Anaheim Ducks: Pucks of a Feather Awards— Duck of the Year

The results are in for the Pucks of a Feather Awards, and it comes as no surprise that the Anaheim Ducks goaltender, John Gibson, wins Duck of the Year.

The 2018-19 season proved something we have known all along, Anaheim Ducks must be an anagram for John Gibson. Joking aside, it comes as no surprise that Ducks Nation voted for this season’s hero to win the “Duck of the Year” award. Gibson won this award by an overwhelming 65%. However, before we jump into why he won, we have a few honorable mentions that deserve a little recognition.

Duck of the Year — Honorable Mentions

Ryan Getzlaf (4% of the vote): Even as he ages, Ryan Getzlaf refuses to slow down. Leading his team in points this season, with 48 (including 14 goals with an added 34 helpers), he proved yet again why he is one of the Anaheim Ducks franchise cornerstones.

Adam Henrique (5% of the vote): Adam Henrique‘s performance this season was often overshadowed by the atrocities of the regular season. However, he still ended the season 4th in points, including 18 goals and 24 assists, for a grand total of 42 points. He was also the only Duck to play all 82 games this season, unwilling to succumb to the nasty injury bug.

Jakob Silfverberg (26% of the vote): To be quite honest, if someone would have said Jakob Silfverberg would lead the team in goals this season, I’m sure most of us would have laughed. The forward, who was a key component of the shutdown line, grew by leaps and bounds this season, especially after the shutdown line was disbanded with the trade of Andrew Cogliano.

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He thrived in his new offensive role, and with 24 goals credited to his name this season, he led the team not only in goals but he ended the season second in points, having his best season to date. When Bob Murray called for the players to start stepping up, no one really thought it would be Silfverberg who led the charge. Nevertheless, he did so with poise and grace.

Duck of the Year— John Gibson (65% of the vote)

It comes as no surprise that you have voted for John Gibson as the Anaheim Ducks “Duck of the Year” for the 2018-19 season. Ending the season with a save percentage of .917% is quite impressive considering the year his team had. However, that only scratches the surface of just how heroic he has been for the Anaheim Ducks in all 58 of the games he played this season.

For a majority of the season, Gibson led all NHL starting goaltenders in Shots Against, Saves, and GAA (goals against average.) While it may seem like a statement that is chalked full of bias, the Anaheim Ducks would have completely drowned had John Gibson not single-handedly tried to plug all of the holes in their sinking boat.

At the beginning of the season, the Ducks certainly got by with a little bit of luck, finding ways to score goals that they really shouldn’t have been scoring. Nevertheless, defensively and in their own zone, the entire team was a mess. Left to stand on his head, yet again, Gibson faced an unnecessary amount of SOG each and every game.

Yet, he stood tall and delivered a performance that will not soon be forgotten by Ducks Nation. Still, being inadvertently asked to carry his team did not come without difficult consequences. His time in the net this season took a toll on his body and his mind. A timely injury that led to the discovery of his impacted wisdom teeth, allowed him to get some necessary R&R before returning to the crease and, yet again, being the savior of his team.

This is the first of many awards, so be sure and stay tuned as we proceed with announcing the winners for each category in our Pucks of a Feather Awards. Who did you vote for to win the Duck of the Year? Let us know in the comments below!