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Nobody in their right mind wants to face the ducks


yave1964

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If you are in the Western conference and looking ahead to the playoffs, the one team, even more than chicago who you simply do not want to run into early is the Anaheim Ducks.Sami Vatanen Sami Vatanen #45 of the Anaheim Ducks lines up for a ... They are streaking right now and have found their groove and look like the team to beat.

  This has nothing to do with me picking the ducks and Capitals to go to the finals. They are simply the best team in Hockey right now and I believe that barring injuries they will run over the West like a hot knife through butter.

  God what an awful start the team had. Simply dreadful. They couldn't score, the goaltending was okay but incapable of stealing wins.Bruce Boudreau Boudreau was being skewered in the press, it looked like a nightmare year.

  It just shows that in a long season cream rises to the top.

  GM Bob Murray who is one of the most aggressive GMs in the game called the team out in December saying they were lazy and not prepared for the season after their Western Conference finals collapse against Chicago. He then went on to rebuild the team in the fly.

  First he recalled John gibson, one of the top goalie prospects in Hockey and rather than trading Anderssen he allowed the two of them to push each other. Whoever is the hot hand gets the nod, period. If you want to start in net, go earn it.

  Then the trades.

  He dealt promising but puzzling Jiri Sekac away for grinder Ryan Garbutt who has helped stabilize the bottom line. Murray then dealt Carl Hagelin who was lost in the duck system to the Penguins in exchange for David PerronDavid Perron may not be the only forward addition the Ducks make this ... was was equally at sea. Perron has taken to the Ducks 200 foot game contest every square inch of ice system like a, ahem, Duck to water and has 19 points in 23 games and is a perfect plus 13 in that span. He quietly dispatched long time favorite Maroon to the Oilers, Maroon has heart but lacks talent. He replaced him at the deadline with talented middle six winger Jamie McGinn.

  And the defense? They have three wonderful crown jewels in Vatanen, Fowler and Lindholm, they have mated them with grizzled vets such as Bieksa, Stoner and Despres and told the trio, whoever is hot gets the most ice time, period. Bust your hump, give it your all, your line plays the most. Dont give it your all, your pair drops down to third pair. The kids have elevated their game over the last thirty games. Throw in the occasional Shea Theodore sighting back there, yet another talented kid who is pushing the trio hard and the defense is among the leagues best without having to make a single trade.

  Ryan Getzlaf is looking old but has found his game somewhat lately. Corey Perry has 28 goals to lead the team and has gotten hot. Rickard Rackel looks like a future stud. Kesler looks like the perfect nasty 2C that a team needs in the postseason, and again, Perron has revitalized his career and has the middle six clicking along with McGinn.

 THIS IS THE TEAM TO BEAT.

  Of Course Boudreau and the word collapse seem to always go together, until he actually wins one it will always hang over his head but wow, I would not want to face these guys the way they are palying. simply deadly.

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For any of you Leafs fans out there, if you get a chance to see the Ducks play, watch number 37 on left wing. He is a young kid (20) who is 6'4" and 230 lbs. He is from Orangeville - right in southern ontario where the Leafs play and he was drafted eighth in the 2014 draft and his name is Nick Ritchie - yep that's right - the Leafs took wee Willie Nylander right before him. I still can't believe it.

He is tough as nails and can skate like the wind. He's a great netfront presence and also has terrific skills and hockey sense. Possibly the next Getzlaf. Is it any wonder we suck? I sure hope current management has the right stuff to correct these errors we keep making over and over and over. 

 

Sigh......:cry:

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9 hours ago, BluPuk said:

For any of you Leafs fans out there, if you get a chance to see the Ducks play, watch number 37 on left wing. He is a young kid (20) who is 6'4" and 230 lbs. He is from Orangeville - right in southern ontario where the Leafs play and he was drafted eighth in the 2014 draft and his name is Nick Ritchie - yep that's right - the Leafs took wee Willie Nylander right before him. I still can't believe it.

He is tough as nails and can skate like the wind. He's a great netfront presence and also has terrific skills and hockey sense. Possibly the next Getzlaf. Is it any wonder we suck? I sure hope current management has the right stuff to correct these errors we keep making over and over and over. 

 

Sigh......:cry:

Ill take odds that Nylander ill be better than Ritchie. I like em both, but Nylander a bit more.

 

Ill take the ducks first round Yave.

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On 3/11/2016 at 8:30 PM, J0e Th0rnton said:

Ill take odds that Nylander ill be better than Ritchie. I like em both, but Nylander a bit more.

 

Ill take the ducks first round Yave.

Well lets look at it:

GOALIES: CLEAR edge for the Ducks, with apologies to the season that Jones has had.

 

DEFENSE: Sharks but close. Burns is the standout in this by a mile but the depth, 1 through 6 that the ducks can role makes it close.

 

TOP SIX: Slight edge to the Sharks but again awful close.

 

BOTTOM SIX: Massive edge to the Ducks. Again depth is key here, the Ducks are deeper and more experienced here.

