The Anaheim Ducks Are Surging, Ready For The Playoffs
With the best record in the NHL of 19-4-1 since Christmas, the Anaheim Ducks have surged into a playoff position in the Pacific Division, 2 points behind their cross-town rivals the L.A. Kings. Are they playoff ready?
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs just two months away and the Trade Deadline now a week away, what was once a team stuck looking for answers is now one with the tenacity and winning mentality we were all waiting for.
A combination of some crucial changes for the Ducks have led to this success and resurgence of a winning attitude: a dedication to a defense-first mentality and the emergence of new additions David Perron and Ryan Garbutt who have added scoring depth and grit.
David Perron has been electric since his fresh start in Anaheim. He has been slotted on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and they have developed some strong chemistry.
In 43 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Perron managed just 4 goals and 12 assits for a total of 16 points. Since his arrival in Anaheim, he has tallied 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points in just 15 games. His nose for the net and ability to control the puck in the dirty areas has meshed well with the Ducks and Perron is a key reason to Getzlaf’s personal resurgence to point-per-game performances.
Perron’s self-confidence in finding his game could prove to be a difference maker down the stretch for the Ducks.
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Ryan Garbutt has 3 goals and 1 assist in 13 games with the Ducks which is a bonus for his style of play. There’s no secret about it, he’s not a flashy player but he brings intensity and consistency to the lineup every night. He replaced a turnover machine in Jiri Sekac, who many Ducks fans were ecstatic to see go.
Garbutt will prove to be a steady force on the fourth line throughout the playoffs that can bring it every night.
Along with two key additions to the lineup, within the team there has been a massive refocus to playing defense the right way. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has hammered the point home that the Ducks offense comes as a result of taking care of business in their own end.
It has worked thus far as the Ducks find themselves 3rd in the league in shots allowed per game (27.6) and 5th in the league in goals against (138). Look for this to continually get better as the Ducks focus on playing consistently the rest of the way this year.
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- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
The plethora of Ducks talent on the back end has emerged this season and led many to believe a trade would be imminent before the deadline next week. The recent seven-game road trip that saw the Ducks tear through the country with a 5-1-1 record made a statement to the front office of the Ducks: don’t change a thing.
The temptation for a deadline deal is still their to try and add one more offensive depth forward to push them the extra step. With all of the Ducks defenseman playing so well, it would seem foolish to move one for what would likely be a rental.
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The chemistry seems to be clicking for the Ducks at the moment and with confidence in their game right now, the old saying applies here: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.