Anaheim Ducks: Countdown to the Season Opener- Jakob Silfverberg
Ready or not, the Anaheim Ducks have 33 days left until the puck drops at the season opener in San Jose. The reality that hockey season is a little more than a month away is finally starting to sink in.
Can you believe that hockey season is only a mere 33 days away? The slate has been wiped clean, last season is in the rearview mirror, and I am hopeful that the 2018-19 season is going to be one for the Anaheim Ducks history books. Maybe I am jumping the gun, but I am way too excited and I can’t contain it any longer!
With the 25th anniversary in full swing, the Anaheim Ducks have a lot of excitement in store for Ducks Nation. We have the nostalgic new third jersey’s to look forward to. The October 8th home opener against the Detroit Red Wings will give us plenty of opportunities to reminisce about the Ducks inaugural game in 1993. The jersey retirement for Paul Kariya and Scott Niedermayer will only add to the highly-anticipated celebration.
The Anaheim Ducks will certainly be contenders for the Cup if they give it everything they’ve got this next season. However, there is one question that remains unanswered. Will the Anaheim Ducks need to make some major changes?
Several ideas that have been thrown around include: firing Randy Carlyle, trading Corey Perry, or shaking things up a bit by bringing in a player like Erik Karlsson. All of these scenarios are highly unlikely. Randy Carlyle might have a short leash this season, but his friendship with GM Bob Murray will most likely keep him comfortable behind the bench for one more year. Corey Perry’s contract would probably be too much of a headache to deal with. Chris Bushell explained earlier in the week about why acquiring Karlsson is off the table and the trouble it could cause for Anaheim down the road.
There is, however, one rumor that has been swirling around Ducks Nation and it is still a big possibility. I’m not privy to all of the reasons it was started in the first place. Nevertheless, Jakob Silfverberg’s name has been on the chopping block since before the playoffs even ended. The possibility of him being used as a trading piece has been a hot topic all summer. Although I respect the heck out of the “Silfverbullet”, I can see how trading him could potentially benefit the Ducks.
For the sake of celebration, I’m taking his name off the trading block for just a second. Forget the rumors and the possibility of bringing in more “affordable” players to take his place. He had a great year filled with a lot of accomplishments that Ducks Nation should be proud of. In honor of there being only 33 days left until the season opener, here are some of Jakob Silfverbergs greatest moments of the 2017-18 season.
Doubling the Score
Jakob Silfverberg had a few struggles with his offensive game this season. However, that didn’t stop him from scoring some unbelievable goals. I recently wrote about how a 30-second window can change the course of a game. Silfverberg adds proof to my logic.
On November 9, 2017, the Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks lit up the scoreboard first, scoring a goal at 12:12 of the opening period. However, Anaheim responded a few minutes later with a powerplay goal. The game remained tied until Anaheim scored their second PP goal of the night,16:58 into the second. With one period left to go, it could have been anyone’s game.
Vancouver only needed one goal to tie the game, and they had plenty of time to do it. They had a fighting chance of winning their first contest against the Ducks. Fortunately for the Ducks, Jakob Silfverberg still had a few tricks up his sleeves.
Ben Hutton of the Vancouver Canucks took a penalty one minute before the end of the second period. This gave the Anaheim Ducks a one-man advantage at the start of the third. With 30 seconds left on a power play, “Silf” cashed in on an assist from Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry, giving the Ducks two-goal advantage over their B.C. foes.
Approximately 35 seconds later, JS33 netted his second goal of the night. His ability to score two goals within 35 seconds of one another was not only impressive, but it made his goals the second fastest pair of goals to be scored by a single player in franchise history. The Ducks were ahead 4-1.
The Vancouver Canucks were unable to get another puck past Ryan Miller. The score remained at 4-1 and the Anaheim Ducks won the game.
2017-18 Career Milestones
Every season, a player gains more and more experience. It is their choice on how they utilize it. Jakob Silfverberg hit a few personal milestones last season. The 2017-18 marked his fifth season as an Anaheim Ducks player, and sixth in his career. He played in his 400th career NHL game and is close to passing 400 with Anaheim as well.
He also reached the 200 career NHL point mark, including both his 100th NHL assist and Anaheim assist. Next season he is set to score his 100th NHL career goal (seven away) and 100th Anaheim Ducks goal (17away). Aside from these milestones, Silfverberg has also significantly improved in the faceoff circle. His faceoff percentage went up from 14.3% to 34% in one season.
As I mentioned earlier, he struggled a little bit with his offensive game. However, considering the condition of the Anaheim Ducks early last season, it is somewhat understandable. Despite his struggles, he certainly improved upon his defensive skill set. He is on the shutdown line after all.
A good defensive forward needs to have a level of perseverance. A two-way forward should be able to do more than just create goal scoring opportunities. They must also have the means to create a play that will keep the other team from scoring. Silfverberg had 52 hits at even strength, 61 blocks, and 40 takeaways. That is a pretty steady improvement from his previous seasons.
Silfverberg is set to reach many more milestones during the 2018-19 season.
First Playoff Goal of 2017-18
This is one of my personal favorite Silfverberg moments of the season. Mostly because I remember how painful it was when I tried to cheer while battling a horrible bout of laryngitis.
I understand that many people might disagree with me on this one, but hear me out. I can imagine that it might be difficult for a team to get back on the ice after a shutout loss in their first playoff game of the season. Although the Ducks may not have done it with much grace, they still managed to finally score their first goal in Game 2.
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After a devastating defeat to the San Jose Sharks in Game 1, many people were wondering where the Anaheim Ducks had gone. There were certainly men out on the ice, but none of them looked like the tenacious and determined players we have come to know and love. They looked tired and defeated, most of them had been overplayed or were still healing from injury. However, there were still at least three more games to play.
Entering Game 2, Ducks Nation was very hopeful that a two-day break between games would bring forth a more rejuvenated team. They had worked so hard to get to this point. Now that they were here, they needed to make it count.
Relief flooded the Honda Center 40 seconds into the first period. Jakob Silfverberg took a shot from just outside the top of the circles and rocketed the puck into the net. Many people pass it off as a lucky shot. However, he was open and willing to take the shot. He lit the lamp
for the Ducks.
Next. Anaheim Ducks Monthly Mailbag: August 31, 2018. dark
What was your favorite Jakob Silfverberg moment from the 2017-18 season? Let us know by leaving a comment below or finding us on Facebook/Twitter.