{"id":435857,"date":"2026-01-30T07:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T07:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/435857\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T07:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T07:47:11","slug":"ducks-drop-divisional-downer-to-canucks-terry-rejoins-team-panarin-rumor-mill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/435857\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducks drop divisional downer to Canucks, Terry rejoins team, Panarin rumor mill"},"content":{"rendered":"

VANCOUVER, B.C. \u2013 The Anaheim Ducks<\/a> ran out of gas to end its five-game, nine-day road trip on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Anaheim outshot, out-chanced and out-possessed the host Vancouver Canucks at five-on-five, but the NHL\u2019s worst team broke a scoreless tie with 10 minutes to play and shut out the Ducks, 2-0, at Rogers Arena<\/p>\n

After tying a season-long seven-game win streak to open the road trip, including a win over league-leading Colorado, Anaheim lost its final two games away from home for a 3-2-0 record on the northwest swing with this loss to league-worst Vancouver. The Ducks have two home games before the Olympic break.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good road trip. I think we got some big wins,\u201d Alex Killorn told the Victory+ broadcast. \u201cObviously, tonight is pretty disappointing. It would\u2019ve been a great road trip if we won tonight. Getting shut out was not what we planned for, but it was a good road trip, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anaheim was again without Troy Terry (injured reserve, upper-body) and Mason McTavish (day-to-day, upper-body).<\/p>\n

The Ducks outshot the Canucks, 33-26, and had the analytical edge at five-on-five, earning 63% of the expected goals and 64.7% of the high-danger chances. However, Anaheim got caught in transition, as the Ducks lost coverage on a failed clear–sound familiar?–and Drew O’Connor was there to capitalize with 9:42 remaining.<\/p>\n

Vancouver earned just its sixth home victory (6-17-3 at Rogers Arena), as both teams went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Ducks generated five shots on goal with the extra man, but none on the final power play with the goalie pulled late in the third period.<\/p>\n

Luk\u00e1\u0161 Dost\u00e1l made 24 saves, and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 32 shots in his first career NHL shutout. Tolopilo earned his first NHL win in November in Anaheim. Kevin Lankinen stopped one shot to open the second period for the shared shutout\u2013the Ducks\u2019 third shutout of the season.<\/p>\n

Anaheim (28-23-3, 59 points) swapped spots with Seattle (25-19-9, 59 points) for third place in the Pacific Division, as the Kraken have one fewer game played.<\/p>\n

The Ducks sit in the second wild card spot one point ahead of San Jose (27-21-4, 58 points) and two points ahead of Los Angeles (22-17-13, 57 points).<\/p>\n

San Jose and Los Angeles hold two games in hand on the Ducks.<\/p>\n

Anaheim comes home for two nationally televised divisional games entering the Olympic break. The Ducks host first-place Vegas on Sunday on ESPN and Seattle on Tuesday on TNT.<\/p>\n

Vancouver is finally the first team to crack the scoreboard with 10 minutes to play. Canucks race out of their zone, Ducks can’t make the quick clear back in their end of the ice, and Canucks take advantage of the out-of-position Ducks.<\/p>\n

1-0 ‘Nucks, late 3rd. #FlyTogether<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/gCz2kgMAkx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) January 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

It had been plainly emphasized that Anaheim had a huge opportunity over the final 10 games of its pre-Olympic schedule with eight of its final 10 opponents being in the Pacific Division. Despite the nine-game winless skid Anaheim had been on, the Ducks were still well within striking distance of their rivals and playoff positioning with the crucial stretch ahead, and to their credit, the Ducks got most of their work done.<\/p>\n

The Ducks rattled off a seven-game win streak, including divisional wins over the Kings (twice), Seattle and their first meeting with Calgary. However, with a chance to leapfrog Edmonton for second place on Monday, a four-minute second-period catastrophe kept that game out of reach, and on Thursday, the Ducks could not score against the team with the most goals against in the league this season\u2013the Canucks, who also hold the worst home record in the NHL.<\/p>\n

Yes, Anaheim has generally done the job with a 4-2-0 record in this set of divisional games with two more crucial contests to play at home before the break. Yet following a high-powered track meet in Edmonton, this Vancouver game stands out as a massive missed opportunity.<\/p>\n

Seattle found another way to win on Thursday and leap in front of the Ducks with the games-played tiebreaker. Anaheim couldn\u2019t stretch out the space below them either, despite a Sharks overtime loss and Kings defeat.<\/p>\n

With a tie game halfway into the third period, the Ducks couldn\u2019t do what so many of their divisional foes have done and, at the very least, drag the game to overtime for an extra loser point to keep pace. In fact, the Ducks are the only team in the Pacific Division to not earn an overtime loss in a divisional game.<\/p>\n

On one hand, that\u2019s a good mark, as Anaheim is 7-0 in overtimes and shootouts against the Pacific Division and taking both points. On the other hand, the Ducks have had six losses where they\u2019ve lost by one goal or allowed late empty netters against a divisional team and missed an opportunity to snag an extra point.<\/p>\n

