Anaheim Ducks: The Franchise All-Time Bracket Matchup
After 26 years of ups and downs, we look at the top teams in Anaheim Ducks’ franchise history and how they compare to one another.
At this point, if you’re an Anaheim Ducks fan, you know there isn’t much for us to be excited about. As teams are now preparing to get back to the ice and practice for the 24-team qualifying playoff series, the Ducks are one of seven teams who will be watching from home. In that case, fans don’t have a lot to look forward to, aside from maybe predicting who the team will get to pick with their 6th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
So, what do us Anaheim Ducks fans do in the meantime? One of the best parts about cheering for any team is that you can always look back and remember the good times. Whether it was a championship game or a great player, fans will always have those moments to hold onto during the down times. It’s not hard for most Ducks fans to remember how the team won 5 straight Division Championships between 2013-2017.
Before we get into the meat of this article, we must give credit where credit is due. We would like to thank our friends from Call to the Pen, who came up with this great idea and applied it to each MBL team (including our neighbors, the Los Angeles Angels.) Their articles turned out so well, that it got the team at Pucks of a Feather thinking about how it would look for the Anaheim Ducks. In their 26-year history, which team is the best of the best?
To answer this question, the bracket will work as such:
- 8 teams will be seeded based on their finish in the playoffs
- 7 games, each game being represented by a stat
- Teams are reseeded after each round
Throughout their history, the Anaheim Ducks franchise has seen many highs and many lows. Some teams were obvious to have in the bracket, including the two finalists, the 2003 and 2007 teams. Ironically enough, the team had only made it past the first round 8 times in their history, giving us a comfortable idea of who each qualifier would be. The decision to seed the teams was based on how far the team made it in the playoffs, as success in the season rarely determined how well the team did in the postseason.
The teams and their seedings are as follows:
- 2006-07 (Won the Stanley Cup 4-1)
- 2002-03 (Lost in the Stanley Cup Finals 4-3)
- 2014-15 (Lost in the Conference Finals 4-3)
- 2016-17 (Lost in the Conference Finals 4-2)
- 2005-06 (Lost in the Conference Finals 4-1)
- 2013-14 (Lost in the Second Round 4-3)*
- 2008-09 (Lost in the Second Round 4-3)
- 1996-97 (Lost in the Second Round 4-0)
*Tiebreaker went to 2013-14 116 points vs 2008-09 91 points in the regular season.
Finally, the series structures are based on major stats of the season. With the difference of eras and gameplay, the statistics varied from team to team and were not as well indicative of how the team performed:
Game 1: Regular Season Winning % (strictly wins, ties or OT losses are excluded)
Game 2: Playoff Winning %
Game 3: Goals For per Game
Game 4: Goals Against per Game
Game 5: Team Point Leader
Game 6: Hall of Famers (Only current as of 2020)
Game 7: Best Moment of the season (a subjective list compiled by the writers at Pucks of a Feather)
With the criteria of each game decided, let’s get to the first matchup!
1st seed vs 8th seed
2006-07
The 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks team will forever be known as the first team to bring the Stanley Cup to California. When looking at the roster, it was easy to see why they won, as the team was headlined by stars such as Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, and Chris Pronger. What made this team so unique and dominant was the depth and the way they played.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere continued his dominance as a playoff performer. Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald had one of the most productive seasons of their career. Young players like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Francois Beauchemin showed the NHL world what their future would look like. Depth players such as Rob Niedermayer and Sami Phalsson provided much-needed depth to the bottom of the lineup.
As mentioned, the team dominated throughout the playoffs, knocking out both the Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks in five games, beating the Detroit Red Wings impressively in six, and then taking out the Ottawa Senators in five.
1996-97
The 1996-97 team represents the franchises first foray into the playoffs. The then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were led by the dynamic duo of Selanne and captain Paul Kariya, while being backstopped by All-Star goaltender, Guy Hebert. The team also featured some Ducks favorites such as Steve Rucchin, Joe Sacco, and Bobby Dollas, as well as Hall of Famer Jari Kurri, who played one of his final seasons in Anaheim.
