Reinforcements could be on the way for the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the playoffs.
The Ducks swept the Calgary Flames in the first round, which gives them some additional time off until the next round. And that time off could be beneficial for a pair of injured defensemen -- Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler.
Vatanen played just over 22 minutes in the series opener versus Calgary but hasn’t played since then because of an upper-body injury. He was considered day-to-day as a result. Fowler hasn’t played since April 4 because of a knee injury -- suffered against the Flames.
Both defensemen are productive offensively, but they also eat up valuable minutes for the Ducks. Fowler led the team in ice time during the regular season, playing nearly 25 minutes per game, while Vatanen was third in that category. Naturally, both are relied upon for the power play and penalty kill.
Although Anaheim awaits its next opponent, it would be a huge boost for the Ducks to get Vatanen and Fowler both as healthy as possible and back into the lineup.
As of Thursday, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said there is no specific timetable for either blue liner, however they should both be available for the second round.
Randy Carlyle said Hampus Lindholm "got bumped and received some treatment in the room" near the end of Game 4, but said he's "fine."
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 20, 2017