Anaheim Ducks: 3 Keys to Blowing Away The Blackhawks

Operation “Blackhawks Down”

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to steal their fifth win tonight to increase their win streak. On the flip side of the coin, a struggling Chicago Blackhawks team is hoping not to take their fifth loss in a row. Both teams have plenty of incentive to win tonight, and it’s going to be a fun game to watch.

In October, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to Chicago for their first matchup against the Blackhawks this season. To no avail, the Ducks suffered their third straight loss in a string of seven. Rickard Rakell managed to tie the game up in the second period, but the team could not find the momentum to finish strong.

The team was unhealthy, bleeding shots, and showed no signs of discipline or accountability. It was hard to watch and many of us had doubts that the Ducks would ever be in the position to make the playoffs this season.

However, this time around, the Anaheim Ducks are in a different boat. For the first time this season, the team looks as though it has finally found its identity. They have won five of their last six games and show no signs of slowing down.

With the addition of the young right wing, Daniel Sprong, the Anaheim Ducks have almost a completely healthy roster. The blueline is certainly missing the presence of Cam Fowler. Nevertheless, the Ducks have a pretty decent group of players to take over while the injured are on their way to getting healthy.

Although the Blackhawks have been struggling this season, especially after the loss of coach Joel Quenneville (but we won’t get into that), they still have a lethal top six.

With the recent addition of Brandan Perlini to the first line, the Blackhawks have added a young talent into their fold. Perlini is only 22-years-old and last season he showed us he was capable of having a thirty point season. He has also proven that he has only gotten better with age, and his skills are sure to shine as he slots in as the left wing alongside the extremely talented Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad.

Patrick Kane is also a force to be reckoned with and had a big hand in the Anaheim Ducks undoing last time these teams met. He is 30 games into the 2018-19 season, and he has already posted 30 points. If he keeps it up, he could have another 70+ point season.

Anaheim Ducks Player to Watch: Ryan Getzlaf

Ryan Getzlaf is back on home ice. With the Anaheim Ducks fifth win just within reach, this gives him even more motivation to things up a notch and lead his team to victory. He currently has five points in the last five games, including the game-winning goal against the Carolina Hurricane.

He is leading the Ducks in points this season with 22 accredited to his name in 23 games played. Getzlaf has stepped up for his team quite a bit this season. He is a huge reason the Ducks are in the position they are now.

Although Getzlaf is one of the oldest players on the team, he is also one of the most admirable. As he gets older, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. As captain, he leads this team with integrity. His passion for hockey is evident every time he steps onto the ice. It is so much fun watching him play the sport he loves.

Getzlaf has 33 points in his past 21 contests with the Blackhawks. There is also something else working in his favor tonight. He is just three points shy of passing the 900 point mark. This will serve to motivate him to get on the puck and make creative plays.

If he keeps playing the way he has, it is quite possible that in the next few seasons he could pass up Teemu Selanne as the Anaheim Ducks career point leader. Whether he will or not remains to be seen. This season, however, he will become the second Duck to pass 900 points.

Three Keys to Tonight’s Game

Stay Motivated: It is very tempting to “sit back and take a break” when you’re playing against a team that has recently been struggling. I mean, they’ve lost four in a row? It should be an easy game, right? Totally wrong!

Just because the Blackhawks are sitting at 29th in the league doesn’t mean it’s okay for the Ducks to take their foot off the pedal. Chicago has already shown that they can win against Anaheim this season.

Although the circumstances were slightly different, it doesn’t matter. It is a proven fact that whenever the Ducks stop playing at 110%, they have the tendency to blow big leads. They need to make sure they all stay motivated and accountable to one another.

The Penalties Need to Stop: This was a big key in the game against Washington on Sunday and the Ducks pretty much ignored my advice (it isn’t like they read it anyway.) This resulted in Washington taking an early 3-1 lead on a power play.

Although the Ducks came back from a 5-1 deficit, it could have ended a lot worse than that had they kept taking penalties. The Chicago Blackhawks don’t have the best power play. In fact, it is well below the league average at 12.50%. Nevertheless, it’s a good lesson for them to start practicing now.

Why give the Blackhawks an advantage anyways. Just because their power play isn’t the best, that doesn’t mean they won’t capitalize on an opportunity when they get one.

Have Fun: It has been much more enjoyable watching the Anaheim Ducks play hockey lately. It seems as though now that they’ve found themselves, they’ve made the game fun again.

It has not only been enjoyable for the fans to watch. It has also seemed to boost the team’s confidence. They actually look like they’re enjoying the game instead of constantly looking tired from catching up.

The electric chemistry that we normally see with the team has been reignited. To be quite honest, I’d much rather see the Ducks have fun, give us an enjoyable game, and lose than win while frustrated. A fun game is more enjoyable than the boring ones, win or lose!

The Ducks being able to go 4-1-0 on a tough 5 game trip was huge. And even though it only counts for one win in the standings that win in Washington is something that can galvanize the whole team. Let’s see if they carry over the momentum and start the homestand off right!