This team truly represented the era the NHL was in. Prior to the implementation of the Salary Cap, the conference standings were usually top-heavy with all the Cup favorites at the top while the lower seeds were typically the underdogs, similar to the NBA today. After defeating the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs, the Mighty Ducks were knocked out by the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Detroit Red Wings.
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Series Results
Game 1: For the first time in franchise history, the Ducks won their division with 48 wins and a 58.5% winning percentage. The 1997 Mighty Ducks finished 4th in Western Conference with only 36 wins and a 43.9% winning percentage.
Game 1 goes to 2007
Game 2: When you win the Stanley Cup you’re likely to have a good winning percentage in the playoffs. When you only lose 5 games in the process, you know you have been dominant, giving the 2007 Ducks a 76.2% in the playoffs. The 1997 Mighty Ducks squeaked out a seven-game win against the Coyotes, then proceeded to get swept by Detroit in the second round for a winning percentage of 36.4%.
Game 2 goes to 2007
Game 3: When a team has as much firepower as the 2007 Ducks did, it is easy to see how much they scored. Teemu Selanne had 94 points, Andy McDonald had 78, and Scott Niedermayer had 69, leading the team to a 3.10 goals per game.
In 1997 both Selanne (109 points) and Paul Kariya (99 points) made the NHL All-Team that season. However, at this time, the Mighty Ducks were very much their team, as Steve Rucchin’s 67 points and Dmitri Mironov’s 46 points were a huge drop, giving the team 2.99 goals per game.
Game 3 goes to 2007
Game 4: 2007 was very much a redemption year for J.S. Giguere after losing his starting job to Ilya Bryzgalov in the 2006 playoffs. Giguere regained his starting job and put up a 0.918% save percentage. Even when Giguere was injured, Bryzgalov stepped up and play admirably to the tune of a 0.907 save percentage. In all, 2007 allowed 2.42 goals per game.
Guy Hebert was an All-Star in 1997 as the Mighty Ducks goalie put up 0.919% save percentage, and when he was out of the net, Mikhail Shtalenkov played well posting a 0.904% save percentage. The era and team around them is what did the 1997 team in here, as the team allowed 2.88 goals a game.
Game 4 goes to 2007
Final Result: 2007 in 4 games
4th seed vs 5th seed
2016-17
The 2016-17 Anaheim Ducks were coming off their fourth straight year losing game 7 on home ice in the playoffs. The team had it’s core returning, led by captain Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, the latter who had arguably his best season in a Ducks uniform. Kesler joined Cam Fowler at the All-Star game this year, and also saw Rickard Rakell break out and score 33 goals.
While players like Kesler and Rakell were producing, 2017 was the beginning of Corey Perry’s declined as his 19 goals were his lowest total since his second year in the league (excluding the lockout-shortened 2013 season). With Perry’s drop in production, Bob Murray decided to send a First Round pick to the Dallas Stars in exchange for winger Patrick Eaves who was also having a career season.
After sweeping Calgary, winning a truly exciting seven-game series against Edmonton, injuries caught up to the Ducks. Losing players such as Patrick Eaves, John Gibson, and Rickard Rakell, the team eventually lost to the Nashville Predators in six games during the Conference Finals.
2005-06
Probably one of the least talked about seasons in franchise history is the 2005-06 season. After the lockout, the Mighty Ducks reloaded and had a memorable season to set up things to come. After the lockout, Henry and Susan Samueli took over team ownership and a new direction was taking place. Brian Burke was brought in as General Manager, along with new Head Coach Randy Carlyle, who became the architects of this new era in team history.
Burke made a huge splash in free agency, bringing in Scott Niedermayer to lead the team. He brought back a healthy and energized Teemu Selanne, who took the lockout year to recover from knee surgery. The team was also bolstered by the debuts of rookies Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Dustin Penner.
After a slow start, Burke continued to revamp the team, by trading disgruntled veterans Petr Sykora, Sandis Ozolinsh, and Sergei Federov, to make room for impact players including Todd Marchant, Francois Beauchemin, and Sean O’Donnell. These moves pushed the Mighty Ducks to the playoffs as the 6th seed.
