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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The aesculapian quality was unexpectedly atrocious for Max Jones and the Ducks connected Friday, erstwhile they learned the guardant would beryllium sidelined for betwixt 4 and six months aft tearing a pectoral tendon connected Monday during a triumph implicit the Calgary Flames. He is scheduled for country Wednesday.
If each goes well, Jones could beryllium backmost successful the lineup soon aft the NHL’s three-week interruption for the All-Star Game and the Beijing Olympics successful February. He was injured during an innocent-looking net-front conflict with Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and headed straight for the dressing room.
“Been struggling with the quality and I privation to accidental convey you to each the fans for your support,” Jones wrote connected Twitter aft learning of the grade of his injury. “It has made maine consciousness a batch amended mentally speechmaking each your messages. Road to betterment starts now. Thank you Ducks fans.”
Jones, 23, was scoreless successful 2 games this season, but his carnal play and willingness to conflict for escaped pucks on the boards and combat for presumption successful beforehand of opposing goaltenders volition beryllium missed portion helium is sidelined. He besides is 1 of the Ducks’ apical punishment killers.
In 2020-21, Jones had 7 goals and 11 points successful 46 games during the pandemic-altered season, 1 extremity and 1 constituent shy of his vocation bests, acceptable portion playing 59 games successful 2019-20.
“It’s a pugnacious stroke for Max arsenic helium made strides past play and was heading successful the close absorption this twelvemonth arsenic well,” Ducks wide manager Bob Murray said successful a statement. “We anticipation to person him backmost this twelvemonth and astatine afloat strength.”
Jones flipped from near helping to close helping to commencement the season, skating connected the Ducks’ apical enactment with near helping Max Comtois and halfway Ryan Getzlaf for their crippled Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Wild. He past shifted from the apical enactment to the 4th enactment for Monday’s crippled against Calgary.
It wasn’t instantly wide however Ducks manager Dallas Eakins would regenerate Jones for the agelong term. Derek Grant filled Jones’ spot connected the 4th enactment the past 2 games, joining close helping Nicolas Deslauriers and rookie halfway Bo Groulx, a apt national for Saturday’s crippled against the Wild.
“It’s conscionable heartbreaking,” Eakins said of Jones’ injury. “It’s pugnacious for the team. It’s tougher for the individual. He plays hard. He competes. There’s ever idiosyncratic connected the different squad taking discourtesy to however he’s playing. I conscionable consciousness for him. He’s connected way for an breathtaking season.”
Said Comtois: “You ne'er privation to suffer a subordinate similar that. He’s playing with emotion, with passion. He brings a batch of vigor to our team. It truly sucks, honestly. When you spell to the rink, you ever cognize what to expect. He’s ever going 100 percent. He’s successful the different team’s faces.
“Hopefully, helium tin get backmost soon.”
WORK IN PROGRESS
The Ducks spent overmuch of Friday’s signifier astatine Xcel Energy Center moving connected their modulation game, moving the puck up the crystal quicker and much efficiently. They had reverted to a slower-paced crippled during losses to the Edmonton Oilers connected Tuesday and to the Winnipeg Jets connected Thursday.
“We went backmost to our dilatory modulation game,” Eakins said of the Ducks’ slow-tempo play the past 2 games, but particularly during a 5-1 nonaccomplishment to the Jets. “It leads to turnovers and to scoring chances against us. We privation to effort not to revert to aged habits.”
ELITE COMPANY
Kevin Shattenkirk has 3 goals and 3 assists during a five-game constituent streak to commencement the season, the longest by a Ducks defenseman successful squad history. If helium records a extremity oregon an assistance against the Wild connected Saturday, it would beryllium the 37th clip successful NHL past that a defenseman has had a six-game streak to commencement a season.
Bobby Orr did it 3 times during his Hall of Fame career.
MCTAVISH UPDATE
Rookie guardant Mason McTavish, the 3rd wide prime successful the draught successful July, skated with his teammates aft suffering an unspecified lower-body wounded connected Monday against the Flames. He could beryllium activated from injured reserve successful clip for Tuesday’s crippled against Winnipeg astatine Honda Center.
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