This here is a battle between the biggest Corsi/Fenwick overachievers in the league. Ducks rank 21st and Leafs 29th in Fenwick Close, but both are at the top of the standings anyways (like they were last year).
The ducks are a team after my heart - I love the way they're built. This is not the big tough Carlyle Ducks anymore. This is a team that has jettisoned pretty much all of its "checkers", and has gone with speed and skill right through their lineup. After their elite top line, they have 3 other lines with legit 2nd line scoring potential, and they'll come at us in waves. The injuries to Sbisa and Souray have actually helped the team, as they've been replaced by two great skating kids in Lindholm and Vatanan. The only "checkers" on the defense corps are Lovejoy and Allen....and even they are good skaters and puck movers, and not just grunts. Penner's injury last game has opened a spot for their goon Maroon to get on the 4th line, though, so there is one pure mucker in the lineup tonight, at least.
My best guess at the lines and pairings.
Since we're past the 1/10th point of the year, I've decided to drop the 3rd year and just go with 2yr stats (including this year) now. I'll be going with just this year soon enough.
Line 1
C T.Bozak (27): 55gms, 15gls, 33pts, 82ht, 31bk, 20:36 (82gms, 22gls, 49pts, 122ht, 46bk)
C R.Getzlaf (28): 52gms, 18gls, 58pts, 100ht, 51bk, 20:11 (82gms, 28gls, 92pts, 158ht, 80bk)
W P.Kessel (26): 57gms, 22gls, 60pts, 22ht, 27bk, 20:02 (82gms, 32gls, 86pts, 32ht, 39bk)
W C.Perry (28): 52gms, 20gls, 45pts, 59ht, 20bk, 19:04 (82gms, 32gls, 71pts, 93ht, 32bk)
W J.VanRiemsdyk (24): 55gms, 23gls, 38pts, 70ht, 18bk, 19:29 (82gms, 34gls, 57pts, 104ht, 27bk)
W K.Palmieri (22): 49gms, 11gls, 23pts, 54ht, 12bk, 12:11 (82gms, 18gls, 39pts, 90ht, 20bk)
Line 2
C N.Kadri (23): 57gms, 21gls, 52pts, 74ht, 24bk, 16:05 (82gms, 30gls, 75pts, 107ht, 35bk)
C S.Koivu (39): 55gms, 10gls, 30pts, 32ht, 18bk, 17:23 (82gms, 15gls, 45pts, 48ht, 27bk)
W J.Lupul (30): 25gms, 17gls, 28pts, 44ht, 10bk, 16:42 (82gms, 56gls, 92pts, 144ht, 33bk)
W A.Cogliano (26): 56gms, 14gls, 27pts, 57ht, 29bk, 15:21 (82gms, 21gls, 40pts, 84ht, 43bk)
W J.McClement (30): 56gms, 8gls, 17pts, 88ht, 43bk, 15:14 (82gms, 12gls, 25pts, 129ht, 63bk)
W D.Winnik (28): 56gms, 7gls, 23pts, 66ht, 44bk, 16:34 (82gms, 10gls, 34pts, 97ht, 64bk)
Line 3
C D.Bolland (27): 44gms, 10gls, 20pts, 59ht, 23bk, 16:18 (82gms, 19gls, 37pts, 110ht, 43bk)
C M.Perreault (25): 47gms, 9gls, 25pts, 35ht, 11bk, 12:05 (82gms, 16gls, 44pts, 61ht, 19bk)
W M.Raymond (28): 55gms, 14gls, 30pts, 23ht, 10bk, 16:13 (82gms, 21gls, 45pts, 34ht, 15bk)
W T.Selanne (43): 53gms, 15gls, 30pts, 10ht, 11bk, 15:35 (82gms, 23gls, 46pts, 16ht, 17bk)