In the playoffs, the Mighty Ducks played the 3rd seed Calgary Flames, taking the series to the distance and winning in seven games. The series is most remembered for Francois Beauchemin’s fight against Flames captain (and recent Hall of Famer) Jarome Iginla. The series also showed a change in net for the Mighty Ducks as Ilya Bryzgalov replaced J.S. Giguere, who would go on to help the team sweep the Colorado Avalanche. The Mighty Ducks’ run unfortunately ended by the hands of the 8th seeded Edmonton Oilers, who defeat the Mighty Ducks in five games to move on to the Stanley Cup Final.
Series Results
Game 1: The 2017 Ducks made a late-season push, winning their most recent Pacific Division title with a 56.1% winning percentage on the season. 2006 came close with a 52.4% winning percentage which was good that year for 3rd in the Pacific.
Game 1 goes to 2017
Game 2: The playoff matchup between these two teams is oddly similar; both had a sweep, a seven-game win, and played against both Alberta teams. The difference is one more game that the 2017 Ducks played against Nashville in six-game loss (58.8% win percentage) vs the five-game to Edmonton in 2006 (56.3% win percentage).
Game 2 goes to 2017
Game 3: The 2017 Ducks were very middle of the pack for scoring, as their 2.72 Goals per-game sat 17th out of the 30 teams. Rickard Rakell led the team with 33 goals, with only Ryan Kesler (22) and Jakob Silfverberg (23) scoring more than 20. Patrick Eaves also added 11 goals in 20 games as an acquisition at the trade deadline.
The post-lockout 2005-06 season saw a burst of scoring, and the Mighty Ducks were no exception. Sitting at 15th in the league, the team managed to post a 3.10 Goals per-game during the season, led by Teemu Selanne (40), Andy McDonald (34), and Joffery Lupul (28).
Game 3 goes to 2006
Game 4: While the 2017 team struggled to score in comparison to recent years, the Anaheim Ducks were still one of the best defensive teams in the league. This season was the first as John Gibson being the true number one, after trading Frederik Andersen. Backed by Gibson and steady defensive play, the team finished third in the league with a 2.44 Goals against average.
With the increase in scoring in the 2006 season, the Mighty Ducks still finished in the top 10 for Goals against this season. However, they still surrendered 2.79 goals a game in the year.
Game 4 goes to 2017
Game 5: The Ducks had a down year in 2017 in terms of scoring, comparatively speaking to some of their other recent years. The team’s leader in points that year was captain Ryan Getzlaf, who continued to show his consistency by putting up 73 points. In his return to Anaheim, Teemu Selanne showed that he was back and healthy in 2006, pacing the Mighty Ducks with 90 points in the first year after the lockout.
Game 5 goes to 2006
Game 6: This year, players who retired in 2017 became eligible for the enshrinement in the Hockey Hall of Fame. With that being said, none of the players on the 2017 Ducks teams are current members of the ‘Hall’. In time, Ryan Getzlaf should certainly get in, with guys like Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler given consideration. There is also the future of a player like John Gibson who may play his way in someday, however for the case of the here and now, this gives the 2017 Ducks a zero.
In 2006, the Mighty Ducks were led by Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne who we all know are now in the ‘Hall’. This team finishes with a score of 3. Shoutout to Sergei Federov who started the season on this team before being shipped to Columbus.
Game 6 goes to 2006
Game 7: Instead of using a stat for the deciding factor to a series, the staff at Pucks of a Feather decided to have a discussion of the best moments per season. From there we took the best moment of a particular season and compared them to the other top moments.
When thinking back to 2017, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the exciting series against the Edmonton Oilers where the Ducks finally shed the burden of Game 7 losses. From coming back from 2-0 in the series, back-to-back OT wins including the famous “Comeback on Katella” and Nick Ritchie’s series-winning goal in Game 7. The series against the Oilers is the favorite moment of the 2017 season.
For 2006 on the other hand, took a little bit more thought. There was a lot to use from the playoffs; the exciting seven-game series against the Flames including Francois Beauchemin’s fight or the Colorado Avalanche series where they swept the Avs, led by the heroics of Ilya Bryzgalov and Joffery Lupul. The winner for the best moment of the season, however, had to go to Teemu Selanne’s 1000th point during the regular season.
