Ducks rest regulars for game with Canucks
Posted April 25, 2013 12:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A visit by Anaheim to Rogers Arena (7 p.m. Rogers Sportsnet Pacific) sets up a meeting of division winners when the Northwest Division champion Canucks host the Pacific Division-winning Ducks.
The game could also be the final start in goal on home ice for Roberto Luongo, with his future still up in the air.
Luongo will start in goal for his 17th start of the season and first since a win over the Nashville Predators on April 15th. Cory Schneider is listed day-to-day with a mystery injury that Coach Alain Vigneault says happened in Monday’s win over Chicago.
Minor league goaltender Frank Cannata was called up to back up Luongo for the night. Luongo relieved Schneider in a 7-3 season-opening home loss on January 19th.
Defenceman Keith Ballard, who tweaked his back in last Saturday’s win over the Detroit Red Wings is expected to play forward tonight. Ballard missed Monday’s game against Chicago. Rookie defenceman Derek Joslin will also draw into the lineup and makes his NHL debut.
Anaheim, which has won 13 of its last 19 visits to Vancouver is expected to rest many of its regulars including captain Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Anaheim’s clinching victory over Edmonton Monday marked the second time the Ducks have won the Pacific outright in their 20-year history. The other time was in 2007, the year they won the Stanley Cup.
In other news defenceman Kevin Bieksa said today that he is optimistic that he can be ready for the first game of the playoffs. Bieksa hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in a 5-2 win over Nashville on April 15th.
