Ducks @ Avalanche: MORNING THOUGHTS

The Ducks got outplayed in just about every aspect of the game last night against the Colorado Avalanche. They conceded eight power plays while only drawing two and failed to score on either of their opportunities. The one goal that Anaheim did come away with was shorthanded from Brandon Montour. So what does this all mean?

It means that special teams (especially the power play) are still very much an issue for the Ducks, and something that they will need to improve sooner rather than later. Obviously, not having most of their key players and goalscorers can hinder their chances of making the power play as successful as it can be, but there’s still a feeling that the team that the Ducks are fielding can be better than they have been.

It doesn’t help when it feels like Anaheim could have been given a lot more opportunities than they were.

All in all, though, the Ducks could have and should have played better than they did. Getting outshot 30-8 in the first two periods is unacceptable by every team’s standard, regardless of how many players are missing. At least the Anaheim Ducks Twitter was able to find some humor in a game like that, enjoying the Avalanche having two separate goals called back due to goaltender interference.

The biggest silver lining that I look towards with this game is the fact that the goaltending situation looks like it is still still a bright spot for the Ducks. Reto Berra was forced in to start the second period due to an unknown upper-body injury for John Gibson that occurred during warm-ups and continued to bother him throughout the first period. Berra looked very good, stopping 19 of the 20 shots that he faced.

As far as the worst thing about the game, well, there’s plenty to choose from. However, taking 8 penalties is a recipe for failure against every team in the league. You simply cannot be that undisciplined, especially when you are missing key players that are vital to the penalty kill. It looked like a majority of the penalty calls against Anaheim were slashing calls, so it seems that they will have to adjust to the new crackdown that the NHL demanded.

I leave you now with this Corsi chart that tells you all you need to know about how Anaheim played last night.

3 Stars of the Game

3. Brandon Montour

2. Sven Andrighetto

1. Tyson Barrie