NHL: Getzlaf to miss two months for not turning his cheek

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf had surgery Monday to repair a fracture to his zygomatic bone (cheek). He suffered the injury Oct. 29 at Carolina, when he was hit in the face by the puck, and has missed the last three games. He is expected to be out of the lineup for up to two months.

The Ducks are already playing without key contributors Ryan Kesler (hip surgery), Cam Fowler (knee) and Patrick Eaves (Guillain-Barre syndrome). CURBED ENTHUSIASM: It was about a year ago that Gerard Gallant was unceremoniously fired as coach of the Florida Panthers, famously left off the team bus with his luggage and having to call for a cab in Carolina.

“I felt miserable that night, and felt miserable for a couple of weeks,” Gallant said. “Within a couple of weeks, I had a pretty good idea that something would be possible. A lot of people reached out and said it wasn’t right.”

The groundwork was quickly laid for Gallant to become the first coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.

GOOD GOALS: The NHL hailed a rise in offence, to over six goals a game (1,378 in 222 games). Last year, it was around 5.6 goals a game.

It’s early, of course, but Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has an idea as to what’s at play. “I think a lot more teams are taking on the mandate to have a four-man rush consistently. So I think you’re seeing more wide-open hockey. I think every power play now is directing more pucks to the net. You’re seeing in general a looser style of hockey being played right now. That’s going to change. I guarantee you it’s going to change.”

SECOND COMING: Tampa’s line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde are getting a reputation around the league for how they dart around the ice, fill the holes, force turnovers on defence and create scoring chances. They are the perfect complement to the top line featuring Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vlad Namestnikov.

“They don’t get the press,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told the Tampa Times. “When they’re on their game it feels like there’s four of them out there, not three.” Kevin McGran