Ducks’ Silfverberg does not travel with team due to upper-body injury

The Ducks will be without an integral member of their top line when a two-game trip begins Saturday.

Right wing Jakob Silfverberg did not travel with the team Friday because of an upper-body injury, a Ducks spokesman said. Silfverberg left Thursday’s game early in the third period after a hit from Colorado’s Nikita Zadorov against the glass knocked him off his skates. Silfverberg’s head struck the ice when he fell but it is not known if he had to enter the NHL’s concussion protocol.

The Ducks recalled right wing Corey Tropp and defenseman Shea Theodore as they left to play the Minnesota Wild on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. They did not practice Friday.

Silfverberg is having a terrific season with 13 goals and 16 assists in 48 games and is one of the NHL’s best two-way forwards on the Ducks’ best line with Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano.

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle liked that defenseman Josh Manson fought Zadorov as retribution shortly after the hit, which did not elicit a penalty for the Avalanche defenseman.

“He went out and stepped up for a teammate that got hit, that we think was a pretty vicious hit,” Carlyle said after the game. “He went out and dealt with it on behalf of the team.”

Carlyle also liked the team’s ability to come back from a 1-0 deficit and a 45-minute delay to fix broken glass on the end boards. It was only the second time this season the Ducks won when they trailed after two periods.

“Those are things, hopefully, that we can build on with our group,” he said. “They should be applauded for that.”

Reunion, part II

Saturday is the second time in 13 days that the Ducks will play against former coach Bruce Boudreau. The Minnesota coach’s team won, 2-1, on Jan.8, but he said he isn’t looking forward to the rematch at home because his connection to Anaheim remains strong.

“It’s going to be unique, but quite frankly, I wish we weren’t playing them at all,” Boudreau said in a phone interview. “It’s tough to go against players you’ve coached, and players that you’re fond of.

“If we were playing them again, I’d rather it be in the conference final.”

Boudreau said the connection is on a personal level in “being able to talk to the Keslers and [Corey] Perrys the way I could. It’s tough to play against them. I know they’re a real good team and I know how we have to play against them.”

Boudreau was certainly aware of how goaltender John Gibson has propelled the Ducks’ 8-1-1 push in January. Gibson is 7-1-1 with a 1.32 goals-against average this month.

“That’s unheard of,” Boudreau said. “Their defense is so good, so mobile, so deep. You can see it happening.”

The Ducks have given up two or fewer goals in nine straight games.

NEXT UP

AT MINNESOTA

When: 6 p.m. PST, Saturday.

On the air: TV: Prime; Radio: 830.

Update: Minnesota is 18-2-1 since Dec.4 but Boudreau said the Wild have not played well lately and that “great goaltending has made us look good.” Goalie Devan Dubnyk’s numbers have slipped this month but he still leads the NHL with a 1.88 goals-against average. Defenseman Jonas Brodin is out for about a month with a broken finger. Tropp led the San Diego Gulls with 29 points in 32 games and has yet to make his Ducks debut.

UPDATES:

8:10 p.m.: This story has been updated with more details and comments.

This story was originally published at 11:30 a.m.