Pucks of a Feather
Fansided

Anaheim Ducks: The Good, The Bad and Things Fans Want to Forget – Part 3 Amnesia, Please

By Kennyth M

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 18: Joe Pavelski #8 of the San Jose Sharks shakes hands with John Gibson #36 of the Anaheim Ducks in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 18, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joe Pavelski; John Gibson
SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 18: Joe Pavelski #8 of the San Jose Sharks shakes hands with John Gibson #36 of the Anaheim Ducks in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 18, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joe Pavelski; John Gibson /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Anaheim Ducks
DALLAS, TX – MARCH 09: Devin Shore #17 of the Dallas Stars skates the puck against Ryan Kesler #17 of the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at American Airlines Center on March 9, 2018. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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. 

Home/Ducks News