Sep 22, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Anaheim Ducks react to the win over the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche defeated the Ducks 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Through three exhibition games, Anaheim Ducks fans have gotten to witness a very minuscule sample size of their team.
Most of the notable Ducks players have participated in this preseason, resulting in a sweep of split-squad games against the Colorado Avalanche, 5-2 and 4-0 on the road and at home respectively. And then yesterday falling 4-0 to the newly named Arizona Coyotes at home.
Major grains of salt will be necessary to take for the three preseason games if you have already prejudged a player based on his performance in just one preseason game.
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In the first official preseason game for the Ducks, the road game against the Colorado Avalanche, the Ducks came back from being down 2-1 entering the third period. Rallying behind the multi-goal game of who else but… Brad Winchester?
Winchester, a former Oiler, Blue, Duck and Shark was invited to Ducks training camp on a professional tryout and scored two goals against the Avs Monday, maybe giving the coaching staff something to think about, if he continues to score, which he most likely won’t.
Other notables in that 5-2 win for the Ducks were: Patrick Maroon who scored a goal, Jakob Silfverberg who scored an empty netter, Andrew Cogliano who also registered a goal, Devante Smith-Pelly who was held off the score sheet and defensemen Sami Vatanen and Mark Fistric who both had assists, with Fistric assisting on the eventual game winning goal.
Some of the youngsters trying to make an impression did a pretty considerable job as well. Louis Leblanc had two assists, William Karlsson had an assist, Stefan Noesen had two shots on net in 13 minutes and 2012 Swedish World Junior sensation Max Friberg had an assist with four shots on net. It was a real solid team win for the Ducks and nice to see a lot of notables getting in on the action early on in the preseason.