Few duos have been as inseparable as Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry but, with the Ducks having lost seven of their last 10, the pair could be broken up for tonight’s game in Calgary.
Perry was taken off the club’s top line and skated next to No. 2 center Ryan Kesler (and winger Devante Smith-Pelly) during Thursday’s practice, leaving Ryan Getzlaf to work between Patrick Maroon and Kyle Palmieri on the top line.
“I wanted to try it in practice today to see what it was like,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said of the move, per the Ducks website. “Once they both find their game, we’ll be much better and we won’t be talking about this anymore.”
Getzlaf is scoreless in his last four games while Perry has just one goal in his last five. Not surprisingly, the entire Anaheim offense has struggled along with the big two; the Ducks have scored just eight times in their last four games and haven’t potted more than three in a single game since a 5-2 win over Nashville back in early February.
Perry, who still leads the team with 24 goals this season, sounded optimistic about the move.
“If it works, that’s the main goal,” he said, per the O.C. Register. “If it’s not working, you have to change something up.”