In his return to Anaheim, Selanne was having a magnificent run, showing that he could still produce like the Teemu of old. On January 30th, 2006, Selanne reached the 1000th point mark, fittingly enough against the Ducks’ crosstown rival LA Kings. Teemu received a beautiful pass from Andy McDonald who sprung him on a breakaway and did the signature forehand to backhand up over Mathieu Garon. In front of the Arrowhead Pond crowd, the Mighty Ducks cleared the bench to all celebrate with Selanne on the ice. This decision was tough, but with the excitement and drama that happened in the Edmonton series, the staff has decided that the 2017 team would edge out a victory in a very close decision.
Game 7 goes to 2017
Final Result: 2017 in 7 games
3rd seed vs. 6th seed
2014-15
The 2014-15 Anaheim Ducks were coming off a tough seven-game loss to the rival LA Kings in the playoffs. It was a tough loss, which would, unfortunately, be the last of Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu‘s careers, as the team saw the two legends retire. After the loss, GM Bob Murray felt that the team was in a great position to build on the previous year’s success and added to a strong roster.
Just before the draft, Murray made a huge splash with the Vancouver Canucks, sending a package headlined by Nick Bonino up north in exchange for Ryan Kesler. Bonino showed that he had the potential to be a strong number two center behind Ryan Getzlaf, but adding Kesler, a former Selke Award winner brought a whole new dynamic to the team. The team also rebranded, modifying their alternate jersey to be their new home as well as making a white counterpart, ditching the wordmark logo, and making the webbed foot ‘D’ their full-time logo.
The team, once again, had a good season, winning their third straight Pacific Division title. The Anaheim Ducks were led again by Ryan Getzlaf’s 70 points and Corey Perry’s 55 after dealing with injuries, as well as the mumps. In his debut season, Kesler chipped in with 20 goals and 47 points, as well as provided the strength down the middle whilst going up against and doing a great job of shutting down the other team’s top offensive stars.
The team was also steadied by the goaltending of Frederik Andersen as well as the continued emergence of John Gibson. The Ducks’ goaltenders played behind a steady force on the blueline, a group that featured the likes of Francois Beauchemin, Cam Fowler, and Hampus Lindholm.
As the Ducks entered the playoffs, their first series was against the Winnipeg Jets, who were making their first playoff appearance since moving from Atlanta to Manitoba in 2011. After two wins in Anaheim, the Ducks went and faced the ‘White-Out’ in the ‘Peg. In game three, the Ducks came from behind to defeat Winnipeg 5-4 in Overtime, pretty much sealing the series as they defeated the Jets 5-2 in game four for the sweep.
The Ducks then faced off against another young Western Conference team in the Calgary Flames. Once again the Ducks showed their dominance by taking out the Flames in five games, capped off by Corey Perry’s overtime game-winner after being injured earlier in the game.
In the Conference Finals, the Ducks took on the Chicago Blackhawks, looking to make their first Stanley Cup final since winning it all in 2007. After trading wins in the first five games, the Ducks had a 3-2 series lead going to Chicago in game six. The two losses for the Ducks came in 3OT in game two and a 2OT in game four. Once again, the Ducks could not close out their opponent, as Chicago took game six on home ice, only to dominant in game seven, winning the series.
2013-14
The 2013-14 Anaheim Ducks marked the clubs 20th Season of existence, and the team had a great many special moments. The team brought back the original Mighty Ducks jersey against Ottawa, where they introduced the original team before the game. They got the opportunity to play in an NHL Stadium Series game against the rival LA Kings, whom they beat 3-0 at Dodger Stadium. And one of the biggest storylines was the final season for Teemu Selanne, highlighted by an unforgettable moment between Teemu and former Duck J.S. Giguere who enjoyed a final lap around the Honda Center on the last game of the regular season.
With all these storylines, the team still had one of their best seasons in team history. The Anaheim Ducks finished second that year in goals for and were led by captain Ryan Getzlaf’s 87 points and career high, 31 goals. Corey Perry also had one of his best seasons, scoring 43 goals and finishing with 82 points. The year also brought the emergence of many young players like Jakob Silfverberg, Pat Maroon, and Nick Bonino, who all played key roles for the team.
