No Mountain High Enough for Anaheim Ducks, Cap Month With Win
The Anaheim Ducks topple Avalanche to sweep the regular season series as the quest of consistency continues in the second half.
The squad got off to a slow start in the first period, being outshot 13-8.
John Gibson made 23 saves on 24 shots, looking more steady than he did versus Edmonton.
Final. 1. 103. 5. 105
Encore, Do You Want More?
Jakob Silfverberg returned to the line-up after missing four games with an upper body injury.
He notched two goals and three points tonight, including scoring the icebreaker midway through the first.
The time he got injured could not have been more perfect.
Of course you don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but the All-Star break allowed Silfverberg to fully recover without missing more games.
Leadership:
Getting one player back from injury is good enough. But getting two?
Nate Thompson made his return logging 9:54 minutes, two of which on the penalty kill.
He isn’t flashy player which is why his return doesn’t make people who don’t follow the team bat an eye.
But his skill in the face-off dot and winning puck battles along the boards could translate to higher puck possession and ideal zone position.
His grit is what we need down the stretch and in the play-offs.
He Can Do That?
Korbinian Holzer scored his first goal as an Duck since doing the team two years ago.
It ended his 100-game goalless streak and it is only his third career NHL goal.
To further illustrate: Holzer has 75 shots on goal in his career compared to Ryan Getzlaf’s 80 from this season, a player often criticized for not shooting more.
Additional Notes:
The Anaheim Ducks have killed 28 of the last 29 penalties, spanning ten games.
Next: Importance Of Winning Increases As Second Half Begins
Anaheim has two full days of rest before their next name on Friday versus Florida.