 

COACHING: I may be the guy alive who still believes in Boudreau but I give the edge here.

 

INTANGIBLES: The Ducks choked a cup away last year in Chicago, that is hanging over their heads clearly. No team has been more dissapointing in the postseason over the past decade plus than the Sharks so two teams trying to remove the ghosts of choking past.

 

  I give the edge to the Ducks because of the netminding. If Gibson or Anderssen do not do the job, they can plug the other one in. If Martin Jones in his first crack at the postseason falters, well, Reimer has his own postseason baggage, enough to fill up a plane. I would see the Ducks in 6. 

 

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25 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

Well lets look at it:

GOALIES: CLEAR edge for the Ducks, with apologies to the season that Jones has had.

 

DEFENSE: Sharks but close. Burns is the standout in this by a mile but the depth, 1 through 6 that the ducks can role makes it close.

 

TOP SIX: Slight edge to the Sharks but again awful close.

 

BOTTOM SIX: Massive edge to the Ducks. Again depth is key here, the Ducks are deeper and more experienced here.

 

COACHING: I may be the guy alive who still believes in Boudreau but I give the edge here.

 

INTANGIBLES: The Ducks choked a cup away last year in Chicago, that is hanging over their heads clearly. No team has been more dissapointing in the postseason over the past decade plus than the Sharks so two teams trying to remove the ghosts of choking past.

 

  I give the edge to the Ducks because of the netminding. If Gibson or Anderssen do not do the job, they can plug the other one in. If Martin Jones in his first crack at the postseason falters, well, Reimer has his own postseason baggage, enough to fill up a plane. I would see the Ducks in 6. 

 

I disagree with the edge to goaltending going to the ducks.

 

Vlasic is also better than anyone on the ducks squad D. Some of them have potential to surpass Vlasic. Vlasic is Lidstrom level defense and puck moving without Lidstrom's offense. Except this year, the offense is there, albeit much smaller scale than Lidstrom. He is on pace for near 50 points and plays perfect defense.

 

Braun, Martin have been solid. Dillon, Polak and Demelo are the weaker links, but still good.

 

Top 6 is more like top 9 for these two teams. Couture and Donskoi have made a potent 3rd line.

 

Bottom 6, well, like I said. Sharks 2rd line is arguably better than their 2nd line. 4th line of Tierney, Zubrus and Karlsson/Wingels is potent.

 

Coaching. The only time Deboer had a team this strong, they went to the finals.

 

Reimer gets unfair labels over 1 freaking game. The first and only game 7 he has ever played. He was brilliant in that series other than 1 game and the reason they got to game 7 to begin with. He faced 40 shots in almost every game except game 6-7, and was brilliant in the games they won.

 

Doesn't matter since it is unlikely they will play Reimer unless something happens to Jones. I feel a hell of a lot better with Reimer than Stalock as insurance.

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On Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 1:17 PM, J0e Th0rnton said:

I disagree with the edge to goaltending going to the ducks.

 

Vlasic is also better than anyone on the ducks squad D. Some of them have potential to surpass Vlasic. Vlasic is Lidstrom level defense and puck moving without Lidstrom's offense. Except this year, the offense is there, albeit much smaller scale than Lidstrom. He is on pace for near 50 points and plays perfect defense.

 

Braun, Martin have been solid. Dillon, Polak and Demelo are the weaker links, but still good.

 

Top 6 is more like top 9 for these two teams. Couture and Donskoi have made a potent 3rd line.

 

Bottom 6, well, like I said. Sharks 2rd line is arguably better than their 2nd line. 4th line of Tierney, Zubrus and Karlsson/Wingels is potent.

 

Coaching. The only time Deboer had a team this strong, they went to the finals.

 

Reimer gets unfair labels over 1 freaking game. The first and only game 7 he has ever played. He was brilliant in that series other than 1 game and the reason they got to game 7 to begin with. He faced 40 shots in almost every game except game 6-7, and was brilliant in the games they won.

 

Doesn't matter since it is unlikely they will play Reimer unless something happens to Jones. I feel a hell of a lot better with Reimer than Stalock as insurance.

I personally believe that you are waaayyyyyy selling the ducks defense short. Vatanen is a solid offensive contributor, Lindholm is as good as it gets defensively and Fowler combines both. Bieksa brings a lot to the table as a number 4, way misused in Vancouver he is allowed to just be a solid stay at home guy with a snarl in Anaheim. The fact is the Ducks are second in the league in lowest goals allowed only 2 behind the Kings for the lowest in the league. San Jose, is still playoff worthy, but way down as 12 teams have given up less goals than the Sharks. I have no problem giving the Sharks the edge in this department as nobody on the Ducks can keep up with Burns offensively, but the stingy Ducks team defense keeps them in the conversation.\

 As for Reimer, tough. AGREED he is a mile ahead of Stalock, I have been telling you for three years that I don't like Stalock that players his age (rarely) develop.

