Anaheim Ducks Player Grades: Jonas Hiller

Regular Season

Jan 25, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center

(77) shoots on Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller (1) during the Stadium Series hockey game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

That uncertainty would continue into the beginning of the season as Viktor Fasth started in two of the first three starts.  Fasth, however, would get an infection in his hip causing him to be out for a large portion of the season placing the burden of goaltending mostly on Hiller’s shoulders. Hiller stepped up to the challenge and did well early on.

He helped the team get out to one of the best starts in the club’s history, including a 20-0-2 record at home.

From Dec. 6 to Jan. 12, Hiller got 14 straight wins to tie for the second longest win streak by an NHL goaltender in a single season. This is also a club record and personal best for Hiller.

On Jan. 25, one of the most talked about Ducks games of the season came:  the Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium against the Kings.

Hiller shutout the home team in a 3-0 victory. It was not an easy shut out. Hiller was tested multiple times including a penalty shot from Anze Kopitar.

In February Hiller headed off to Sochi to compete in the Olympic games for Team Switzerland. He played phenomenally posting two shutouts and ended with a save percentage of .971. Unfortunately his team could not beat the Latvian goaltender in their qualifying match and were eliminated before the finals.

Hiller’s otherwise stellar season ended on a sour note as it became more and more evident that the confidence of the coaching staff was moving away from him and given more to rookies Frederik Andersen and John Gibson.

Upon returning from the Olympics Hiller was a bit off. Whether it was fatigue or mental lapses wasn’t really clear, but it allowed Andersen to step up and play big games.

The nail in the coffin for Hiller’s season came when the Ducks faced the San Jose Sharks on Apr. 9. In a title clinching game the Ducks coaching staff decided to go with Gibson instead if Hiller.

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Regular Season Grade: B+