The Anaheim Ducks Have Plenty to be Thankful For This Season

Nov 25, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen (31) during the third period of the Ducks 3-2 win over Calgary Flames at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

1. Consistent Goaltending

The first thing the Ducks should be thankful for has to be steady goaltending. John Gibson suffered a groin injury that doctors said would sideline him for around six weeks. He was injured in the Ducks’ 13th game of the season, so Gibson has missed almost half of the games thus far. In that time, Frederik Andersen has stepped in and played very well as the starting netminder. The Dane has not quite put his stamp on the job, but he has shown that he can handle the rigors of being the number one netminder for the Ducks, a question evaluators, experts, and pundits alike had entering the season. On most nights, Andersen has played well enough to give the Ducks a chance to win, and that kind of consistency is important for a goalie to have. Andersen ranks in the top 10 in save percentage (.922) and in goals against average (2.10). He is also tied for sixth in the NHL with ten wins. With a 10-2-4 record this year, Andersen has a career record of 30-7-4, which is quite impressive for a player who has appeared in 45 games (42 of them starts).