yave1964 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 In spite of a 4-1 loss in Boston a couple of nights ago, the Ducks are in second place in the Pacific Division tied with the Sharks with 43 points only 4 points behind the division leading Flames. For the life of me I simply dont see how it is possible. Lets start with the loss of Corey Perry who has yet to lace them up this season due to MCL surgery which threatens to derail his entire season. He has slipped badly in recent years watching his goal production slip from 34 to 19 to 17 and now zero.Patrick Eaves rode a hot streak in his free agent year to a long term overpaid deal and hasn't been able to remain on the ice, this season he has zero points in five uneventful games. Ryan Kesler is a shell of his former self with 4 goals and a minus 12. rickard Rackell who truthfully is probably the Ducks best forward has caught the injury bug and is currently on the IR with a serious ankle injury, backup goalie Ryan Miller was having a solid year but is now out long term. Ondrej Kase who is having a solid year has missed half the season, Getzlaf and Lindhom who make the forward and defense go have missed half a dozen games each. The top line right now is an aging Getzlaf, a young inexperienced Kase and a guy who couldn't find a job in Pontus Aberg. The second line consists of the inconsistent but talented Henrique and bailing wire. Yet here they are within striking distance of first place in their division in spite of being 27th in the league in goals scored with a putrid 95 through 36 games in a league where offense is up. Well I guess it is not a secret, really, the key to the teams success is the play of John Gibson who has been arguably the games best kept secret this year and a solid top four on defense of Lindholm, Manson, Fowler and especially Montour who is having a monster breakout year. There is help down below in San Diego where Troy Terry is a point a game player, young Max Jones, Kalle Kossila, Same Steel, Giavanni Fiore and Isac Lundestrom are all future top nine or better forwards and all between 18 and 22 years old. I actually admire the Ducks restraint with not calling the kids up with their offensive woes, allowing them to cut their teeth at the AHL level and not rushing them in spite of the rash of injuries and age catching up with key contributors such as Kesler and Cogliano and Eaves. I didn't even mention Maxime Comtois who is going to be counted on heavily in the upcoming World Junior Tourney. Comtois in 10 NHL games earlier this year had 7 points and didn't embarrass himself. So the Ducks are winning with goaltending and defense and a bit of luck. Montour has turned into a minor star who gets absolutely zero publicity playing out West in California and Gibson is elite. Help is on the way possibly by the second half with talented kids and the hoped for return soon of Rackell. Goaltending and defense tend to win in the playoffs and the Ducks do play a hard game but I feel it is a bit of smoke and mirrors and if they dont add to the current group of forwards soon it will be a long road ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Interesting stuff as always, Yave. I would also add that the Ducks, as a team, are a versatile bunch as well. They can play just about any type of game and adapt to whomever they play seemingly on the fly. Want run n gun? They got guys that can do that. Want tight checking, maybe some goonery thrown in? Yep, they can do that too. Technical, precision passing, and counter attacking after playing trap defense? Ditto. Haphazard, stuff all over the place, no rhyme or reason style? Uh huh...check that box too. As you mentioned, having a goalie the caliber of John Gibson makes all that possible too. And yea, the injuries do limit them in many ways, but because they CAN play any style of game, they simply go with whatever style best suits their personnel on any given game. Add to all of that that NO ONE in the Pacific division is running away with anything (Calgary was the last "hot team" there and they seemingly have cooled back to normal level), and the Sharks and Knights playing Jekyl and Hyde most nights, gives the Ducks, even if they don't dominate anyone, a chance to continue to hang in there. As the season wears on, eventually a team or three (especially after making upgrades via the trade deadline) will start to solidify themselves as playoff teams, and the Ducks will have to do the same (or at least start getting key bodies back), lest they find their versatility being overshadowed by sheer skill and depth from other contenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 In Buffalo tonight. We deserved a better outcome in Washington. WE played a very good game and their goalie was on fire. Hoping tonight has a different result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 37 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said: In Buffalo tonight. We deserved a better outcome in Washington. WE played a very good game and their goalie was on fire. Hoping tonight has a different result And this has to do with the Ducks hanging around the top of their division.....how? Unless you are postulating that it is because Buffalo has played well that it has allowed the Ducks to be near the top of their division... In that case, well played Sir...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Rick Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said: And this has to do with the Ducks hanging around the top of their division.....how? Unless you are postulating that it is because Buffalo has played well that it has allowed the Ducks to be near the top of their division... In that case, well played Sir...... The Ducks are missing their star guy but they do not impress me. The Sabres are all over them and only Gibson has kept them in. Ill be shocked if they beat us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 As of last night they lost their 10th game in a row and are seated outside of the playoffs. When a team depends solely on goaltending eventually that luck runs out as in the meltdown in last nights 7-4 loss to the Penguins after the Ducks were up 3-0. Carlyle just might be the next Coach on the hotseat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 34 minutes ago, hf101 said: As of last night they lost their 10th game in a row and are seated outside of the playoffs. When a team depends solely on goaltending eventually that luck runs out as in the meltdown in last nights 7-4 loss to the Penguins after the Ducks were up 3-0. Carlyle just might be the next Coach on the hotseat. And I also find it surprising that Terry isn't playing with the Ducks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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