Anaheim Ducks: John Gibson can lead the team to the Stanley Cup

Can Gibson Continue To Carry The Ducks?

The Anaheim Ducks are a flawed team. Their offense isn’t going to score much even in a best case scenario. This puts a lot of pressure on their defense. Last season, Gibson kept the Ducks afloat during their struggles. His breakout season suggests he’s a franchise goaltender. This is likely the case.

An elite goaltender can mask a team’s flaws. That’s precisely what Gibson has done the past two seasons. He (along with Miller) made a dreadful penalty kill that leaked shots against finish in the top five in killing penalties. Gibson had a GSAA of 32.51 during the regular season in 2017-18. Let’s say he was the literal definition of average and take away 33 goals. The Ducks +19 goal differential (13th in the NHL) would have fallen to -14, which would have been 20th.

The biggest issue with relying on your goaltender to bail you out is if your goalie doesn’t do well, you’re going to have a hard time. Anaheim saw this in the first round against the Sharks. Gibson had a .889 save percentage during the series and the Ducks couldn’t score enough to offset it.

It’s probably not a good thing when the most important player on your team is a goaltender. But that’s the way the cookie is crumbling in Anaheim. Gibson will be the largest factor in determining how far the Ducks go next season.