GAMEDAY: New York State of Mind for Anaheim

The Ducks (19-12-1) continue their five-game road trip as they head to New York to take on the Rangers (16-13-4). Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. PT and will air on Victory+ and KCOP-13.

Anaheim is looking to rebound after suffering its second loss in a row, falling to the Devils on Saturday, 4-1.

"I would have been happy had we come out of the first period with the lead, but we didn't have much offensively after [the first goal]," head coach Joel Quenneville said. "We didn't battle in the hard areas, in the trenches, around their net, and we didn't get many loose pucks or second opportunities. We didn't win our share of battles."

The game today is a return to Madison Square Garden for both Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba after Kreider was traded to the Ducks this offseason and Trouba was traded out west last December.

Ahead of today’s game, Kreider discussed the emotions returning to a place he called home for so long.

“I’m trying to go in with no expectations and just get ready to play a hockey game,” Kreider said. “But it’s a passionate fanbase, it’s a place where I’ve spent a majority of my life so I’m sure it’ll be emotional for me … But I’m just trying to worry about the here and the now.”

Though he was with the Rangers for a shorter amount of time, Trouba also talked about the feelings of coming back to MSG and likened them to when he returned to visit the Jets after his prior stint there.

“It’s tough to say,” Trouba reflected on returning. “The only thing I can really compare it to is going back to Winnipeg for the first time, but I guess it’s a little bit different coming back here with being a captain of the team and all the memories and stories and everything that went into the last five-six years means a lot to me. This place will always be special.”

Quenneville knows a thing or two about returning to a former home and shared his thoughts on what it’s like to come back to a place that’s meant so much both professionally and personally.

“I think they’re some special moments in your career and these two guys have had two remarkable careers in a big city here and had a lot of success,” he said. “I’m sure it’ll be special for them but it’s a meaningful game for us as well because we’re coming off a couple games where we’re not very happy.”

The Rangers bounced back with a 5-4 overtime win over Montreal on Saturday after suffering a prior three-game losing streak.

Artemi Panarin leads the team with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) while Mika Zibanejad also has 11 goals on the season; however, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Monday morning that Zibanejad won’t play against the Ducks due to missing a team meeting.

Per Quenneville, Lukas Dostal will get the start in the net for Anaheim, his second straight after returning from an injury. He stopped 18 of 21 shots in the defeat to New Jersey on Saturday.