Each spring 16 NHL teams play for Lord Stanley's Cup. At the end one team is left holding the cup while the other 15 teams can only think of what could of been.
This is about one of the 15 teams who wasn't so lucky.
Anaheim Ducks:
How They Finished: 47-30-5
This is about one of the 15 teams who wasn't so lucky.
Anaheim Ducks:
How They Finished: 47-30-5
2nd in Pacific Division, 4th in Western Conference
What Went Wrong:
The Ducks lost goalie Jonas Hiller to vertigo like symptoms back in February. In the interim they used Curtis McElhiney at first until he was traded to Tampa Bay for Dan Ellis.
When they found out that Hiller would not return in time for the playoffs they signed Ray Emery, who was coming off of major hip surgery, to play goalie for them.
The other thing that hurt the Ducks was they faced the one team in the 1st round that they needed to avoid.
Nashville has a great core of defenseman lead by Shea Weber & Ryan Suter. Add in Vezina trophy candidate Pekka Rinne & the Predators were a team that could contain the offense of the Ducks.
The Ducks top line of Corey Perry (2G, 6A) Ryan Getzlaf (2G, 4A) & Bobby Ryan (3G, 1A) played well but never did take control of the game like they did in the regular season. Losing Ryan to a two game suspension didn't help their cause.
But the thing I think that hurt the Ducks most was it was Nashville's time. Remember last year the Predators were on the brink of beating Chicago in Game 5 only to give up the tying goal late & lose in overtime. They then went on to lose the series in six games.
Fast forward to a year later and it is the same situation except that Anaheim has the lead and are on the brink of winning Game 5. Just like the previous year a late goal is given up to tie the game leading to the game winning goal in overtime but this time it was Nashville coming through.
What Went Wrong:
The Ducks lost goalie Jonas Hiller to vertigo like symptoms back in February. In the interim they used Curtis McElhiney at first until he was traded to Tampa Bay for Dan Ellis.
When they found out that Hiller would not return in time for the playoffs they signed Ray Emery, who was coming off of major hip surgery, to play goalie for them.
The other thing that hurt the Ducks was they faced the one team in the 1st round that they needed to avoid.
Nashville has a great core of defenseman lead by Shea Weber & Ryan Suter. Add in Vezina trophy candidate Pekka Rinne & the Predators were a team that could contain the offense of the Ducks.
The Ducks top line of Corey Perry (2G, 6A) Ryan Getzlaf (2G, 4A) & Bobby Ryan (3G, 1A) played well but never did take control of the game like they did in the regular season. Losing Ryan to a two game suspension didn't help their cause.
But the thing I think that hurt the Ducks most was it was Nashville's time. Remember last year the Predators were on the brink of beating Chicago in Game 5 only to give up the tying goal late & lose in overtime. They then went on to lose the series in six games.
Fast forward to a year later and it is the same situation except that Anaheim has the lead and are on the brink of winning Game 5. Just like the previous year a late goal is given up to tie the game leading to the game winning goal in overtime but this time it was Nashville coming through.
After that the Predators had control and there was no way Anaheim was winning Game six in Nashville.
Where Do They Go From Here:
I actually think the Ducks are in decent shape. They returned to the playoffs after a one year absence and finished strong this season. They have one of if not the top line in hockey & good scoring depth up front.
I was not impressed with the defenseman this season from a defensive standpoint but it is a young group that should improve next season.
Cam Fowler & Luca Sbisa were regulars for the 1st time & are both good enough to fill the void left by Scott Niedermeyer on defense.
I'm not saying they will be the 2nd coming of Niedermeyer & Pronger but they should develop into the best pair of defenseman the Ducks have had since Niedermeyer & Pronger played together.
The key thing for the Ducks is the health of Jonas Hiller in net. If Hiller doesn't get hurt in February there is a chance the Ducks win the Pacific Division & finish 2nd in the Western Conference.
With Hiller in net the Ducks were a Stanley Cup contender. Without him they are another talented team that is just good enough to go so far in the playoffs. His health and how the defenseman mature will determine how far Anaheim goes next season.
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