The Anaheim Ducks are a bit of a mystery this season. Here’s what the rest of their season will look like if they fix a few things.
The Anaheim Ducks could have easily been predicted to win the Pacific Division. However, they currently sit on the outside looking in. Unlike the Eastern Conference, though, the Ducks have the advantage of not having an insanely tight playoff race.
This allows things to work in their favor. Of course, that implies they will fix a few things before they continue the second half of this season.
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Their first problem is the number of shots and chances they give up every game. They can’t expect to win if they rely solely on their goaltender. So far, John Gibson has posted a .923 save percentage and Ryan Miller has posted a .935 save percentage. Even Reto Berra has needed to be great, with a .931 save percentage in four appearances (one start).
On the flip side, the number of shot attempts the Ducks generate suggests they’re afraid to drive hard to the net. Therefore, their shot attempts are limited. And even when they make chances, they aren’t ones of much value.
The biggest reason for their struggles has been bad health. Injuries have plagued them at points throughout the season, and there’s nothing they can do about that…except work through it. And at times, they seem to struggle to work through the difficult hand they were dealt in Ryan Getzlaf’s absence.
In terms of individual players, Corey Perry is one that comes to mind when thinking of who needs to step up their game. He only has eight goals this season. Perry has zero excuses for not playing to his full potential, other than he’s getting old.
Also, Adam Henrique hasn’t been exactly stellar for Anaheim. Since that trade, he hasn’t gotten much accomplished and seems unlike himself. Henrique has nine points in 18 games with the Ducks but hasn’t been the two-way player he was with the Devils. Perhaps this one will simply take time.
Overall, though, the Ducks need to figure out a way to play as the team they were last season. They need to be the team that made the conference final and hasn’t changed all that much. That’s something they’ll need to remember, as well, moving forward.
This team has a lot of potential, but they’ll need to figure out a way to play up to it if they want any chance of even making the playoffs, let alone going far once it starts.