Anaheim Ducks Daily Links: Focusing Past Super Sunday

Good morning, Anaheim Ducks fans! It’s a big day (if you’re a fan of American football), as “Super Sunday” is here. One of America’s biggest events, the Super Bowl will be the premier event of the night: the NHL has its share of games today, but all are in the afternoon before the big game. There’s going to be good food, a (hopefully) entertaining game, and time well spent with family and friends, but the Ducks have more to focus on beyond Super Bowl Sunday.

Though the Ducks do not have a game until Tuesday, they cannot afford to take it too easy. Two consecutive lackluster performances should stick out in the minds of the Ducks organization, and despite the team having three days off between Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and Tuesday’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Ducks have to be prepared.

Despite Carolina’s record, they finished the month of January with a strong 7-3-2 record. They are currently 15th in the Eastern Conference, The Hurricanes were 10-21-4 before the return of Jordan Staal, who has appeared in 13 of the team’s last 14 games since returning from a broken leg he suffered in the preseason. This is a team that, despite its record, boasts some great talent in Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm, and Justin Faulk.

The Ducks need a better effort from their team. Neither of their previous two efforts against the San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks was particularly encouraging, and the team’s star duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were mostly invisible, held to a single assist (by Perry) and a -9 rating in that span. Those two are expected to lead the team night in and night out: it’s what makes them superstars, and it’s why they wear the letters on their jerseys.

So despite the festivities, there has to be some degree of focus from the team for the task ahead. There are 32 games left for the Ducks in the season, and it’s time for the Ducks to re-establish a level of play that matches where they are in the standings.

Here are some Ducks and NHL news for Super Sunday.