Ducks Sunday Editorial: Hey! We’re the Notorious Comeback Kids

Forty seconds into the opening period of Game Two, the Silfver-bullet, Jakob Silfverberg scored the Anaheim Ducks first goal of the WCQF series.

I was instantly on my feet and cheering as loudly as one can with laryngitis. “Oh Ah Silfverberg!”, a different Anaheim Ducks team had shown up on the ice. The notorious “Comeback Kids” were ready to make their appearance, and I was ready for a piece of Round One victory.

However, as much as the Ducks pushed, they fell short. They couldn’t get the third goal they desperately needed to keep them in the game. San Jose ended up winning Game Two, 3-2, and I ended the night with nails chomped down to the quick.

I was frustrated and I had so many questions about how we would overcome this 2-0 game deficit. To say the least, it was a smart decision for me to shut the game off before the postgame show started and get off social media. All of the distasteful questions fizzled away, but one question remained unanswered.

“How many times have I wrote off the Ducks, and they come back to prove me wrong?”

The more I began to investigate this question, the more my confidence in the Ducks was restored. That’s why I think a reminder is needed before game three. The Anaheim Ducks are notoriously called “The Comeback Kids” for a reason.

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Ducks vs Jets (March 31st, 2014)

The Ducks saw a familiar face on the ice during this game. Evander Kane, who gave the Ducks a lot of trouble recently in Round One against the Sharks, had an assist on Matt Halischuk’s goal. Giving Winnipeg their second goal of the night.

Period one ended 2-0, and a comeback was still feasible.

However, with period two underway, Blake Wheeler scored goal three, thirty-three seconds in. When Eric Tangradi scored Winnipeg’s fourth goal of the night, a win for the Ducks seemed pretty close to impossible.

Nick Bonino, at 17:44 in period two, scored Anaheim’s first goal of the night. However, the likelihood of pulling off a win was slim to none.

Yet, Anaheim came into period three at full force. Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm scored a goal apiece within a minute of one another. With the game still written off as a loss, Corey “Scorey” Perry got one past Pavelec with 22 seconds left in the game.

Overtime started, and sixteen second in, Stephane Robidas scores the game-winning goal. Leading the Ducks to victory in one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history.

2017 Playoffs: Anaheim vs Edmonton

May 2017, in the second round series against Edmonton, the Ducks started out in a similar manner to the current series against San Jose. The Ducks fell to Edmonton in Games One and Two, leaving the Ducks and their fans a little devastated. There was little hope that the Ducks would move on to the third round.

The Ducks won the next two games to tie the series at 2-2.

Game Five, May 5, 2017, the Ducks had a miracle comeback. In the third period, the Ducks were down by three goals with four minutes left. However, in a jaw-dropping turn of events, Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler, and Rickard Rakell managed to score three goals in the span of about three minutes. This forced the game into overtime, and when neither team scored, sent it into a second OT. With the assistance of a cross-ice pass from Captain Ryan Getzlaf, the puck connected with Corey Perry’s stick. Perry faked out Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot and sent the puck soaring into the back of the net with ease.

Edmonton tied the series up, again, in game six, but Anaheim came back to win game seven. They then advanced to the third-round against Nashville.

Giving Up Is Not An Option

It is easy to watch the Ducks performance in the last two games, and write the first series off as a loss. However, in the years that I’ve been watching and following the Ducks, I’ve noticed that losing motivates them to come back and be better.

This season is proof that they live up to their nickname “The Comeback Kids.” They bounced back and forth between the first and second wildcard spot during the race for the playoffs. They almost lost their shot at even making it. Yet, they somehow ended with a five-game winning streak and stole the second place Pacific spot from San Jose. If that doesn’t qualify as a comeback, I don’t know what does!

Next: Anaheim Ducks – Upon Further Review – WCQF Game 2

This series isn’t over yet, but these games against the Sharks are going to be long and grueling. As die-hard Ducks fans, we are allowed to get frustrated and we’re allowed to feel defeated. However, as Ducks Nation, let’s not give up on our team!