The team also saw success from young players on the defensive side as well. The team finished tenth that year in Goals Against, again being led by long-time netminder Jonas Hiller. However, when backup Viktor Fasth went down with injuries, a young goaltender by the name of Frederik Andersen stepped in and showed that he was ready to help the team win. The youth was also relevant of the defensive side, as players like Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatenen became integral parts of the team as well.
Going into the playoffs, another young goaltender emerged in John Gibson, as Jonas Hiller and Frederik Andersen both dealt with injuries and inconsistencies as the playoffs approached. In the first round, the Ducks took on the Dallas Stars. After a tough five games, the Ducks found themselves with a chance to finish off Dallas in game six. After finding themselves down 4-2 with three minutes remaining in the third period, the team got two huge goals from Nick Bonino and Devante Smith-Pelly to send the game into Overtime. Three minutes into the extra frame, Nick Bonino, once again, came up huge, scoring the series winning goal.
In the second round, the Anaheim Ducks faced off against the LA Kings, making it the first time the ‘Freeway Faceoff’ would be held in the playoffs. After trading road wins after the first four games, the Ducks would win game five at home, sending the series to LA for game six with two opportunities to win the series. In game six, the Ducks suffered a tough 2-1 loss, sending the series back to Orange County for a seventh game. In what would be the final game of the season, the Kings would blow the Ducks out 6-2, ending their season, and in the process ending the career of Anaheim Ducks legend Teemu Selanne.
Game 1: Both of these teams won their division and had great regular seasons. In 2015, the Ducks had a 62.2% winning percentage, which was impressive seeing how much the team struggled with injuries. A fairly clean bill of health in 2014 gives the team a 65.9% winning percentage on the season.
Game 1 goes to 2014
Game 2: The 2015 Ducks absolutely dominated in their first two playoff series, with a record of 8-1. They did lose in the conference finals but pushed the eventual Stanley Cup champions to seven games, giving them a winning percentage of 68.8%. The Ducks had two very tough and close series in 2014, winning in six in round one but falling in seven in round two, good for 53.9%.
Game 2 goes to 2015
Game 3: The Ducks were steady producers during the 2015 season, putting up 2.78 goals per game that season. However, the 2014 team had one of the best scoring seasons in franchise history, putting up 3.21 goals per game.
Game 3 goes to 2014
Game 4: In 2015, the Anaheim Ducks handed the full time starting job to second-year pro, Frederik Andersen, who was spelled out throughout the season by John Gibson. As the team tried to give more development time in minors (spoiler: he didn’t really need it), the Ducks also had veterans Jason LaBarbera and old friend Ilya Bryzgalov play a few games throughout the year. This group produced a combined 2.70 Goals against per game.
The player Andersen replaced was Jonas Hiller, who was still the man between the pipes for the Ducks when the 2014 season came around. Hiller once again had a solid season, in what was his last as a Duck, and was supported by the debuts of Andersen and Gibson, which was good for a 2.48 Goals against per game.
Game 4 goes to 2014
Game 5: The leading scorer for both of these years was the Captain, Ryan Getzlaf. In 2015 Getzlaf had one of his usual solid campaigns, posting 70 points. That is a great total for the Ducks captain, however, he was coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2014, where he posted 87 points on the campaign.
Game 5 goes to 2014
Result: 2014 in 5 games
2nd seed vs 7th seed
2002-03
The 2002-03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim came in the season looking to break their playoff drought, not being there since the 1998-99 season. General Manager Bryan Murray revamped the team, making a trade with the New Jersey Devils to acquire Petr Sykora, as well as signing Hall of Famer Adam Oates. The team also had a new Head Coach in Mike Babcock, who was looking to push this team into the playoffs.
The Mighty Ducks had a consistent season, as they were fighting for one of the bottom seeds in the Western Conference. Around the trade deadline, Murray acquired Sandis Ozolinsh, Rob Niedermayer, and Steve Thomas, in order to bring both depth and playoff experience as the team was closing in on a playoff spot. This helped the team secure the seventh seed in the playoffs that year.
The most important part of this team was the emergence of goaltender J.S. Giguere, who began to show the league he was becoming an elite goaltender. Giguere built the momentum that he would continue to carry into the playoffs that year.
