Following an eight-game residence stand throughout which they went a brutal 1-6-1 and scored a paltry 13 targets, the Anaheim Ducks start a six-game highway journey tonight (Jan. 9) in opposition to playoff contender Nashville Predators.
The Ducks narrowly escaped their first encounter with the Predators with a 3-2 victory again on Nov. 14. On the heels of a major trade that included perceived franchise cornerstone Jamie Drysdale, previewing this sport feels awkward, however let’s give it our greatest shot by taking a look at storylines, personnel, and ways.
There’s a Number of Things Working Against the Ducks Right Now
This matchup goes to be troublesome for a lot of causes. We’ll begin with the Drysdale-sized elephant in the room. The undersized and injury-prone however highly-skilled skater and distributor was traded yesterday together with a second-round decide for Cutter Gauthier of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Ducks traded from their surplus (younger defenseman with top-four potential) to accumulate a obvious deficit (reputable goal-scoring prospects). Long-term, possibly it really works out. The downside is, it leaves the Ducks with a big lineup gap that can be stuffed in the brief time period with somebody much less expert and impactful than Drysdale was. The Ducks endured a painful stretch throughout his damage absence earlier this season, and they’re heading proper again to that situation as soon as once more, besides he gained’t be again. More on that later.
Related: Grading Ducks’ Shocking Trade for Cutter Gauthier
Then, there’s the on-ice stuff. The Ducks simply lost in brutal fashion to the Detroit Red Wings this previous Sunday (Jan. 7). It was legacy night in Anaheim when the Ducks group celebrated the triumphs and achievements throughout their second decade of existence (2002-03 to 2012-13), however the Ducks fell on outdated habits in entrance of their franchise legends in the last-minute loss. The turbulent sport, marked by stretches of excellent strain adopted by penalty bother and lack of self-discipline, adopted a script that so lots of their video games this season have adopted.
This workforce will not be constructed or ready to beat its flaws, and it’s most likely what facilitated Verbeek’s urge to hunt further offensive assist. The energy play is simply too inconsistent; in opposition to the Red Wings, each energy play models appeared utterly misplaced. The penalty kill is sweet, however it depends totally an excessive amount of on the goaltenders to make saves. To start with, the penalty kill is on the market too continuously. To high all of it off, the workforce can’t keep wholesome. So, after I say there’s quite a bit working in opposition to the Ducks currently, that’s only a glimpse.
Expect Five-on-Five and Power Play to Struggle Tonight
The long-term impression of the commerce may be mentioned and debated one other time. The massive query is the place the Ducks go from right here on protection while you lose an all-situations participant. Jackson LaCombe, who hasn’t performed the previous few video games, most likely attracts again in. He skates and strikes the puck properly, however he’s a lefty whose ceiling will not be as excessive, nor does he fulfill the identical function as Drysdale.
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As far as this sport in opposition to the Predators is anxious, we must always most likely count on every part of the sport to wrestle. Let’s start with the facility play, which was terrible even with Drysdale in opposition to the Red Wings this previous Sunday. Passes weren’t crisp, they usually had been hardly ever on tape. Guys weren’t shifting. It was method too gradual. One factor you seen about Drysdale instantly when he returned was how energetic he was when manning the facility play unit. If he had the puck, he moved it round. If he didn’t have it, he was shifting, and he was at all times seeking to shoot. He unleashed his surprisingly highly effective slapshot on quite a few events, which made many suppose the Ducks had discovered one other weapon on the person benefit.
When the Ducks didn’t have Drysdale in the lineup earlier this season, they struggled to interrupt the puck out at five-on-five. He introduced easy skating, the power to be a one-man breakout and a fantastic first cross to the lineup that can be noticeably absent tonight and going ahead till the Ducks fill his place in the lineup with somebody who can do the identical. Maybe in the future, it’ll be Tristan Luneau or Olen Zellweger, however they aren’t Ducks proper now.
This Game Can Go One of Two Ways
The Ducks ought to have all of the motivation they should begin this sport with the urgency and can to win. They simply acquired to spend the vacation season in entrance of their followers at Honda Center and gained one sport. Their teammate and brother, who fought his tail off to get himself wholesome once more, was immediately traded eight video games after returning to the lineup. Plus, they only misplaced a sport the place that they had each probability to win regardless of little or no going proper all sport, solely to lose it in the ultimate minute of regulation. These forms of issues are both sobering or motivational. They ought to anger them. This workforce is simply too OK with shedding video games. Playing indignant isn’t at all times conducive to success, however possibly the Ducks may use a few of that.
The Edmonton Oilers have been on a tear since their former head coach Jay Woodcroft was fired. Granted, their roster was in a significantly better place to bounce again from a significant change. However, the purpose is main personnel modifications can usually be wake-up calls that may have a huge impact on a workforce’s efficiency. We’ll see the way it impacts the Ducks for the remainder of the season. Game one with out No. 6 on the blue line begins tonight in the Music City.
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