Anaheim Ducks Daily Links: Clash of Superstar Duos

Good afternoon, Anaheim Ducks fans! The Ducks finally return home to Honda Center after a five-game road-trip where the team went 2-2-1. Despite some major adversity, where the Ducks lost three games in a row during the trip, the Ducks finished off the trip with a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes thanks to a tremendous 35-save outing from John Gibson.

Now, the Ducks return home for two games against Eastern Conference opponents who they just faced on this last road-trip. The Ducks begin the return home with a rematch against the Washington Capitals, who defeated the Ducks 3-2 in a shootout on February 6th. Nicklas Backstrom netted the shootout winner against Ilya Bryzgalov, as the Ducks dropped the first of three consecutive games on their most recent road-trip.

It will be a clash between two superstar duos. The Capitals have Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Backstrom is fifth in the NHL in scoring, with 57 points, while his 41 assists are second only to Jakub Voracek. Ovechkin has 34 goals, second only to Rick Nash in the NHL, while his 15 power-play goals are second only to Joe Pavelski. Meanwhile, the Ducks counter with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, another one of the NHL’s feared dynamic-duos. Getzlaf missed the game against the Capitals on the 6th.

As the March 2nd trade deadline draws nearer, more rumors swirl regarding the team. The biggest commodity in the NHL today is arguably the right-shot defenseman, and two are already off the market, with the Winnipeg Jets acquiring Tyler Myers and the Nashville Predators trading for Cody Franson (among other players).

The Ducks have eight games remaining until the March 2nd deadline. The Ducks’ biggest need is arguably that right-shot defenseman, but like many hot commodities, there exists only a limited supply. In the Western Conference, eight points separate the 8th place team (Calgary) from the 12th place team (Colorado). In fact, the Avalanche are closer to a playoff berth than they are to the 13th place Arizona Coyotes (who are 10 points back of the 12th spot). That eliminates a number of potential suitors, as one hot-stretch could put a team right back in realistic playoff hopes (such as the Minnesota Wild after acquiring Devan Dubnyk).

In the Eastern Conference, the situation is a bit clearer. The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have already made big moves towards the future. The Carolina Hurricanes could be on their way, with players such as Andrej Sekera, Jay McClement, and Jiri Tlusty available. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils have 51 points, the same as the Maple Leafs, so they could look to unload some players, such as Cam Atkinson and Jaromir Jagr, respectively.

The trade deadline is an entertaining time of the year: “playing GM” is a terrific way to spend time and gain knowledge about the game, especially for the curious. With how fascinating the art of roster construction is, plus the “stretch-run” time of the regular-season, this is arguably the best part of the 82-game schedule (because no amount of giddy speculation or adding “shiny” pieces tops the intensity of actual playoff hockey). The Ducks have eight games left until the deadline and 26 games left overall before (hopefully) they are making a playoff run.

The Ducks have yet to clinch a playoff berth: their “magic number” for a playoff-spot is 41. That number for the Pacific Division title is 43. Barring catastrophic collapse, the Ducks will be playing in the “second season”, and the time is quickly approaching. This is the time where good habits need to be formed and nurtured, while bad habits need to be fixed.

Here are some Ducks and NHL news to keep the day moving.