In the first round, the Mighty Ducks faced off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, who still boasted a team with several Hall of Famers looking to win back-to-back Cups for the second time in five years. The Mighty Ducks were able to frustrate the Wings, coming from behind in game one to win by a Paul Kariya goal in the third overtime. In that game, Giguere set the playoff record with 63 saves in his playoff debut.
After taking games two and three against Detroit (both were also one-goal games), Steve Rucchin etched his name in Mighty Ducks history with a series-clinching Overtime game-winner in game four, shocking everyone by sweeping the Stanley Cup Champions.
The Mighty Ducks then went on to knock out the number one seeded Dallas Stars in six games, and then went on to play another Cinderella team in the Western Conference Finals in the Minnesota Wild. The Ducks swept the Wild in four games in one of the most boring series of all time (I was 8 and made my dad watch all the games, he can vouch for that title). In the finals, the Mighty Ducks faced off against the two time Stanley Cup Champions, the New Jersey Devils. In a well-documented back-and-forth series, the Ducks pushed the Devils to a game seven where they, unfortunately, came up one game short of the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup Championship.
2008-09
Two years after winning the Stanley Cup, the Anaheim Ducks were looking to make another run for the Cup. The team was still loaded with talent, veterans Chris Pronger, Teemu Selanne, and Scott Niedermayer still lead this team, with rising stars Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and rookie Bobby Ryan becoming the key contributors. The 2009 season also began to usher a new era for the team in goal, as Jonas Hiller began his emergence as the team’s number one goaltender over long-time fan favorite J.S. Giguere.
The team just snuck in the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference with 91 points, playing their 117 point rivals in the San Jose Sharks. Not many people gave the Ducks a chance against the Sharks. However, Jonas Hiller stood on his head on route to the Ducks stunning the number one seed in six games. The series was highlighted by the opening faceoff fight between Ryan Getzlaf and Joe Thornton in game six.
In the second round, the Ducks faced a familiar foe in the Detroit Red Wings. The Ducks had beaten the Wings in the last two playoff meetings between the teams, both leading to Finals appearances for the team. In a tightly contested seven-game series, the Ducks fell to Detroit. Jonas Hiller continued his dominant run but the team was unable to score enough goals to take the series.
Series Results
Game 1: The Mighty Ducks won 40 games in 2003, which was good enough for the seventh seed in the top-heavy Western Conference. In 2009 the Ducks won 42 games, just sneaking in the playoffs as the eighth seed. Oddly enough 2003 (57.9%) did have a better point percentage (55.5% for 2009), but taking the era of ties into consideration, 2009 gets the nod here.
Game 1 goes to 2009
Game 2: Much like in 2007, a team that makes it to the Stanley Cup Final has to win at least 12 games. The 2003 Mighty Ducks did that and added 3 in the cup final. With two sweeps, one six-game series, and a seven-game final, the team had a winning percentage of 71.4%. In two series of six games and seven games, the 2009 Ducks won seven games giving them a 53.9% in the playoffs.
Game 2 goes to 2003
Game 3: In 2003 the Mighty Ducks were towards the bottom of the league in goals, with 2.48 goals per game which was good for 22nd in the league that year. The 2009 Ducks were in the middle of the pack when it came to goals per game, sitting 14th with 2.99.
Game 3 goes to 2009
Game 4: When Mike Babcock joined the Mighty Ducks in 2003, he brought in a tight defensive system. That paired with the emergence of J.S. Giguere and Martin Gerber, the team finished sixth in the league with 2.35 goals against per game. 2009 saw the rise of Jonas Hiller, along with the decline of J.S. Giguere, giving the Ducks 2.90 goals against per game, good for 16th in the league.
Game 4 goes to 2003
Game 5: The 2003 Mighty Ducks were once again lead by Captain Paul Kariya, who posted 81 points, a down year by his standards but considering the trapping game the team started to use, a good season for his final in Anaheim. Ryan Getzlaf was proving to be the budding star for the Ducks, and 2009’s 91 point campaign for the team’s future Captain showed the continuing maturity and development.
