Goalie Drama, Who Starts Game 1 For The Anaheim Ducks

Bruce Boudreau is a man of mystery, a man who rarely shows his hand early. A man becoming known for making some head scratching lineup decisions at times. A man who has not gotten the Anaheim Ducks past the second round.

Last season the Ducks turned to veteran goaltender Jonas Hiller to carry the team throughout the regular season. Boudreau called upon Hiller to start in 50 games last season marking the third season Hiller had started at least 50 games since becoming a Duck in the summer of 2007. Hiller proved to be a solid number one goaltender, producing a 2.48 goals against average with a .911 save percentage in 2013-2014. His five shutouts weren’t to shabby either. The playoffs rolled around, game 1 against Dallas and Jonas Hiller was not in net to start the game for the Ducks. Instead it was rookie Frederik Andersen. With just 24 career NHL starts to his name and no playoff experience, this came as a bit of a surprise to some. But was it really that shocking?

Andersen produced a 2.29 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, both numbers more impressive than Hiller’s. Andersen showed maturity and brilliance throughout the regular season and Boudreau deemed him ready to lead the Ducks in their pursuit for the cup. Round two came along and during game 3 in Los Angeles Andersen went down with an injury, here comes Hiller. But in game four the starter was not Hiller it was another rookie, John Gibson. With 3 NHL starts under his belt Gibson was given the nod over Hiller to finish the series against the Kings. Gibson was outstanding shutting out the Kings in game 4 to tie the series at 2 games a piece. Eventually Gibson and the Ducks ran out of steam losing in game 7 but Boudreau showed he is not afraid to make a bold move, especially when it comes to the man in net.

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After Jonas Hiller was not offered a new contract as a free agent during the offseason, he signed with Calgary. Then came the Ilya Bryzgalov project which was thrown in the garbage can quickly. The Ducks now know that either Andersen or Gibson will be the guy. One will start game 1 in round one and the other will be wearing a hat on the bench.

Freddie Andersen ( 34-11-5 2.37 GAA .914 SV% 3 Shutouts) carried the Ducks for much of the regular season. With all of the injuries to key players causing them to miss time, Andersen stood tall and saved the Ducks. Andersen was near the top of the league in wins for much of the season and had a chance to possibly earn an all star selection. Andersen started 20 consecutive games at one point putting up a 12-4-4 record during that stretch. Freddie also had a pair of impressive seven game win streaks this season. He was the reason for a lot of Ducks victories as he was a work horse starting in 51 games. He could certainly make a case to be the man in net come game 1 of the first round.

After starting opening night of the regular season in Pittsburgh, John Gibson ( 13-8-0 2.60 GAA .914 SV% 1 Shutout) suffered an unfortunate groin injury during warmups in Colorado on November 2nd. Gibson didn’t return to action for the Ducks until February 10th in a game where he was called upon in relief after 3 quick goals that Florida scored on a struggling Ilya Bryzgalov. Since returning from injury, Gibson has appeared in 19 games earning 11 wins. His numbers have been decent but his flashy saves along with his nothing shall pass me ability at times have stood out. Gibson has recently been called upon to start more and more games, most of which came against playoff teams. Of his 19 appearances since returning from injury, 11 were against teams currently holding a playoff position. Gibson won 7 of those 11 games. Gibson’s recent work load could possibly mean that he will be the man Boudreau calls upon for game 1 of the first round. Since returning on February 10th Gibson has started 19 games. Since February 10th Andersen has started just 8 games, leaving even more question in the goalie drama.

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The western conference playoff race is coming down to the wire. With the Wild and Canucks clinching a playoff berth Tuesday night, the Flames, Jets and Kings are now fighting for a trip to the postseason. The Ducks captured their third straight pacific division title this season and will play one of the two teams that ends up in the wild card slot (Flames, Wild, Jets, Kings). With two games to go in the regular season, the Ducks will likely not know who their first round opponent will be until the weekend rolls around. When Boudreau knows who his team will face in round one, history could play a role in his decision. He may look at Andersen and Gibson’s performances against the round one opponent to find insight on who should get the nod. So, it is time to take a look at Andersen and Gibson’s numbers against those four potential first round opponents

Freddie Andersen:

Calgary Flames- 2-0-1 Record. 9 Goals Against. .897 Save Percentage. Minnesota Wild- 2-0-0 Record. 5 Goals Against. .902 Save Percentage. Winnipeg Jets- 3-0-0 Record. 8 Goals Against. .913 Save Percentage. Los Angeles Kings- 1-0-1 Record. 5 Goals Against. .924 Save Percentage.*Pulled Once.

John Gibson:

Calgary Flames- 1-1-0 Record. 9 Goals Against. .816 Save Percentage. Minnesota Wild- 1-0-0 Record. 1 Goal Against. .970 Save Percentage. Winnipeg Jets- No career starts against the Winnipeg Jets. Los Angeles Kings- 2-0-0 Record. 4 Goals Against. .922 Save Percentage.

The one thing that Boudreau will enjoy when looking at these numbers, both goalies have faired well against these potential first round opponents. The numbers show that Freddie Andersen may be the man deserving the start against all of these teams except for one. Freddie has not played all to well against the Kings. He was pulled from his first start against the Kings this year after giving up 3 goals on 10 shots. Gibson has beaten the Kings twice and was also a difference maker by only giving up 2 goals in each victory. Aside from the Kings, Gibson does not have a ton of experience against these teams which may lead to Andersen getting the start in game 1. But it’s Bruce Boudreau’s decision, which could mean these numbers have absolutely no importance.

The roles have been reversed from last season as Andersen is now the man who carried the load through much of the regular season as Hiller did a year ago. Gibson is now the young gun with less experience just like Andersen was a year ago. Heading into the playoffs last season Andersen had just 28 career starts under his belt. With only two games left this season Gibson has 25 career starts. So the decision is giving the nod to the guy with more experience that has been a work horse all season, or the young gun who has been solid down the stretch showing flashes of brilliance against top teams. The same scenario that Hiller and Andersen brought to Boudreau a year ago.

Surely there will be support along with doubt after the game 1 starter is announced. Boudreau will go with his gut and make a decision that could come back to bite him in the rear. Nobody truly knows what is going to happen or if the decision has already been made. One thing is for sure however, both goalies may be on a short leash with little room for error in the Ducks efforts to avoid another early playoff exit.

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Goalie Drama: Who Starts Game One For The Anaheim Ducks?

By Griffin Foster | Apr 15, 2015

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