The Anaheim Ducks preseason kicked off on September 18, 2018. Over the course of the preseason, they will face off against three of their Pacific Division rivals. However, things have not gotten off to the best start. Is this cause for concern?
The Anaheim Ducks have yet to win any of their preseason games. Although it is only preseason, this has offered nothing but discouragement to Ducks Nation. We went into the preseason expecting everything we were promised to come to fruition. However, as the week has progressed, we’re seeing another situation a la Chris Kelly and Jason Chimera 2018.
Ducks Nation has been promised numerous times an energetic, speed driven, and a more accountable team. Nevertheless, we have seen anything but. Of course, we’ve seen sparks of a new team, but the sparks are easily snuffed out.
However, there are still multiple factors we have to take into consideration. First of all, the Anaheim Ducks don’t have the best preseason record, to begin with. In fact, in the last five years, they have lost more preseason games than they have won. The 2015-16 season was the last time they had any success during their preseason matchups. Nevertheless, despite their lack of success, the Anaheim Duck haven’t missed the playoffs in six seasons.
Secondly, preseason is the only time Randy Carlyle can experiment with his team without it hurting them in the long run. He has the freedom to switch up lines, take a chance on prospects, and figure out how to effectively use the players on his roster. Since the beginning of preseason, we have yet to see any semblance of the regular season lineup.
Lastly, Ducks camp started on September 14th. That has given our players only eleven days to learn the ropes of the new system. They haven’t had the chance to play together as a team in months. Plus, with such a large roster going into camp, they haven’t had the consistency that is needed to find success with this new style of hockey. This is going to cause a lot of hiccups, but it’s good that it’s happening in the preseason. We need to give them time to figure things out and let everything click.