The Anaheim Ducks Cannot Afford to Lose Their Next Few Games

A string of six losses has put the Anaheim Ducks into a bit of a sticky situation. As they slip further down the standings, they cannot afford to lose their next few games if they hope to have a shot at the playoffs come April.

Two months ago, who would have thought the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights would be sharing the limelight as the top two contenders of the Pacific Division? Yet, there they are, and the Anaheim Ducks are barely holding onto a Wild Card spot.

Losing one game could mean the difference between the first Wild Card spot and slipping out of the playoff race, but just barely. Losing a second game, and they fall further. Three games in a row and they could be hanging out with the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks down near the bottom of the Conference.

There is plenty of hockey left in the season for the Ducks to make a surge in the second half, that much is true. Nevertheless, if they lose their next few games, it’s going to make it infinitely harder for them to claw their way back up the standings.

The harder the team makes it on themselves, the more likely we are to see a repeat of last season. None of us want to see the Anaheim Ducks who are on their last leg with no gas left in the tank get embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs again.

Finding success in January is going to go a long way in making the end of the season a lot easier for them. I’m not saying that gives them permission to take their foot off the gas come March. If they find the keys to success now, it will give them a better chance at unlocking the gate to a successful postseason.

Things Aren’t Going to be as Easy as They Seem

To the untrained eye, some might say that the Anaheim Ducks schedule is relatively easy. They’re already defeated most of the teams coming up on the schedule aside from a few, right? Well, to be quite honest, the Ducks had no business winning half of those games.

They definitely should have lost to Detroit during their home opener. In October they were bleeding shots, both their offense and defense were terrible, and they relied too heavily on John Gibson to save them. Troy Terry‘s shootout goal was their saving grace in that game.

Their 6-5 win against the New Jersey Devils should have ended in a loss as well. Although the Ducks were finally starting to work out the kinks, they only won because New Jersey scored three goals into their own net. If it wasn’t for those three goals, the Ducks would have easily lost 3-5.

Most of these teams, with the exception of Pittsburgh and New Jersey, they haven’t had to play in a few weeks. A few weeks is plenty of time for a team to hone their craft or work out the kinks that held them back earlier in the season.

The Anaheim Ducks Keys to Having Success in January

It is evident that the Anaheim Ducks still have issues they have to work out, and in time, I have faith that they will. They always seem to make their famous surge in the second half. I mean, they aren’t just called the “Comeback Kids” because of their extraordinary ability to come back in the third period.

However, they have to start somewhere and their biggest issues need to be addressed first and foremost.

Re-tool the Offense: The first line of Pontus Aberg, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ondrej Kase is an offensive weapon. They gel so well together and if they keep it up, I think Rickard Rakell might be seeing some time on the second line.

However, the Anaheim Ducks offense loses its spark there. Adam Henrique has been decent as their second line center. Daniel Sprong has been a great addition, and sure, Nick Ritchie and Jakob Silfverberg have had their moments.

Kiefer Sherwood and Carter Rowney have had unbelievable chemistry as well. Nevertheless, most of them lack consistency. Some of them to no fault of their own.

January would be the perfect month to give Ryan Kesler a little rest. Kalle Kossila would be an unbelievable option to take his place on the third line. He has the tendency to make the team around him better, and I believe Andrew Cogliano could benefit from that greatly.

Brain Gibbons and Ben Street need to stop being rotated on the fourth line. Joseph Blandisi would be another great option. He has been a reliable left wing for the Gulls all season. Sherwood and Rowney have been playing well enough to deserve a consistent linemate.

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Fix the Defensive Pairings: Cam Fowler has been spotted on the ice at practice recently! That is good news, we need his veteran presence back on the blueline. Nevertheless, when he comes back, he’s going to need to go somewhere.

The likelihood that Randy Carlyle will go back to the Hampus Lindholm–Brandon Montour and Cam Fowler-Josh Manson pairings is high. However, Carlyle needs to take a good long look at this and ask himself, is this really what is best for the team?

I have enjoyed watching Manson with Larsson, there seems to be some chemistry there. I have not, however, enjoyed the Manson and Fowler pairing at all. While I don’t mind the Lindholm and Montour pairing, having Manson and Lindholm paired together again would be fantastic.

Montour and Fowler already have quite a bit of chemistry together, so it wouldn’t be a big issue to have them together in the top four either.

Find a Solution to the Power Play Woes: Why the Anaheim Ducks don’t understand the power play is beyond me. Most successful power plays in the NHL are set up the exact same way, it shouldn’t be this difficult. Bob Murray may need to take a long look at his coaching staff in order to find the solution to this issue.

The fact that Ryan Kesler is on the first power play unit is a huge concern. The Ducks seriously need to consider re-tooling their power play units and utilizing a different player in his stead.

There is much to look forward to in the month of January, and I am a firm believer that the Anaheim Ducks can break their losing streak. Nevertheless, there are still many issues that need solutions. What do you think the Anaheim Ducks biggest issue going into January is and how do they fix it?