Orange County Register

No one is declaring a complete turnaround for the Ducks just yet.

Their victory Wednesday still left them 14th in the Western Conference standings, and their struggles to close out games have been evident the past two games.

But they have begun to form a semblance of an identity on what is supposed to be a make-or-break homestand. Their forward lines have had continuity, and goaltending has anchored the defense.

So is this a good time to play perhaps the hottest team in the NHL?

“I don’t know if there is a good time,” Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said.

“With the way we’ve been playing the last little bit, we definitely feel a lot more confident going into a game than maybe a month ago.”

For the second time in a week, the Ducks today will face a hot team with a potent top line. Chicago is riding an eight-game winning streak and winger Marian Hossa (above, between Cam Barker and Jonathan Toews), who made his Blackhawks debut Wednesday by scoring two goals against San Jose.

“It’s an opportunity to see how far we’ve come with our group and we have to go in with some desperation, some commitment to playing a very high level of game,” Coach Randy Carlyle said.

“Maybe the highest level we’ve played this year.”

Last week the Ducks faced a similar challenge with San Jose and its top line of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Carlyle defended that line with his top line of Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, and he might employ them against a Chicago team that put Hossa with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in a 7-2 victory over the Sharks.

“That’s a pretty dynamic line,” Getzlaf said. “They’re a lot like taht Thornton line in that they’re all scorers and they can all move the puck. Those are the guys you really need to be aware of where they are on the ice. They have a tendency to find each other.”

Because the Ducks don’t have a defnitive defensive line like in years past, Getzlaf’s line has taken on that role, and they embrace challenges like the one today.

“It’s going to be a two-way game for us,” Getzlaf said. “We’ve got to be ready to play in our zone and keep them in their zone as much as we can. The more we can play down there, it makes it a lot easier on our back end and our goaltenders.”

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