This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
On Dec. 1, the Anaheim Ducks had a 9-11-5 record and trailed the Kings by eight points for the Pacific Division lead. On that same date, Ryan Getzlaf had one goal and 16 points. Today, the Ducks have 68 points, just four behind the Kings for the Pacific lead, and hold a game at hand.
When trying to figure out how the Ducks turned their season around, you don't have to look any further than Ryan Getzlaf. Over his last 18 games, Getzlaf has scored 23 points, but recorded at least a point in 16 of those contests. In those same 18 games, the Ducks are an astounding 14-3-1. It's no secret that Getzlaf is an elite player, but he's constantly overlooked when naming the most dominant players in hockey. There's not a single weakness in Getzlaf's game when he's playing up to his abilities. He's big, strong, and competes hard on every shift.
Much like Joe Thornton in San Jose, Getzlaf is a pass-first player who raises the level of players around him. Since being acquired from the Penguins Jan. 16, David Perron has 13 points in 14 games (contrasted by his 16 points in 43 games for the Pens) while spending most of his time as a Duck playing wing on Getzlaf's line.
While the Ducks and Getzlaf struggled early in the season, Getzlaf looked lost on the ice. He was benched by head coach Bruce Boudreau at one point and drew the ire of many hockey pundits, but he always remained accountable. Being the leader and player that he is, one can expect Getzlaf to keep rolling for the rest of the season and to spearhead a deep playoff run for Anaheim.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury) vs. Sabres (Robin Lehner), 12:30 PM
Blackhawks (Corey Crawford) vs. Wild (Devan Dubnyk), 3:30 PM
Red Wings (Jimmy Howard) vs. Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist), 7:00 PM
Lightning (Andrei Vasilevskiy) vs. Hurricanes (Cam Ward), 7:00 PM
Flames (Jonas Hiller) vs. Ducks (John Gibson), 7:00 PM
Avalanche (Semyon Varlamov) vs. Canucks (Ryan Miller), 10:00 PM
For updates on projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News for Teams Playing Sunday
Pittsburgh Penguins
Beau Bennett, RW (upper body) – doesn't appear to be returning soon
Nick Bonino, C (hand) – a doubt for Sunday
Eric Fehr, RW (lower body) – out until the end of the month
Ben Lovejoy, D (upper body) – out Sunday
Evgeni Malkin, C (knee) – will miss Sunday's contest
Buffalo Sabres
Tyler Ennis, LW (upper body) – team remains unsure of when he'll return
Cody Franson, D (neck) – ruled out of Sunday's contest
Cody McCormick, C (blood clots) – no timetable for his return
Ryan O'Reilly, C (lower body) – will miss Sunday's game
Chicago Blackhawks
Marian Hossa, RW (leg) – could miss multiple weeks
Marcus Kruger, C (wrist) – should be back in time for the postseason
Minnesota Wild
Jonas Brodin, D (foot) – out at least another week
Marco Scandella, D (undisclosed) – a probability for Sunday
Detroit Red Wings
Jonathan Ericsson, D (lower body) – questionable Sunday
Johan Franzen, RW (concussion) – unlikely to return this season
Niklas Kronwall, D (knee) – began skating again Wednesday
Dylan Larkin, LW (illness) – missed Saturday's game
Drew Miller, LW (knee) – out for the season
New York Rangers
Ryan McDonagh, D (head) – out Sunday
Rick Nash, LW (knee) – listed as week-to-week
Tampa Bay Lightning
Jason Garrison, D (lower body) – out another two weeks
Cedric Paquette, C (foot) – left Saturday's tilt after blocking a shot
Carolina Hurricanes
Justin Faulk, D (leg) – questionable Sunday
James Wisniewski, D (knee) – unlikely to return this season
Calgary Flames
Karri Ramo, G (knee) – out for the remainder of the season
Kris Russell, D (lower body) – questionable Sunday
Ladislav Smid, D (undisclosed) – hit injured reserve Friday
Anaheim Ducks
Chris Stewart, RW (jaw) – will miss another three-to-seven weeks
Colorado Avalanche
Reto Berra, G (ankle) – in the midst of a conditioning assignment
Ben Street, C (chest) – no timetable for his return
Brad Stuart, D (back) – out indefinitely
Jesse Winchester, LW (concussion) – not expected to suit up this season
Vancouver Canucks
Alexander Edler, D (leg) – out for another five weeks
Brandon Sutter, C (jaw) – to miss five-to-seven additional weeks
Linden Vey, C (undisclosed) – missed Friday's game; status unclear for Sunday
Hot
Jarome Iginla, RW, COL – From Jan. 20 until Feb. 2, Iginla played six games, going scoreless with a minus-2 rating and four shots on goal. Iginla has played eight games since then, scoring in seven, for a 4-6=10 overall statline. The 38 year old's play of late has earned him a promotion to the Avs' top line where he skates alongside the lightning-fast Matt Duchene and the big, creative Mikhail Grigorenko. Iginla's physical style will help him excel in the latter portion of the season.
Artemi Panarin, LW, CHI – KHL experience or not, being an NHL rookie should be a tough task for anyone. That hasn't appeared to be the case for Panarin, who continues to fill up scoresheets alongside Patrick Kane seemingly every night. With 11 points in his last six games (including a hat trick in MSG on Wednesday), Panarin is up to 57 points in 59 games, placing him sixth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.
Cold
Radim Vrbata, RW, VAN – The decline of Vrbata has been both drastic and abrupt. After notching his second career 30-goal campaign last season, Vrbata has found the net just 11 times in 56 games this season. In no way are his struggles better illustrated than his last 14 games, going goalless with three assists and a minus-16 rating in that span.
Recommended Pickup
Charlie Coyle, RW, MIN – Entering this season, the 28th-overall pick of the 2010 draft had 31 goals in 189 career games. Now, Coyle has 18 goals in 58 games during the 2015-16 season, including eight in his last 12 games. Coyle has great size, protects the puck extremely well, and is beginning to find success driving to the net. The Massachusetts native has all the tools to be a 30-goal scorer in the league, and could even get there this season if he stays hot enough.
