Anaheim Ducks: Keys to Opening Night Win
Sep 28, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Emerson Etem (16) celebrates with his team after scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
The Anaheim Ducks’ mediocre preseason ended on a high note, thanks to some late game heroics by Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry. In a game that saw the Ducks dominate for extended stretches of play, the team stared a 1-0 deficit and a fifth straight loss to end their preseason. However, Kesler knotted things up with 52 seconds to play, and then Perry won it in overtime with a power-play bomb to send the Ducks into the regular season with a quality win.
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Now, the games really count, as the Ducks go head-to-head against Pittsburgh Penguins in the igloo. Some will look at the four game road-trip to start the season as a negative, but I believe the opposite is true. Getting a chunk of the games in the Eastern Conference out of the way early isn’t so bad, as that lessens the travel load later in the season.
Also, the team has some new faces, and road trips are a great opportunity for further team-building, as guys spend more time together now than in the preseason. The camaraderie and bonds are an excellent thing to have happen right at the beginning of the season: it makes sense that players should perform better if they play with and for people they want to be around. Also, the Ducks have to be ready for a tough one from the outset, taking on a strong Penguins right away.
This team has star power and should be one of the favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference. In order to start the season strong, here are some things the Ducks must do on Thursday.
Win the Special Teams Battle
Sep 28, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Martin Jones (31) blocks a shot attempted by Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
It was no secret that the Ducks’ power-play struggled for major stretches last season. Despite the Ducks’ periodic ineptitude with the man advantage, the team finished with the best record in the Western Conference, accumulated 116 points, and were one win away from the Western Conference Finals. The team also led the league in goals scored, mostly from the team (especially Ryan Getzlaf) dominating at even strength. Imagine the kinds of statistics the players could have put up with a strong power-play.
This year, the Ducks will most likely add Kesler and Dany Heatley to the first power-play unit. That combination of Perry, Kesler, and Heatley up front with Getzlaf and either Cam Fowler or Sami Vatanen manning the points should be improved from last year, when the Ducks utilized Patrick Maroon and either Mathieu Perreault or Nick Bonino on the top unit for stretches.
Against Pittsburgh, the Ducks should try to cash in on the two or three power play opportunities they should get. The Penguins are a team with a lot of offensive talent and firepower, and converting limited opportunities and solid chances against good teams is a component that all good teams must have.
Of course, one cannot talk about special teams without mentioning the penalty kill. The Ducks should be shorthanded more often than they will have the man advantage on Thursday, being on the road. Lost in the shuffle of the offseason was the low-key acquisition of Nate Thompson from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is a hard-working center that is going to help the Ducks in the face-off circle and when shorthanded.
This should help ease the workload for both Getzlaf and Kesler, who can still be effective, but not required in every situation. Thompson, Andrew Cogliano, Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell need to limit the Penguins opportunities and negate guys like Sidney Crosby. The Penguins are lethal with the man advantage, and neutralizing special teams, an area where Pittsburgh has had tremendous success in recent years, will be critical if the Ducks want to start the season with a win.
Don’t be mesmerized by stars
May 13, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) waits for the puck drop on a face-off against the New York Rangers during the second period in game seven of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Rangers won 2-1 and took the series 4 games to 3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Evgeni Malkin has said that he is “50/50” for Thursday night, but the Penguins still boast players such as Crosby, Chris Kunitz, and Kris Letang. They’re all electric playmakers, but they aren’t the most physical of players. The Penguins are a team that relies on their elite, high-end skill to win games, and they will most likely win if their opposition isn’t aggressive with them from the outset. The Ducks like to play a physical game with a tenacious forecheck, similar to most of the strong teams in the Pacific Division.
Players such as Getzlaf, Perry, Heatley, Kesler, Maroon, and Devante Smith-Pelly love to throw the body around and dish out checks, and they’re supplemented by physical players such as Clayton Stoner on the blue-line. The Ducks need to establish a physical tone early.
The Penguins have notably struggled the past few years against physical teams, including a thrashing by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 playoffs and a thoroughly dominating performance from the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals. Even the Columbus Blue Jackets gave the Penguins all they could handle in six tough games last postseason.
If the Ducks can establish their cycle game early, then it will wear Pittsburgh out as the game goes on, and their players may be more prone to making mistakes with the puck.
Shots, shots, and more shots
Sep 28, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Emerson Etem (16) attempts a shot defended by Los Angeles Kings defender Vincent LoVerde (50) during the third period at Honda Center. The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks with a final score of 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Every coach will say that it is never a bad idea to put the puck on the net: one of the most resounding hockey adages is “Throw the puck on net, and good things will happen”. The Ducks went stretches of periods, and even games, without getting the puck on net consistently.
The team strung together series of games where they would get outshot, and this really came to the forefront in the playoffs against both Dallas and Los Angeles. Goals come from shots, so the Ducks need to make it a priority to pressure Marc-Andre Fleury with shots. Fleury has shown he can stand on his head some nights, but there are also many nights when he’s off. The Ducks need to attack, as the Penguins have question marks in goal. The team also lost Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen from their blue-line, which means they could be susceptible to some early-season struggles on the back end.
Goals, whether they come from slapshots at the blue-line, on wrap-arounds, or from crashing the net and potting a rebound, are still goals. They should come with a large volume of shots. The more shots the Ducks put on goal, the more the team will test Fleury and establish that rugged forecheck in the dirty areas. Having and keeping the puck in the offensive zone is a great way to both generate offense on one end and limit it on the other. Again, the Penguins like to break out of the zone and beat teams in transition with a combination of their skill and speed.
By making them work to retrieve the puck, the Penguins may try to press in the offensive zone and force some opportunities. Combining that with the physical nature of the Ducks’ forecheck, and Pittsburgh might make enough errors to cost them a game.
Sep 22, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Dany Heatley (51) celebrates with his team after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
These keys may seem simple, but a simple strategy doesn’t have to be an ineffective one. There is no need to try and get cute with the style of play: the best way for any team to play is to focus on its strengths and do those things well. By doing these things, the Ducks should be put in a good position to succeed.
Even though this is just one game in an 82 game gauntlet, each of the 82 games is important. The goal should be to improve as individual players and as a team with each practice, each day, and each game, so that the team can hopefully be playing its best in April and May. 1-0-0 looks much better than 0-1-0 or 0-0-1, and if the Ducks succeed in the areas mentioned above they’ll leave Pittsburgh with the first result, instead of one of the latter two.
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