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Anaheim Ducks Choke Away Western Conference Finals – Who’s to Blame?

By Richard Spalding

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Trying to figure out how the Ducks lost a 3-2 series lead?  Here are a few answers.

The Anaheim Ducks’ 2014-2015 season is over, and once again it ends in disappointing fashion.

For the third straight season, the Ducks had a chance to win a Game 7 in its home arena, the Honda Center.

And stop me if you’ve heard this before, but for the third-straight season, the Ducks collapse and lose Game 7, despite having enjoyed a 3-2 series lead.

Frustrating doesn’t even begin to describe how predictable this story is becoming.   Anaheim’s opponents may be different – Detroit one year, Los Angeles the next, and now Chicago – but much of the organization, from the front office down to the coaching staff and ending with the players sitting on the bench, remain the same.

As do the results, unfortunately.

Naturally, fans want to know what is going wrong with this team – why can’t a team that has finished the regular season as the best team in the Western Conference three years in a row close out a seven-game series?  More importantly, how is it possible that such a team has not even earned the right to play for, much less lift, Lord Stanley’s Cup?

Those are good questions to ask, and you know Anaheim’s front office is asking those same questions as we speak.  I expect some changes to be made within the next weeks and months – but who is to blame the most for Anaheim’s perennial under-achieving?

Before Saturday, our very own Griffin Foster wrote that Bruce Boudreau absolutely had to win Game 7.  It didn’t take long for Twitter to place a large amount of the blame on Boudreau’s shoulders once it became clear that the Ducks were not going to win.

Of course, as many astute readers pointed out during the game, the coach isn’t the one on the ice playing the game:

Ryan Getzlaf turned in two stinkers in a row – more on that in a bit – and Anaheim’s defense looked terrible in Games 6 and 7.  We all talk about how maybe Boudreau is just a regular season coach – can it be the roster has some players who are great in the regular season, but don’t have a second gear come playoff time?

There’s another player who deserves to be in this conversation, too: Frederik Andersen.  After singing his praises halfway through the series, I am now uncertain as to whether he is the goaltender of the future for the Ducks.  I’m not willing to jump to conclusions just yet – hell, he’s only 25 – but he did everything he could to lose Game 5 for the Ducks, and then allowed 5 goals on only 26 shots last night, good for a save percentage of .808.  Freddie shouldn’t fear his job, in my opinion, but how much of the blame for this disappointing end sits on his shoulders?

We here at Pucks of a Feather will be breaking down the performances of Anaheim’s coaching staff and players in the days to come, but it’s time for you fans to voice your opinion.  Vote in the poll, and share your explanations in the comments sections below!

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