Anaheim Ducks Mid-Season Grades: The Great Goaltending Tandem

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 06: Goalies John Gibson #36 and Ryan Miller #30 of the Anaheim Ducks skate off the ice following a 1-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on October 6, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 06: Goalies John Gibson #36 and Ryan Miller #30 of the Anaheim Ducks skate off the ice following a 1-0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on October 6, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Anaheim Ducks have passed the halfway point of the season, which means it’s time for mid-season grades, starting with their goaltending tandem.

We’ve surpassed the halfway point of the 2019-20 season, and although we’re only halfway through, it sometimes feels like this season has been dragging on with the way the Anaheim Ducks have been playing. Nevertheless, despite being a little late, it’s time for our mid-season report cards.

This year, we’re trying something a little bit different. Grading players can be very one-sided, as it is normally based on one person’s opinion of a player. While there is nothing wrong with that, we wanted you to have the chance to let your voices be heard. So, this year, each player will receive three different grades. The first grade will be the grade given to them by you, the readers. The second grade will be what is given to them by the staff here at Pucks of a Feather. The third, and final grade, will be the average calculated from the first two grades.

Over the next few days, we will post a series of polls on our Twitter account, allowing you to grade each player based on their performance up until this point in the season. John Gibson and Ryan Miller were the first two players on our list, and the polls have now officially closed. You had the chance to vote, and their final grades are in!

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John Gibson

If we’re being honest, John Gibson has been one of the few positives on this Anaheim Ducks team. Granted, even Gibson has faltered this year. We’ve even seen a lot of fans turning on Gibson. He’s been caught out of position, let in several soft goals, and just entered games already looking defeated and tired. With no help from his defense, however, Gibson has still had his moments.

It might be a tad worrisome, especially with his current .905% save percentage. But, in the grand scheme of things, the Anaheim Ducks are a wreck from the top to the bottom. Even the greatest of goaltenders couldn’t salvage this season for them. It’s rather sad that Gibson is giving us his best years in the midst of what could be a difficult rebuild, but out of all the goaltenders in the NHL, I think most of us can agree that we are lucky to have him defending our net.

Readers Mid-Season Grade: B

Writers Mid-Season Grade: B

Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller has been a reliable backup for the Anaheim Ducks over the past few seasons. Despite taking a lesser role behind Gibson, he has still been stellar. This season, however, he has seemed to slow down a little bit. Again, same as with Gibby, Miller doesn’t really have a team playing in front of him. There are no finishers to score goals and the defense has, more often than not, left him out to dry. Miller currently has a .899% save percentage, which says more about how his team is performing than himself.

Still, even in the midst of this difficult season, Miller has been one of the few bright spots. It is hard to fault either him or Gibson completely for the lack of effort all around. When the team has stopped competing, it has been the goaltending tandem that has stood on its head and at least tried to keep the Ducks afloat.

Readers Mid-Season Grade: B

Writers Mid-Season Grade: C+

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