Just look at the teams encircling Anaheim in the standings.<\/p>\n

The Kraken are staying afloat with a 10-5-1 record against the division. The Kings have been buoyed by eight overtime\/shootout losses against divisional teams (5-1-8 vs. Pacific Division).<\/p>\n

The Ducks are 8-7-0 against divisional teams, but seven of those wins have given a divisional rival an overtime point. Even San Jose has three extra divisional points with an 8-7-3 record.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a full indictment of the team. Obviously, they much prefer winning those overtime games than losing them, but the margins are thin. Every point matters, and the Ducks gave away two to the lowly Canucks on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Anaheim has every chance to make them up in the next week, as the Ducks look for the season sweep over first-place Vegas (two overtime victories in two games) on Sunday and aim to take the season series and jockey for playoff position with Seattle on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Injury Update: Troy Terry Rejoins Team, McTavish Remains in OC<\/p>\n

While Anaheim ran through most of its seven-game win streak and this entire road trip as the walking wounded, the Ducks got some good news on Wednesday, as Troy Terry rejoined the team for practice in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

The Ducks leading assist man had not skated in practice or morning sessions with the team since Jan. 16, and Terry (injured reserve, upper-body) participated in morning skate on Thursday.<\/p>\n

However, Terry was ruled out after the skate and missed his 11th straight game.<\/p>\n

On Jan. 16, the Ducks put Terry on IR retroactive to Jan. 6. He had attempted to go in the previous two morning skates before being totally sidelined.<\/p>\n

Quenneville had said he expected Terry to rejoin the team later in the trip, and he did so, which marked progress.<\/p>\n

Anaheim has also been without No. 2 center Mason McTavish, who got dinged with a later upper-body injury following warm-ups in Colorado to open the road trip last week. McTavish was the last man off for warm-ups, as he usually is, but when the official rosters were submitted before game time, he was a late scratch.<\/p>\n

McTavish returned to Anaheim and was almost immediately feeling better, Quenneville said on Friday. There was hope he could rejoin the team by the end of the trip, but McTavish remained in Orange County as the trip concluded.<\/p>\n

Look for updates on both this weekend.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Leo Carlsson was officially replaced on Sweden\u2019s Olympic roster last week after a thigh procedure to address a Morel-Laval\u00e9e lesion sidelined the Ducks\u2019 No. 1 center on Jan. 16. Carlsson is now two weeks into his three-to-five week recovery timeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Olympics begin in Milan on Feb. 11.<\/p>\n

“My understanding is the Panarin camp has reached out to all three California teams(…)But I’m told the Ducks are out right now, and the reason is the extension doesn’t make sense for them” –@PierreVLeBrun<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/bA33zKGwUa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Patrick Present (@PatrickCPresent) January 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Rumor Mill: Ducks sniffing around Rangers\u2019 Artemi Panarin?<\/p>\n

New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury put out a letter last month announcing the team was open for business, as New York tries to \u201cretool\u201d during a floundering season for the franchise.<\/p>\n

Most notably, it has since been confirmed Russian star forward Artemi Panarin would not be offered a contract extension, opening the derby for the electric winger that has put up well over a point-per-game in his seven seasons on Broadway.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old is in the last year of a seven-year, $11.6 million contract with a full no-move clause, and it has been reported by several NHL insiders that Panarin would seek an extension with whatever team he chose to be dealt to.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where eyes darted to Anaheim, where the rising Ducks have over $11 million in salary cap space this season and over $39 million in cap space next season before re-signing Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, among others. Anaheim also has a full cupboard of prospects, and as the Ducks start to turn toward their window of contention, they could be more willing to part with prospects and draft picks.<\/p>\n

With Panarin now taken out of the Rangers\u2019 line-up through the Olympic break to keep the trade asset out of harm\u2019s way, the rumor mill churned as the week progressed.<\/p>\n

Sportsnet\u2019s Elliotte Friedman said last Saturday that the Ducks were \u201clooking around\u201d<\/a> and connected the dots between Panarin, Anaheim\u2019s former Rangers and Joel Quenneville\u2013Panarin\u2019s first NHL coach in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Later in the day, Friedman reported that Panarin was \u201cpretty interested\u201d in the Ducks<\/a>, but Anaheim would not want to sign an extension right away. \u201cThey would like to see how the fit goes, potentially,\u201d Friedman said. \u201cThat means it\u2019s likely not going to happen there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The list of suitors for Panarin is long, with various insiders and team reporters around the league throwing plenty of teams\u2019 hats in the ring. Los Angeles, San Jose, Washington and Carolina seem to have emerged as front runners.<\/p>\n

Where it looked like many podcasters and insiders almost tried to make a Panarin-to-Anaheim deal materialize, as they ran the numbers and connected the dots, the Ducks currently look to be out.<\/p>\n

However, as many would point out with the Ducks, general manager Pat Verbeek usually holds his cards close to the vest, and with Anaheim finally back in striking distance of snapping its seven-season playoff drought, there is plenty of thought that Verbeek may look to bolster his team\u2019s chances.<\/p>\n