Anaheim Ducks Three Stars of the Week October 9-15

Week two proved to be more of a challenge for the Anaheim Ducks than week one. They ended with a 1-1-1 record. However, they’re still sitting at the top of the Pacific, in large part thanks to our three stars of the week.

The Anaheim Ducks saw many similarities between week one and two. However, the Ducks relied a lot on luck and the phenomenal goaltending of John Gibson to bail them out after their short-comings caught up to them.

Week one, the Ducks finished with an impressive 3-0-0 record and sole possession of the top spot in the Pacific Division. They still maintain their spot in the number one slot of the Pacific Division, but they struggled, having a less impressive week two with a 1-1-1 record in three games.

The Ducks lost in a shootout against division rivals, the Arizona Coyotes. They also had their worst game of the season in a brutal collapse against the Dallas Stars. Anaheim saw their three-goal lead evaporate in under ten minutes. Finishing off the week, the Anaheim Ducks looked their best against the St. Louis Blues. It was quite possibly their most competitive game, top to bottom, of this short season.

A lot of our players had a good week, which made it hard for us to choose our three stars. Nevertheless, three players came out on top. Without further ado, let’s get to a couple honorable mention before diving into the three stars of the week.

Anaheim Ducks Honorable Mentions

Kiefer Sherwood: Kiefer Sherwood continues to show that he should not be slept on. He didn’t have a monster week on the stat sheet, but he did log his first career goal which is always exciting. He showed some physicality, managing 5 hits in 3 games.

Sherwood may not have shown up on the stat sheet as much as he would have liked, but similar to Silfverberg, his contributions were hard to quantify. The young forward plays the game at a pace that is reminiscent of Ondrej Kase last year, always going full speed and infusing energy into the lineup that is contagious.

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He is proving to be an invaluable piece to this team’s depth, and if this week is a sign of things to come Ducks fans will be in for a treat!

Ben Street: Somehow in an off-season filled with lackluster acquisitions Ben Street was hardly even mentioned when recaps of the off-season happened. Most conversations were set around the depth forward pickups of Brian Gibbons, Carter Rowney, and the addition of the depth defenders Andrej Sustr and Luke Schenn.

Despite getting the least attention among the acquisitions, Street has arguably been the most productive of the five. The 31-year-old old journeyman is following in the footsteps that Derek Grant left last season. He has scored his first career goal and passed his career high in points before Halloween.

Street had his biggest week as an NHLer posting 2 goals and finishing with a +1 rating. It’s always good to see feel-good stories in the NHL and seeing someone like Street thrive, despite little fanfare, is certainly one of those stories.

Anaheim Ducks Third Star of the Week: Jakob Silfverberg

Jakob Silfverberg maintains his lead as the top point and goal scorer for the Ducks. With seven points and three goals respectively, Silfverberg has been dangerous on both sides of the puck. Watching him find the scoring touch, that somewhat eluded him last season, is promising.

Silfverberg managed to score two goals this week. He also posted an even plus/minus rating and a blocked shot. While Silf didn’t show up as much on the stat sheet this week, it didn’t mean he wasn’t as impressive. He and his linemates set the tone for all of the Anaheim Ducks forwards.

Unfortunately, Silfverberg’s week ended prematurely, suffering a hand injury during the game against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. To this point, there’s no update on the Swedish sharp-shooter, but we’re certainly hoping it’s not another addition to the long list of injuries requiring missed time the Ducks have encountered recently.

Anaheim Ducks Second Star of the Week: Hampus Lindholm

Hampus Lindholm continued to impress with a strong offensive and defensive game this week. Managing to secure five assists in three games, he backed that up with a +1 rating, 2 hits, and 6 blocked shots. He has, thus far, led the way for Ducks defender.

The Ducks defense has been quite shaky but Lindholm has not let that affect his game. While he didn’t show up in the goal column this week, he led the team in assists and overall points for the week. Lindholm sits only one point out of the team lead in points, despite playing defense.

This is one of the more impressive offensive starts we’ve seen out of the usually defensively minded Lindholm. It is certainly a nice change of pace to see him pick up the slack that has been prevalent due to a slow start from Cam Fowler and Brandon Montour.

Anaheim Ducks First Star of the Week: John Gibson

It is no surprise that no one has yet to usurp John Gibson from our first-star spot. The young goaltender continues to dominate when he’s in the net. Despite only playing two games this week, allowing six goals, and having his weekly save percentage sitting at only .928%, it is irrational to blame John Gibson for the performance of this team.

Gibson stood on his head during both games he played. His .949% save percentage against the Coyotes was textbook. Even though he only posted a .909% save percentage against the Dallas Stars, he faced 44 shots in two periods. JG36 was under constant siege by the Stars forwards, pressuring him and constantly making contact with him.

It is unreasonable to expect much more of out any goalie in a situation like that. John Gibson has continued to be the Anaheim Ducks best player, and we feel he’s earned yet another first start nod this week.

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