Anaheim Ducks Need To Make Forechecking Primary Part Of Their Gameplan

The Anaheim Ducks identity last season was the big bad bruising team that was going to tenaciously hound your defense on the forecheck. That style is what got them to the western conference finals.

Through the first nine games of this season, we have seen that same forecheck for maybe six or seven periods, the consistency is not there.

Against the Blackhawks, the Ducks did an outstanding job at rushing Chicago’s defense into passes. Without Duncan Keith in Chicago’s lineup, the Ducks were able to dominate most of that game through tenacious forechecking which turned into extra possessions and it led to the Ducks outshooting the Hawks.

That same effort carried over into last night’s game against Dallas, but unfortunately it only lasted for one period.

The Ducks were full of energy in the first period and two of their three goals were directly generated from forechecking.

Andrew Cogliano was hounding Johnny Oduya in behind the Dallas net and he forced him into a bad pass at the blue-line. Jakob Silfverberg picked the pass off and took it the other way which led to Cogliano finding Shawn Horcoff in front for the easy goal.

Just 14 second later Ryan Kesler came flying into the Dallas defensive zone and Alex Goligoski heard footsteps, causing him to turnover the puck behind his own net. Corey Perry swooped in and found Carl Hagelin in front for another doorstep goal.

Two goals that came directly from an absolutely beautiful forecheck.

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Chris Wagner is the least experienced Duck that played last night and yet he seemed to be the only one willing to forecheck and throw the body around during the second and third periods. The least experienced guy was playing the way that the 22 other Ducks should be, the youngster Wagner is setting the tone and it is time for the veterans to wake up.

The name of the game nowadays is analytics. What do analytics discuss and look at, possession numbers.

The Ducks are going to generate those great possession through forechecking vigorously, getting in quickly on the opposing defense which will create extra possessions.

If the Ducks continually forechecked for the final 40 minutes of last nights game, we would likely be discussing two or three more goals that swung in their favor. They would have then dominated the possession game.

Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks /

Anaheim Ducks

We have seen this before, the Ducks get a lead and they sit back on their heels, trying to protect the neutral zone and their own blue-line. Unfortunatley this rarely works, the Ducks are a team that must stay aggressive in order to win.

For the Ducks, their best defense is honestly a great forecheck.

The Ducks will face the St. Louis Blues Thursday night and it could not come at a better time for Anaheim.

The Blues are banged up with injuries and the Ducks will need to take advantage. A tenacious 60 minute forecheck should be the absolute primary point of focus in the game plan.

When Boudreau enters the locker room before the Ducks take the ice, he should write one thing and one thing only on the white board.

‘Forecheck, forecheck, forecheck and then forecheck some more. 60 minute forecheck.’

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