Game 5 goes to 2009
Game 6: Though neither player won the Cup, with game seven of the 2003 Stanley Cup final being the closest either player had gotten, Paul Kariya and Adam Oates both entered the Hall of Fame. The 2009 Anaheim Ducks were still lead by three future Hall of Famers; Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Teemu Selanne.
Game 6 goes to 2009
Final Result: 2009 in 6 games
2007 vs 2009
Game 1: The 2007 Anaheim Ducks 58.5% was good for second in the Western Conference. 51.2% in 2009 landed them the eighth seed.
Game 1 goes to 2007
Game 2: Along with winning the Stanley Cup, the 2007 Ducks had a 76.2% winning percentage throughout the playoffs. In two rounds, the 2009 Ducks earned a 53.9% winning percentage.
Game 2 goes to 2007
Game 3: Finishing sixth in the league in scoring, the 2007 Ducks scored 3.10 goals per game. In 2009 the team finished 14th with 2.99 goals per game.
Game 3 goes to 2007
Game 4: J.S Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov helped the Ducks earn 2.42 goals against per game, which was good for seventh in the league. Giguere along with new starter Jonas Hiller helped the team finish in 16th in goals against per game with 2.90.
Game 4 goes to 2007
Result: 2007 in 4 games
2014 vs 2017
Game 1: The 2017 Anaheim Ducks 56.1% was good for third in the Western Conference. 65.9% in 2014 landed them in the number one seed in the West.
Game 1 goes to 2014
Game 2: The Ducks made it all the way to the Western Conference Final in 2017, finishing with a 58.8% winning percentage in the playoffs. The 2014 Ducks were stopped by the LA Kings in the second round, putting up a 53.9% winning percentage in the playoffs.
Game 2 goes to 2017
Game 3: Finishing 17th in the league in scoring, the 2017 Ducks scored 2.72 goals per game. In 2014 the team finished second with 3.21 goals per game.
Game 3 goes to 2014
Game 4: John Gibson and Jonathan Bernier helped the Ducks earn 2.44 goals against per game, which was good for third in the league. The committee of Gibson, Jonas Hiller, Frederik Andersen, and Viktor Fasth helped the team finish in 10th in goals against per game with 2.48. Game 4 goes to 2017
Game 5: In 2017 Ryan Getzlaf led the Ducks with 73 points. The Captain also led the team in 2014 as well with 87 points.
Game 5 goes to 2014
Game 6: The only Hall of Famer between these years is appropriately enough in 2014 when fans got to celebrate the final year of Teemu Selanne’s magnificent career.
Game 6 goes to 2014
Result: 2014 in 6 games
The Finals: 2007 vs 2014
Game 1: The 2007 Anaheim Ducks 58.5% was good for second in the Western Conference. 65.9% in 2014 landed them in the number one seed in the West.
Game 1 goes to 2014
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Game 2: Along with winning the Stanley Cup, the 2007 Ducks had a 76.2% winning percentage throughout the playoffs. The 2014 Ducks were stopped by the LA Kings in the second round, putting up a 53.9% winning percentage in the playoffs.
Game 2 goes to 2007
Game 3: Finishing sixth in the league in scoring, the 2007 Ducks scored 3.10 goals per game. In 2014 the team finished second with 3.21 goals per game. Game 3 goes to 2014
Game 4: J.S Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov helped the Ducks earn 2.42 goals against per game, which was good for seventh in the league. The committee of John Gibson, Jonas Hiller, Frederik Andersen, and Viktor Fasth helped the team finish in 10th in goals against per game with 2.48.
Game 4 goes to 2007
Game 5: In 2007, the Anaheim Ducks were paced by Teemu Selanne, who put up 94 points in the second season after the lockout. Captain Ryan Getzlaf led the 2014 Ducks with 87 points.
Game 5 goes to 2007
Game 6: The 2007 Anaheim Ducks were led to the Stanley Cup by future Hall of Famers; Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Teemu Selanne. The final year of Selanne’s career came in 2014, being the only Hall of Famer on the team at the time.
Game 6 goes to 2007
Bracket Winner: 2007 Anaheim Ducks in 6 games
Next. Top 5 Goals in the Stanley Cup Finals. dark
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