Anaheim Ducks: The Good, The Bad and Things Fans Want to Forget – Part 3 Amnesia, Please
Another NHL season is officially in the books. Kenny Marcial takes a final look back at the Anaheim Ducks in 2017-18 with his three-part series. Today, Part 3 – Help me forget, closes it out.
In the previous two parts, I reviewed the good and bad aspects of the 2017-2018 season. In the third part, I will be focusing on the things fans want to forget about. Like a coach who throws away the game tape of a lackluster performance, fans would like to throw out the following memories.
The injuries
Heading into the season, Anaheim Ducks fans understood several of the team’s most important players would be missing, at least initially. Two of the Ducks top four defensemen (Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm) were on the shelf with shoulder injuries and the shutdown center, Ryan Kesler, was expected to miss half the season. What took everyone by surprise was the injuries that mounted up during the season.
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- Patrick Eaves played only two games before his diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Ryan Getzlaf took a puck to the face and ended up missing 26 games on the season.
- Cam Fowler hurt his knee and missed the entire playoffs. Surprisingly, he missed more games than Lindholm did in 2017-18.
- Ondrej Kase was practically decapitated by L.A.’s Kurtis MacDermid. His resulting injury caused Kase to miss 10+ games.
- Corey Perry injured his knee and missed 11 games.
- Kevin Bieksa broke his hand which caused him to miss several games down the stretch. To be honest, it was nice having him out of the lineup, but it was
The above injuries in addition to all the nagging maladies that we will never officially know about (among which I believe Silfverberg was dealing with), meant the Ducks didn’t stand a chance at having success in the playoffs.
Tragically Hip
Although I address injuries in the previous point, Kesler’s deserves its own segment, as it’s a nightmare unto itself. RK17 managed to play in 44 regular season games. He made it that far because he would often skip practice in favor of physical therapy.
Kesler played with a noticeable lack of speed and labored through every shift. Fans admired at his ability to play through the injury but questioned if he would be better off rehabilitating. Little did they know how right they were.
Elliot Friedman reported not only is it possible Kesler misses the 2018-19 season, but his career could be in jeopardy. This was sobering news to Ducks Nation. Consequently, Anaheim enters next season with only two healthy centers under contract (Getzlaf, Adam Henrique), who have NHL experience.
I don’t envy Ducks GM Bob Murray in this situation, but I have faith he will address his team’s center depth during the offseason. All fans can do is pray for Kesler. Hopefully, the stories of his demise are being greatly exaggerated.
Anaheim Ducks playoff performance… or lack thereof
Any delusions of grandeur Anaheim Ducks fans had, came to an abrupt halt shortly after the first round began. All season Anaheim’s mantra read, “If the Ducks can weather the storm until everyone is healthy, they will be the team to beat.” It was a nice sentiment, but hockey isn’t played with pen and paper, but rather sticks and pucks.
The team’s close of the season gave their fans false hope. All too quickly, the veneer was ripped to shreds and instead the same fans were left disappointed for the remainder of the playoffs.
Everyone underestimated the toll of playing half the season behind the 8-ball would take on the Anaheim Ducks. In addition to emotional exhaustion, the ongoing slew of injuries led to an embarrassing playoff effort. There was a nice façade for a short time, it helped keep fair-weather fans from bailing on the team down the stretch. The horror is over, let us move on and never speak of it again.
Captain of a sinking ship
As Getzlaf goes, so goes the Ducks. The adage never rang truer than on April 16, 2018. Down 2-0 in their best of seven series, a year’s worth of struggles bubbled their way to the surface. His emotional pendulum came crashing down right after the puck dropped in Game 3.
In what can only be described as a 60-minute tantrum, Getzlaf constantly berated the referees. Undoubtedly, the zebras missed some calls, but Getzlaf didn’t do his team any favors by verbally abusing the officials. After an obvious and needless slash, Getzlaf lost all restraint and the nationally televised audience were cringing at the Ducks demise. The rest of the Ducks followed suite culminating in nearly 30 penalty minutes in the match.
Unfairly, Getzlaf has been held responsible for much of Anaheim’s record-setting playoff failures. He is by far the most talented Ducks player and possibly the franchise’s best player ever. Not only is Getzlaf responsible for the team’s on-ice success, but he sets an example for how his teammates should act off it, as well. Be that as it may, his actions that night were a poor example of how a captain should handle themselves.
What happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas
Losing someone via expansion to Las Vegas was inevitable, but an exempt Shea Theodore was very unexpected. On the surface it made sense. Multiple players needed protection in expansion and Bieksa (among others) had a dreaded no-movement clause in his contract.
As consideration for their expansion draft selection of injured defenseman Clayton Stoner and his $3.3M contract, the Ducks sent Theodore to the desert. Everyone’s happy, right? If only things were that simple.
The Shea Hey Kid couldn’t crack the Knights lineup and Montour was off to a fast start for us; Ducks Nation was at peace. Theodore eventually worked his way into Vegas’ lineup and played well. His stellar playoff performances left Ducks fans everywhere muttering to themselves about how Murray was “duped” by his Vegas counterpart, George McPhee.
Next: 6 Anaheim Ducks summer predictions
I relegated myself to a coy cheer at his struggles when “Ye Olde Capitals” lay siege to the inferior Golden Knights castle of dreams. Taketh that vile foe! Taketh that… hold me.