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One New Year’s resolution for each NHL team

By Dave Stevenson

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 08: Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty waves to the crowd during the NHL game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Philadelphia Flyers on November 8, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 08: Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty waves to the crowd during the NHL game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Philadelphia Flyers on November 8, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images
Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images /

2018 is coming to a close. Here’s what each NHL team should have as their New Year’s resolution.

The 2018-19 NHL season has been an exciting one. As the ending of the 2018 portion of the season approaches, many teams still find themselves in the postseason hunt. This shows the amount of parity around the league, and also that hockey is a weird, unpredictable sport.

Every New Year, people like to make resolutions to try to better themselves. Now, teams are no different. What does each NHL team want to accomplish in 2019? Here’s a look at what each team’s New Year’s resolution ought to be.

Anaheim Ducks: Give John Gibson Some Help

It’s become an annual tradition in Anaheim. The Anaheim Ducks are struggling to score, but are somehow still winning games. This is largely due to the outstanding play of their goaltenders. John Gibson should be topping everyone’s Vezina Trophy list and Ryan Miller has magically revived his career as a backup goalie.

Anaheim will enter 2019 holding a spot in the postseason. but it won’t be because they deserve one as a team. It will be because Gibson has bailed out the Ducks far too often. In 31 games, he has had to make at least 30 saves 17 times.

Additionally, Gibson has made at least 35 saves in 10 games and at least 40 in five games. Entering Christmas, despite having a 2.52 goals against average and stopping 92.6 percent of the shots he sees, he has a record of 15-11-4, which is barely above .500.

In 38 games, the Ducks have scored merely 95 goals, which places them in the bottom five in scoring. Getting Daniel Sprong has certainly helped, but Anaheim needs to give their star goaltender a lot more help than they’ve been giving him. If they don’t, they’ll waste what might be their last chance to be Stanley Cup contenders with this core.

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