anaheim: Center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale remain without contracts, center Mason MacTavish should be considered doubtful due to a muscle spasm and defenseman Konnor Smith will miss up to a month after breaking his hand in practice Friday.
Even so, it’ll be the first opportunity for the Ducks to hit the ice as a group and compete against a rival, and the exhibition will mark the debut of Greg Cronin, a first-time NHL head coach at the age of 60.
“There’s a detail and an organization that Greg brings, a passion, just an exuberance for the game, and I think that’s going to rub off,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “I think it’s going to be contagious for them, and I’m excited for the players.”
Joining Cronin are two other experienced figures, heretofore career Tampa Bay Lightning winger Alex Killorn, who has played in four Stanley Cup Final series and won two, and defenseman Radko Gudas, who played for last year’s runner-up, the Florida Panthers. They, along with existing veterans like defenseman Cam Fowler and winger Jakob Silfverberg, will help implement Cronin’s new system and strive toward his desired identity.
“Honestly, they’ve got to be a combination of player and coach, they’ve got to help us coach,” Cronin said. “Alex Killorn’s won two Stanley Cups, he’s been to three finals in [four] years, like, if you don’t listen to him, then you’ve got a screw loose.”
In the Kings’ first outing, they fell 5-3 to the Arizona Coyotes despite a goal and an assist from winger Viktor Arvidsson. All eyes will be on center Pierre-Luc Dubois this season after an ambitious series of maneuvers to land his services, though he was held scoreless in the loss in Melbourne. That game did not see the Kings debut of Cam Talbot, as goaltending duties were split between Pheonix Copley and David Rittch.
Dubois was allotted time on what could be the Kings’ second line in the early going, operating between Kevin Fiala and Arthur Kaliyev.
“They’re two skilled players. Arty’s got a really good shot and Kevin is extremely talented out there making plays happen when there’s not much,” Dubois said. “I’m excited to build on that chemistry.”
KERDILES DIES IN CRASH
Former Ducks forward Nic Kerdiles died from injuries he sustained in a traffic accident in Nashville after his motorcycle collided with a sedan early Saturday morning after he ran a stop sign, police said.
Kerdiles, 29, became the first player raised primarily in Orange County to play for the Ducks in 2017. He was born in Texas but moved to Irvine as a young child. He played just two more games after his debut for the Ducks but was a regular with two of their minor-league affiliates and had previously been named conference tournament MVP as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin.
“We’re heartbroken to hear the news about Nic Kerdiles, who died in a motorcycle accident this morning,” the Ducks said in a statement. “An Irvine native, Nic became the first player from Orange County to play for the Ducks, in 2017. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones.”