Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks: Five reasons to stay positive

By Ciara Durant

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 22: Francois Beauchemin #23 and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks warm up as fans hold up signs during Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night before the game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 22, 2014 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 22: Francois Beauchemin #23 and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks warm up as fans hold up signs during Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night before the game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 22, 2014 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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#1 The Goalies

Anaheim Ducks
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 04: Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson (36) deflects a shot during the first period of a game against the Chicago Blackhawks played on March 4, 2018. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

If you want proof that Anaheim is still good, look no further than our men in the net.

Fact, John Gibson is a brick wall who carried the team on his back most of the season. However, let’s not forget the secret weapon, Ryan Miller, who stepped up at the pinnacle of our desperation.

There are not many other teams in the league who can say that they have two outstanding netminders on their roster. Based on stats alone, they were both ranked among the top ten goaltenders in the league.

John Gibson

John Gibson ranked number eight among goaltenders. He ended the season at 31-18-7 with a save percentage of .926%, which is phenomenal.  However, if you look deeper into his stats against other goalies in the league, that’s where things start to look impressive.

Four goalies who had a higher save percentage than Gibson played half as many games as he did. Of the seven other goalies, John Gibson saved 450 or more shots than all but one of them. Not only did John Gibson play more games than all of the goalies who rank higher than him, he had the aptitude to save more shots than them.

With that in mind, statistics aren’t always a good indication of a players performance. John Gibson was also rumored to be a potential Vezina trophy nominee. This accolade is awarded to the goaltender who is best attuned to his position. It’s inarguable if you have followed Anaheim for any length this season, that John Gibson carried Anaheim.

Unfortunately, he won’t win the Vezina this season because he missed too many games with injuries. However, I see him earning the prestige of this award in the near future.

Ryan Miller

The 37-year-old veteran goaltender has yet to lose his swagger in the net. He ranks fifth, statistically, among goalies in the NHL. However, like I mentioned before, statistics aren’t always a good indication of a players performance.

Though Ryan Miller played significantly less than frontman John Gibson, he proved his worth to the team. Ending the season at 12-6-6, Miller stepped up in the midst of what could have been a horrific Anaheim meltdown.

Losing your star goalie to injury can be devastating for a team. Especially when you don’t have a backup goalie you can necessarily trust.

Ryan Miller was the stepping stone many of us had to put our feet on, to have faith in Anaheim during uncertainty. Knowing you have a backup goalie who can be counted on helps us fans breathe a little easier during games when John Gibson isn’t dressing.

Bringing Miller in this season is beneficial for Gibson in more ways than one. He knows that his team is in capable hands, when he sits out. Miller, being a veteran netminder, can also serve as a mentor to Gibson while the young goaltender perfects his craft in the crease.

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