While he may not seem imposing on the ice, speedster Andrew Cogliano has made an indelible mark on the Anaheim Ducks’ play. While this saying is more applicable to team leaders and superstars, it still holds true for Cogliano: as he goes, the team follows. And lately, that has meant that the team is going in the right direction.
While Cogliano himself has seen a drop in his offensive numbers compared to last season, the Toronto native has notched eight points in his last nine games. Half of his goals on the season have come during that stretch (six goals, two assists), and coincidentally, the Ducks are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, including a solid victory on Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes. In that game, Cogliano scored two more goals, including the eventual game-winner on a tipped shot from Simon Despres.
When Cogliano is on the ice, he has an impact on the game. That effort is not manifested through scoring, but goals and points are not the only way to value a player’s contributions. Cogliano’s relentless efforts on the penalty kill, along with his speed and two-way play at even-strength, are integral for a seemingly rejuvenated Ducks team.
This Ducks team has plenty of new faces after the trade deadline. The team made a flurry of trades that caught not only the league’s attention, but also Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau.
"“It’s almost a different type of team now with the speed that we got,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said."
The Ducks have won six of their past seven games and have recorded three consecutive wins. Thanks to that and the Nashville Predators’ recent four-game losing streak (after they had gone 62 games to start the season without losing two in regulation), both teams are now tied for the league-lead in points, with 89.
After a slow-start offensively, Cogliano’s picked up his point production, and that has a lot to do with the emergence of Rickard Rakell as a strong player for the Ducks. Expect Cogliano to be turned to a bit more for secondary scoring. Recently, Cogliano has been a catalyst for the Ducks’ late comebacks in games, most recently against the Los Angeles Kings and the Eastern Conference rival Detroit Red Wings.
Cogliano, alongside the recently acquired Tomas Fleischmann and Jiri Sekac, makes the Ducks a formidable and faster opponent.
Oh, let’s also not forget that Cogliano set an Anaheim Ducks franchise record against the Coyotes. He broke the Ducks record for most consecutive games played, with 277. Since Cogliano entered the league in the 2007-2008, he has not missed a game in the NHL–quite a feat.
The Ducks clash Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, who are also hot of late, having gone 9-2-2 in their past thirteen games, thanks to the Vezina and Hart Trophy-worthy performance of Carey Price.
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