Anaheim Ducks vs Carolina Hurricanes: The Perfect Storm
The Anaheim Ducks are looking for the third win of their five-game road trip, and tonight they’re headed straight for Hurricane country. Will the Ducks get caught in the middle of a perfect storm or will the winds of change come in and save them from devastation?
After a difficult loss to the Nashville Predators, the Anaheim Ducks seemed to have found some momentum during the Florida portion of their road trip. They have managed to snatch four of the six possible points so far on their trip. Their season record currently sits at 12-10-5. Hopefully, they can keep the momentum going while they take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.
Did you know? The last time the Anaheim Ducks lost to the Carolina Hurricanes was on December 11, 2015, at the Honda Center. The game ended with a score of 5-1; Jakob Silfverberg scored the Ducks one and only goal of the night. During that same game, former Carolina Hurricane, Jeff Skinner, also scored his third career hat trick.
Today in Anaheim Ducks History: Exactly one year ago today, the Anaheim Ducks traded defenseman Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi.
Game 28: Anaheim Ducks vs Carolina Hurricanes
Location: PNC Arena — Raleigh, North Carolina
Time: 4:30 pm PST/7:30 pm EST
TV: Prime Ticket
Radio: AM 830
Anaheim Ducks News:
–Josh Mahura has been called up from the San Diego Gulls.
–Andrej Sustr and Kalle Kossila have been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls.
–Hampus Lindholm has been taken off IR and should be back on the ice tonight. He is projected to play alongside Brandon Montour tonight.
Anaheim Ducks Injuries: Corey Perry (Knee), Cam Fowler (Complex Facial Fracture), Patrick Eaves (Back)
Carolina Hurricanes Injuries: Micheal Ferland (Undisclosed), Haydn Fleury (Concussion), Brett Pesce (Knee)
Don’t be Fooled by the Calm Before the Storm
The Anaheim Ducks have managed to snag four out of six possible points so far on their five-game road trip. Call it what you will: a little good luck, showing off in front of mom, or the return of Carter Rowney; the fact of the matter is, they won. I believe that is exactly the motivation they need going forward.
Of course, the Anaheim Ducks still have a handful of glaringly obvious issues. If they want to have a chance at winning tonight, these issues need to be addressed by both the coaching staff and the players.
The Ducks competition tonight, the Carolina Hurricanes, are coming off of a 2-1 victory against the Montreal Canadiens despite being severely outshot. Their season record is very similar to the Ducks at 12-9-3.
The Canes are hoping to make a push for the playoffs this season. Although they are currently sitting in the fifth place spot of the Metropolitan Division, they need just one more win to be in the running for the second place wild card spot. This puts them in almost the exact same position as the Anaheim Ducks, so a lot is riding on this game.
I understand that we’re only two months into the season. However, the Hurricanes are having one of the best seasons they’ve had since their cup run in 2009. The division they play in is also a lot more competitive than the Pacific Division.
However, with the Ducks riding on the confidence of their previous two wins, they have everything they need in their “toolbox” to defeat the Hurricanes. It’s a matter of whether they utilize it properly and stay consistent.
Anaheim Ducks Player to Watch: Nick Ritchie
Nick Ritchie came into the 2018-19 season with fire in his eyes. His mission: to prove that he belongs in Anaheim. It was hard not to be critical of Ritchie, especially after a season where he spent about as much time in the sin bin as he did on the ice.
His point production last season was almost canceled out by the insane amount of inexcusable penalties he took. However, his calm demeanor so far this season has been a breath of fresh air for Anaheim Ducks fans.
However, that is not why he is our “Player to Watch” for tonight’s game. Nick Ritchie is on a hot streak. He has produced seven points in the past five games. This includes 4 goals and 3 assists. To add to that, one of his goals was the game-winning goal against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.
Ritchie has played half as many games as most of his teammates, yet he is only three goals away from being the Anaheim Ducks top goal producer this season. He is also a mere two points away from snatching a spot as one of the Anaheim Ducks top point producers of the season.
While that says a lot about the state of the team as a whole, the glass is always half full. Ritchie has, thus far, exceeded all expectations. The Anaheim Ducks are a better team, at least right now, when Ritchie is on the ice. The fervency that he has been displaying the past few games could go a long way in helping the Ducks take home the “W” tonight.
Anaheim Ducks: Three Keys to the Game
Although there is a barrage of things the Ducks need to focus on if they want to win tonights game, there are the top three that I feel need to be addressed.
Key One: Keep the Puck on Their Stick
In baseball, we hear a similar idiom of, “keep your eye on the ball.” Baseball and hockey are similar in that you want the bat or the stick to connect with the ball or the puck to produce good results! In a roundabout way, it means, pay attention to what you’re doing.
The Anaheim Ducks are, yet again, in a place where they are being outshot by their opponent. Why? It’s because they allow their opponents to control the majority of the puck possession. The reason more shots on goal don’t make it into the net is that of the impressive goaltending tandem of John Gibson and Ryan Miller.
Although it’s great that the Ducks to have stellar goaltending, they need to get that out of their head and focus on their puck possession. The Ducks main focus tonight should be to keep the puck on their stick. If they do that, they can control the pace of the game. It could also help them to generate more chances and score enough goals to win the game.
Key Two: Stay Disciplined and Minimize Penalties
The Anaheim Ducks have taken an awful lot of penalties so far this season, and it has wreaked havoc on their chances of winning. Their penalty kills unit has been decent so far this season, but they are still below the league average.
With the way the offense and the defense have been playing lately, the Ducks need to go back to basics and keep things simple. Constantly being on the penalty kill is a way to ensure that doesn’t happen.
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Although the Hurricane’s power play is not something to cry over, it is still slightly better than the Ducks. If the Ducks give them any chances, it is likely that the Hurricane’s will eventually capitalize on their one-man advantage.
Key Three: Offense Needs to Step Up
Randy Carlyle was recently quoted by Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register as saying that the defense needs to carry the team.
“To me, it’s about defense. We can be criticized for a lack of offense. The reality is, we need to be able to hold the opposition to one goal or two goals.” –Randy Carlyle
I have a lot of issues with the state of mind Randy Carlyle is currently in, but we will save that for another day. Currently, the Ducks defense is a mess. I don’t understand how Carlyle expects a blue line full of mostly rookie defensemen to carry the team.
Yes, the Ducks do have Josh Manson, Brandon Montour, and Hampus Lindholm. However, Cam Fowler is out after an awful facial injury and Hampus Lindholm is playing his first game back after a lower-body injury.
While I do agree that the defense needs to step it up a notch, so does the offense. The results of the game should not rely solely on the performance of the defense. It is a 50/50 effort. Although there are area’s where I believe the defense needs to be called out, they’re getting a pass tonight.
If the Ducks want to have any chance at winning the game tonight, the offense needs to speed it up, generate more chances, maintain possession of the puck, and make sure their passes are clean and crisp.
Next. Who Should Replace Randy Carlyle?. dark
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