ANAHEIM – There was a valid explanation behind the (somewhat) surprising appearance of Ducks defenseman Urho Vaakanainen during warmups shortly before their game on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken at Honda Center.
On Saturday, Vaakanainen played his first game – with the AHL San Diego Gulls – since crashing into the end boards in a preseason game against the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 30. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher and hospitalized and released later that night.
“He played a real solid game last night,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said a few hours before the Kraken game. “Played well. He’s not going to play (tonight), but I do want to get him out there – back in that atmosphere, bigger crowd, lights. Just slowly inching his way back.”
Vaakanainen played and was minus-one in the Gulls’ 4-1 loss to the visiting Coachella Valley Firebirds, and was assigned to San Diego on a long-term conditioning loan. Officially, the Ducks recalled him on Sunday.
His appearance at practice on Thanksgiving and again in the pregame warmup provided a boost for a struggling team in need of one.
“Any day you can come to this rink is a good one,” Eakins said.
Grant Returns
Derek Grant was back in the lineup and activated off injured reserve after missing 10 straight games with an upper-body injury with the hope of boosting the Ducks’ last-ranked PK.
Grant was on the second line with center Ryan Strome and forward Frank Vatrano against the Kraken. There aren’t many secrets behind what Grant provides when he is in the lineup.
“Everything that he usually brings – simplicity in his game, goes to the hard areas,” Eakins said. “He gives us a real good chance to win a faceoff. He’s going to be a welcome addition back on our penalty kill.”
With Grant returning, Max Comtois went on IR, and rookie forward Pavol Regenda was the odd-man out, a healthy scratch.
First-quarter notes
There weren’t many bright spots for the Ducks in the first 21 games of the season. Sunday was Game No. 22. Eakins spoke about the times where they looked like the group he thought he would be seeing this season.
“Off the top of my head, in Boston I thought we played very well,” Eakins said. “The second game against St. Louis we played well. I thought there were times in the Toronto game that we were good. If you look at where we’re at: it’s very simple.
“Our 5 on 5 game has settled down immensely. That was troubling us early, along with our special teams. Right now, we’re zoning in fully on those special teams. That’s got to get sorted out.”
Updates
Defenseman John Klingberg missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury, which he suffered against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
“He ended up getting through the game,” Eakins said. “But obviously nagging.”
