CHICAGO — It’s a simple, straightforward question, but the answer isn’t so easy to express in simple or straightforward terms. Why have left wing Adam Henrique and right wing Rickard Rakell rebounded so well this season from lackluster 2020-21 seasons?

A look at their statistics reveals an increase in production that’s helped fuel the Ducks’ modest rise from the depths of the Pacific Division standings. Henrique has four more points this season in nine fewer games than last season. Rakell has the same number of points in four fewer games.

Henrique has 11 goals and 14 assists in 36 games in 2021-22 after he had 12 goals and nine assists in 45 games in the pandemic-altered, 56-game 2020-21 season. Rakell has 16 goals and 12 assists in 48 games after he had nine goals and 19 assists in 52 games last season.

Henrique, who shifted from the wing to his more natural position of center in order to replace an injured Ryan Getzlaf for Sunday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, has been especially effective in the past 10 games. He has five goals and four assists in his past 10 contests.

Rakell, who scored the game-winning goal Sunday only 14 seconds into overtime against the Sharks, has sizzled in his past 10 games, too. He has six goals and two assists in his past 10 games even as speculation about his future with the Ducks has started to swirl around him.

So, what has happened? Why have Henrique and Rakell played so well?

“You can look at it as individual bounce-back years or a complete team bounce-back year, really,” Henrique said. “It’s a world of difference for everybody. I think everybody goes into that offseason (last summer) knowing, or not knowing, what might happen. So, everybody comes back and makes sure they’re in great shape and everybody wants to make sure they have a bounce-back year and get back to scoring and putting points up and winning and all that sort of thing.”

Henrique was just getting warmed up.

“I think when you look at it from the team perspective, there’s been a number of great changes that have been the reasons for that, and right from training camp and the start of the season,” he continued after Sunday’s victory over the Sharks. “You’ve seen that our power play is much, much better. There’s been a combination of personnel and coaching and learning and executing. That’s been a big difference for us in winning games and, on the other side of it, too, the (penalty kill has improved).

“There have been reasons why we’ve taken a big jump as a team. I think there are contributions up and down the lineup on any given night. That’s where you have to improve as a team and, ultimately, get to where we want to get to.”

Rakell, standing next to Henrique in Sunday’s postgame press conference, smiled wryly and said, “I agree.”

Ducks coach Dallas Eakins sought to provide additional insight moments later.

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“You think about what Adam Henrique went through last year, that is looking at adversity square in the face,” Eakins said. “I think going to the World Championships last year was massive for him. He was the captain there (for gold-medal winning Canada). He picked it up right from there.

“With ‘Ricky,’ he’s one of those guys who’s always working on his game. You’re always trying to pull him off the ice. He’s out there nonstop. He wants to have an effect on the scoresheet in a positive way. So, both of those guys coming back, leaving last season behind, has been massive.”

RAKELL (PART 2)

Rakell’s goal Sunday was the 154th of his NHL career, moving him past Steve Rucchin for fifth place on the Ducks’ all-time list. Hall of Fame winger Teemu Selanne holds the franchise record with 457 goals. Rakell’s seventh career OT goal broke the club record shared by Selanne and Corey Perry.

LUNDESTROM OUT

Isac Lundestrom did not join the Ducks for the start of their five-game trip, remaining behind in Orange County after suffering what the team called a lower-body injury Sunday. Lundestrom was hurt during an awkward collision in the first period and could not return to the game.

DOSTAL REASSIGNED

The Ducks returned goaltender Lukas Dostal to their AHL team in San Diego, which likely clears the way for John Gibson to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Gibson sat out Sunday’s game against San Jose because of an upper-body injury.