A North-South Migration is What the Ducks Need to Beat Dallas
By Tucker Muse
The Anaheim Ducks are back at the Honda Center to face the Dallas Stars for the first time this season. The Ducks, who just finished a four-game road trip, are currently riding a three-game win streak. For a team who’s yet to win four games in a row, there’s a real opportunity to stay hot!
The opportunities don’t stop there though. Oh no, no, no. That’s because due to the play of conference foes, the Ducks were bumped out of a playoff spot. However, all is not lost, as a win tonight will resolidify Anaheim as a playoff team.
East-West
While the Ducks are 3-3-0 against the Stars over the past two seasons, tonight’s game is no coin flip. That’s because Dallas has a new goalie manning the crease. Last summer the Stars signed 6’7” goaltender Ben Bishop, and as a result, they’re now a serious threat.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t there. Bishop has been Anaheim’s kryptonite throughout his career. Against the Ducks, he boasts a career 7-0-2 record with a .954 SV% and an otherworldly 1.24 GAA. To have scored 11 goals in nine games is an absolute embarrassment. The Ducks must put an end to that — tonight!
North-South
With a playoff spot and a chance to redeem themselves on the line, tonight is the night for redemption. Perimeter hockey has not worked against Bishop. Therefore, in order for the Ducks to have success Anaheim’s going to have to get inside and outwork Dallas. Most importantly, they have to put the puck on net.
Scoring against Bishop is what this game boils down to, and fortunately the Ducks have been getting contributions from multiple lines. For the past two weeks, it’s been the Ritchie-Henrique-Kase show, but Monday’s win against the Golden Knights was due to the Kesler line and Ryan Getzlaf making an impact. For these reasons, if there was ever a time to shake this inexplicable Bishop curse.