The Anaheim Ducks have already been dealing with injury issues this season, and now an errant puck to the face lands Ryan Getzlaf on injured reserve.
He’ll be reevaluated on Monday, according to the team, which means that Getzlaf will miss at least the next three games for the Ducks. They host the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, the Predators on Friday, and then face the Sharks in San Jose on Saturday. After that, they’ll begin a five-game homestand on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Here’s that unfortunate moment from the Ducks’ eventual 4-3 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes:
Ryan Getzlaf's face can't feel good after that. pic.twitter.com/bgMc8mKlzM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 29, 2017
Give the Ducks credit; they won that game, and head coach Randy Carlyle is taking a matter-of-fact approach:
Randy Carlyle, on the #NHLDucks injuries: “There’s no feeling sorry for yourself, b/c no one in the league feels sorry for you.”
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 31, 2017
True, but it’s understandable if the Ducks are a little frustrated.
They finally got Ryan Miller into the mix on Sunday. Sami Vatanen is back to some extent, as he played on the weekend but didn’t suit up for back-to-back games. Cam Fowler’s knee injury looks foreboding, and it remains to be seen when Ryan Kesler can return (and how long it will take the hard-working two-way center to approach full health). Kevin Bieksa is banged-up, while Patrick Eaves deals with a legitimately frightening ailment.
Speaking of frightening aliments, John Gibson seemed to avoid anything, um, too severe:
Update: Gibson is OK. Carlyle said Gibson was hit in his “private parts.” That explains the scream #Ducks
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 31, 2017
Despite these injuries, the Ducks have won four of their last five games to improve to 6-4-1. That’s resilient work, yet you wonder if they’ll cave under the pressure with their captain sidelined for at least the next three contests.
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.