W J.Leivo (20): 5gms, 1gls, 1pts, 5ht, 0bk, 10:55 (82gms, 16gls, 16pts, 82ht, 0bk)
W E.Etem (21): 43gms, 4gls, 12pts, 48ht, 24bk, 11:37 (82gms, 8gls, 23pts, 92ht, 46bk)
Line 4
C T.Smith (28): 4gms, 1gls, 1pts, 2ht, 2bk, 6:13 (82gms, 21gls, 21pts, 41ht, 41bk)
C N.Bonino (25): 35gms, 8gls, 17pts, 13ht, 57bk, 15:30 (82gms, 19gls, 40pts, 31ht, 134bk)
W T.Bodie (28): 5gms, 0gls, 2pts, 7ht, 3bk, 6:55 (82gms, 0gls, 33pts, 115ht, 49bk)
W J.Silfverberg (23): 56gms, 14gls, 25pts, 40ht, 15bk, 16:02 (82gms, 21gls, 37pts, 59ht, 22bk)
W C.Orr (31): 53gms, 1gls, 4pts, 96ht, 19bk, 6:22 (82gms, 2gls, 6pts, 149ht, 29bk)
W P.Maroon (25): 18gms, 2gls, 3pts, 32ht, 7bk, 10:00 (82gms, 9gls, 14pts, 146ht, 32bk)
Pair 1
D D.Phaneuf (28): 57gms, 10gls, 32pts, 157ht, 108bk, 25:06 (82gms, 14gls, 46pts, 226ht, 155bk)
D F.Beauchemin (33): 56gms, 6gls, 26pts, 96ht, 125bk, 23:11 (82gms, 9gls, 38pts, 141ht, 183bk)
D C.Gunnarsson (27): 46gms, 1gls, 16pts, 94ht, 95bk, 20:59 (82gms, 2gls, 29pts, 168ht, 169bk)
D H.Lindholm (19): 6gms, 0gls, 2pts, 2ht, 5bk, 19:08 (82gms, 0gls, 27pts, 27ht, 68bk)
Pair 2
D J.Gardiner (23): 21gms, 0gls, 6pts, 27ht, 22bk, 20:04 (82gms, 0gls, 23pts, 105ht, 86bk)
D C.Fowler (22): 45gms, 1gls, 13pts, 30ht, 52bk, 21:01 (82gms, 2gls, 24pts, 55ht, 95ht)
D P.Ranger (29): 9gms, 0gls, 1pts, 21ht, 9bk, 19:34 (82gms, 0gls, 9pts, 191ht, 82bk)
D B.Lovejoy (29): 40gms, 0gls, 12pts, 95ht, 57bk, 18:35 (82gms, 0gls, 25pts, 195ht, 117bk)
Pair 3
D C.Franson (26): 54gms, 4gls, 36pts, 153ht, 78bk, 19:17 (82gms, 6gls, 55pts, 232ht, 118bk)
D B.Allen (33): 49gms, 0gls, 9pts, 81ht, 73bk, 18:41 (82gms, 0gls, 15pts, 136ht, 122bk)
D M.Rielly (19): 7gms, 0gls, 4pts, 15ht, 11bk, 17:56 (82gms, 0gls, 47pts, 130ht, 129bk)
D S.Vatanen (22): 16gms, 2gls, 4pts, 11ht, 24bk, 17:15 (82gms, 10gls, 21pts, 56ht, 123bk)
Starting Goalie
G J.Bernier (25): 21gms, 13-6-1, 1.97gaa, 2so, .928sv%
G J.Hiller (31): 31gms, 19-6-4, 2.30gaa, 2so, .917sv%
Backup Goalie
G J.Reimer (25): 37gms, 21-8-5, 2.51gaa, 4so, .923sv%
G V.Fasth (31): 28gms, 17-7-2, 2.31gaa, 4so, .916sv%
Injured / Suspended
W D.Clarkson (29): 48gms, 15gls, 24pts, 253ht, 25bk, 17:36 (82gms, 26gls, 41pts, 162ht, 16bk)
W N.Kulemin (27): 50gms, 7gls, 25pts, 126ht, 50bk, 16:42 (82gms, 12gls, 41pts, 207ht, 82bk)
W F.McLaren (26): 36gms, 3gls, 5pts, 53ht, 9bk, 5:12 (82gms, 7gls, 11pts, 121ht, 21bk)
D M.Fraser (27): 47gms, 0gls, 8pts, 160ht, 105bk, 16:44 (82gms, 0gls, 14pts, 279ht, 183bk)
W D.Penner (31): 39gms, 4gls, 18pts, 65ht, 9bk, 12:34 (82gms, 8gls, 38pts, 137ht, 19bk)
W M.Beleskey (25): 46gms, 8gls, 13pts, 104ht, 18bk, 11:56 (82gms, 14gls, 23pts, 185ht, 32bk)
W L.Sbisa (23): 41gms, 1gls, 8pts, 99ht, 57bk, 19:50 (82gms, 2gls, 16pts, 198ht, 114bk)
W S.Souray (37): 44gms, 7gls, 17pts, 34ht, 58bk, 20:56 (82gms, 13gls, 32pts, 63ht, 108bk)