  Reimer was in net when the Leafs choked it all away to the Bruins. I do not trust him and would not trust him until he finally does something. That is not to say he could not develop into a Masonesque type of career, God knows the man needs a change of scenery and San Jose is as far away from Toronto as it is possible to be.

  I cannot for the life of me see the justification for giving the Sharks the edge BOTH in net and on defense when the Ducks are giving up a third of a less goal per game than the Sharks. Anderssen and Gibson both have postseason experience in a deep run, Jones is giving up more goals per game than either and has no such experience. IMHO this is a no brainer, clear advantage to the Ducks.

  It may be moot, the two of them are closing hard on the fading Kings and one of the Sharks or Ducks may end up winning the division leaving the other to face the Kings. That creates an entirely different scenario if it happens.

  I will say this, I am thrilled the Wings are finally in the East, I do not usually stay up late watching Western conference teams in the postseason, but the Ducks and Sharks would be a very even, wildly entertaining series.

 

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3 hours ago, yave1964 said:

I personally believe that you are waaayyyyyy selling the ducks defense short. Vatanen is a solid offensive contributor, Lindholm is as good as it gets defensively and Fowler combines both. Bieksa brings a lot to the table as a number 4, way misused in Vancouver he is allowed to just be a solid stay at home guy with a snarl in Anaheim. The fact is the Ducks are second in the league in lowest goals allowed only 2 behind the Kings for the lowest in the league. San Jose, is still playoff worthy, but way down as 12 teams have given up less goals than the Sharks. I have no problem giving the Sharks the edge in this department as nobody on the Ducks can keep up with Burns offensively, but the stingy Ducks team defense keeps them in the conversation.\

 As for Reimer, tough. AGREED he is a mile ahead of Stalock, I have been telling you for three years that I don't like Stalock that players his age (rarely) develop.

  Reimer was in net when the Leafs choked it all away to the Bruins. I do not trust him and would not trust him until he finally does something. That is not to say he could not develop into a Masonesque type of career, God knows the man needs a change of scenery and San Jose is as far away from Toronto as it is possible to be.

  I cannot for the life of me see the justification for giving the Sharks the edge BOTH in net and on defense when the Ducks are giving up a third of a less goal per game than the Sharks. Anderssen and Gibson both have postseason experience in a deep run, Jones is giving up more goals per game than either and has no such experience. IMHO this is a no brainer, clear advantage to the Ducks.

  It may be moot, the two of them are closing hard on the fading Kings and one of the Sharks or Ducks may end up winning the division leaving the other to face the Kings. That creates an entirely different scenario if it happens.

  I will say this, I am thrilled the Wings are finally in the East, I do not usually stay up late watching Western conference teams in the postseason, but the Ducks and Sharks would be a very even, wildly entertaining series.

 

I was not saying the Sharks defense is better as a whole. Merely that Burns and Vlasic are better than any single one of the Ducks defenders. Vlasic is Lidstrom defense and an emerging offense under a coach who let's him activate.

 

I also disagree that Fowler combines both. I like Lindholm a lot and think he is the best on the ducks in terms of 2 way Dmen, and I like Vatanen's offense. Fowler has stepped back this year, and Braun is just as good. Bieksa I still think is garbage who takes a ton of stupid penalties and I was happy as heck to NOT get him during that summer scare.

 

I just have a lot of faith in Jones. Kid is cool as a cucumber

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8 hours ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

I was not saying the Sharks defense is better as a whole. Merely that Burns and Vlasic are better than any single one of the Ducks defenders. Vlasic is Lidstrom defense and an emerging offense under a coach who let's him activate.

 

I also disagree that Fowler combines both. I like Lindholm a lot and think he is the best on the ducks in terms of 2 way Dmen, and I like Vatanen's offense. Fowler has stepped back this year, and Braun is just as good. Bieksa I still think is garbage who takes a ton of stupid penalties and I was happy as heck to NOT get him during that summer scare.

 

I just have a lot of faith in Jones. Kid is cool as a cucumber

And I like Jones as well. I questioned it when he was dealt to Boston, I chuckled, envisioning Lombardi having a coronary after hearing that he had been dealt back to the division.  I like him a lot.

  I just like the Ducks duo better. For reasons stated above.

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, AndyS said:

The Ducks are going to be really tough to beat, and that is really saying something in the Western Conference.

 

My pick to win the Cup.

 

Errr, provided they get by Nashville.

 

I actually had the Preds upsetting these guys before the playoffs started.'

And while Anaheim did well in coming back from an 0-2 series deficit, the first two games showed that the Preds, a team I believe to be an underrated 'complete' overall team, can and will put the hurt on the Ducks if Anaheim doesn't come 100 percent ready to play.

 

Not to mention Nashville looked pretty good in Game 6 while staving off elimination....

 

I do agree the Ducks SHOULD be favored and they SHOULD be the team to face the Sharks in Round 2, but I believe Nashville will have a LOT to say about that yet.

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