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The Ducks had a chance to win for the first time in this road trip. Now the team has to build off the momentum they crated and cary it into Dallas tomorrow night.
Worst: Still Not Scoring Goals
The Ducks were shut out for the fifth time this season. This time, however, they came close to scoring and continued to look dangerous throughout the game. Corey Perry lead the team with 8 shots on goal and took a clean shot off the post. Andrew Cogliano, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg worked well on the power play and were dangerous at even strength.
Worst: 3-on-3 Overtime Not Clicking For Ducks
This was the second attempt at overtime this season for the Ducks. In the first session against Vancouver the Ducks didn't really get anything going and were forced to defend for a majority of the five-minute period. The combination of Getzlaf, Silfverberg and Cam Fowler was a weird choice that didn't work against the Blackhawks. Overall, overtime is a coin toss of who makes the first mistake, and with the Ducks not clicking on offense quite yet it's no surprise they didn't score (even after gaining possession off the draw).
Best: Actual Team Play and Offensive Opportunities
The Ducks looked dangerous for the first time since the Vancouver game. They outshot the Blackhawks (and it wasn't padded by pointless shots from the perimeter YAY!). I'm not sure if the system changed on defense and that somehow allowed the offense to work better through the neutral zone, but the players played with passion and speed all night. Andersen continues his stellar goaltending even though the team has yet to score a goal for him.
Best/Worst: Penalty Kill is Pretty Good Guys / Power Play Struggles
The Ducks have the best penalty kill in the league (91.7% WOOOOOO MORAL VICTORY!). Whatever the team did this year to improve the penalty kill has worked. Unfortunately the Ducks have the worst power play in the league (4.5% MUCH WOW VERY BAD). The bright side is that tonight the Ducks may have found the right combination of players for the power play. With three chances the Ducks looked dangerous and moved the puck well. There is still hope that the season can be turned around with improved play.