Anaheim Ducks: Recap of the Preseason Thus Far

May 12, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson (36) during game five of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center. The Ducks defeated the Kings 4-3 to take a 3-2 series lead. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

At home again last night, the Ducks had their previous result flipped on them. With a very weak lineup, the Ducks lost 4-0 to the Arizona Coyotes. The Ducks had a very minor league oriented lineup last night while on the other side, the Coyotes had themselves the same. A lineup dominated by unfamiliar names to most fans of the game. Justin Hodgman, a 26-year-old undrafted center, scored two goals, while Lucas Lessio and NHL regular David Moss both added goals to the Coyotes 4-0 win.

John Gibson was in net, stopping just 25 of 29 for an .862 SV%. I  really don’t want to be over-critical of a performance that is the first of someone’s preseason, but Gibson certainly under-performed in this game. Yes, Anaheim had a very young and inexperienced lineup that lacked depth and certainly looked atrocious on paper, but Arizona (Still getting used to calling them that) had a lineup that posed just as few threats that the Ducks did, if not fewer.

These were some of the players who would be considered notables for the Coyotes last night: Rob Klinkhammer, Kyle Chipchura, David Moss, David Schlemko and Michael Stone.

There was no Shane Doan, no Martin Hanzal, no Sam Gagner, no Mikkel Boedker and no Keith Yandle in the lineup for the Coyotes. Their lineup last night was filled with AHL at best talent. A lineup like that should not be able to light up Gibson for four goals and hopefully Gibson was aware of what he was facing and can rebound his next start. Hopefully it can be a wake up call for him.

Obviously it was a tough start for Gibson to say the least. But he wasn’t too down on himself or the team after the loss.

“I think it was a learning experience, obviously we had a lot of young guys and I think we could probably use a little more skating, I mean obviously I had some I would’ve liked to have back, but you play preseason games to make mistakes and learn from them. It’s preseason so obviously chemistry is obviously not all there yet.” When asked what the best thing he could takeaway from a night like this was, Gibson responded with “I thought I fought a lot better as the game went on, obviously it was the first game in a while.”

Boudreau commented on Gibson’s game, saying: “I think it was uneven, like I mean I think he’d like to have a couple of those shots back and at the same time, as the game went on, I thought he was having to make better saves. It’s his first game. It’s something his character will come through in this.”

Judging by both goalies mannerisms in their post-game interviews, they both really didn’t seem to see much into the result they had earned or in Gibson’s case, failed to earn.