Ryan Kesler soon gets back into the flow with Ducks
Ryan Kesler started Thursday saying his preseason debut as a Duck was mostly about chiseling off the rust, getting his legs under him.
Anaheim’s most significant off-season acquisition couldn’t refuse returning to old habits, however, taking a behind-the-net pass from linemate Patrick Maroon and smacking it past Kings goalie Martin Jones to force a 3-3 tie in the third period on his first shot of the game.
Add in Kesler’s slamming Kings defenseman Jeff Schultz to the boards, poking his stick at nearly every loose puck within reach and winning a bunch of faceoffs, and the first impression was sealed.
Landed from Vancouver during the NHL draft, the 2011 Selke Trophy winner hadn’t played a game since the Canucks closed their regular season April 13.
“Looking forward to a good outing,” Kesler said before the exhibition, won by the Kings, 4-3, in a shootout. “If not, I’ve got a couple weeks before we get it going.”
He fully grasps he was brought to Anaheim to provide the bump that can ultimately advance the Ducks past the rival that has won two of the last three Stanley Cups. He also has full recall of his fight last January against Kings captain Dustin Brown.
Time will come soon enough for those tensions to heighten — starting with a home-and-home series versus the Kings on Nov. 12 and 15.
Thursday, for Kesler, was about bonding with new linemates Maroon and Jakob Silfverberg.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Maroon parlayed an 11-goal, 29-point rookie campaign into a three-year contract extension for $6 million. Silfverberg is looking to expand on a 10-goal campaign slowed by injuries.
“Patty’s a skill guy, big guy,” Kesler said. “Silfvy’ sees the ice well, can shoot well, skate.
“I played with everybody [in Vancouver], it was a revolving door. You’d like to stick with guys, if you can create that chemistry.”
Maroon said, “I can bring the physical side and open up some space for him. With these opportunities, you can’t look back. … He’s fast, has a great shot, plays both ends, marks it up in corners in the offensive zone. So do I. We have the core to be a good line. Now we’ve got to show it.”
Kesler also won 75% of his faceoffs.
“You have to try some lines you think might jell. … Sometimes, you get it right on,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Twitter: @latimespugmire
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