Ducks unlimited: Team has every component needed to win

Opinion

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This article was published 14/04/2015 (3835 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was hardly an enlightening answer, or thought-provoking. But Ondrej Pavelec’s facial reaction said something of his respect for the Anaheim Ducks.

The Winnipeg Jets netminder, asked for a quick take on their first-round opponent in the Stanley Cup playoffs, opened his eyes wide and rocked back on his skates for a second before offering up this Coles Notes scouting report:

“They’re one of the best teams in the NHL with really skilled players that can make some plays,” said Pavelec after the team’s practice Monday. “They have experience in the playoffs. They’re big. They’re strong. They’ve got a good goalie.”

The Jets will be facing a Ducks squad that captured its third consecutive Pacific Division title and posted its second straight 50-plus wins season. They have star power in Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, depth and scoring and also added experience in Ryan Kesler and James Wisniewski since last year.

“They’re good. They’re in the standings where they were for a reason,” said Jets centre Mark Scheifele, a man who likely watches more hockey than anyone in the dressing room. “They’ve got lots of skill. They have it all. They’re going to be a tough test… but we’ll be ready for them.”

That was the unanimous take from inside the dressing room Monday — no surprise there. Even though Anaheim was also unbeaten in three games against the Jets this season — winning once in regulation, once in a shootout and once in overtime — the difference between the top and eighth seeds in the West is, on paper at least, teeny-tiny.

“Two teams that play pretty similar styles,” said Jets captain Andrew Ladd. “Big, fast teams that play physical and they get in your face. So it should be a fun series.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait

 

Scouting the ducks

Free Press hockey writer Ed Tait breaks down the Anaheim Ducks:

THE 4-1-1
Record: 51-24-7, 109 pts; 1st in Western Conference; 1st in Pacific Division
Home: 26-12-3 (NHL rank: 6th)
Road: 25-12-4 (NHL rank: 2nd)
Last 10: 6-4-0; Streak: 1 W
Goals for/rank: 2.78/game (11th)
Goals against/rank: 2.70 (20th)

HEAD-TO-HEAD vs. THE JETS: 3-0-0

Dec. 7, 2014: Anaheim 4 at Winnipeg 3 (OT)
The Jets get a goal from Jacob Trouba with 4:45 left in regulation but Kyle Palmieri wins it just 53 seconds into OT. Four of the seven goals scored came on the PP: Rene Bourque and Ryan Kesler for the Ducks; Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd for the Jets.
Winning goalie: Frederik Anderson, stopped 27 of 30 shots.
Game-winning goal: Palmieri.

Dec. 13, 2014: Anaheim 4 at Winnipeg 1
Bryan Little opens the scoring, but the Ducks score three times in the second — including a short-handed marker — and then pot an empty-netter to win their seventh straight.
Winning goalie: Andersen, stopped 27 of 28 shots.
Game-winning goal: Ryan Getzlaf.

Jan. 11, 2015: Winnipeg 4 at Anaheim 5 (SO)
The Ducks rally on Teemu Selanne night, rallying from 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to win in a shootout. The tying goal, courtesy Richard Rakell, came with just 2:03 left and the Jets got goals from two players no longer with the team, Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian. The shootout went six rounds before Sami Vatanen won it.
Winning goalie: Andersen, stopped 28 of 32 shots.
Game-winning goal: Vatanen.

Ducks’ projected lines

LW-C-RW
Patrick Maroon-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry
Matt Beleskey-Ryan Kesler-Kyle Palmieri
Andrew Cogliano/Tomas Fleischman-Richard Rakell-Jakob Silfverberg
Jiri Sekac/Emerson Etem-Chris Wagner (Nate Thompson)-Tim Jackman

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Hampus Lindholm-Francois Beauchemin
Cam Fowler-James Wisniewski
Clayton Stoner-Sami Vatanen
Simon Despres

GOALTENDERS
Frederik Andersen
John Gibson
Jason LaBarbera

INJURED LIST
G John Gibson and F Nate Thompson (both upper body) did not skate Monday and are listed as day-to-day.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK/Rank: 81.05%, 15th
PP/Rank: 15.7%, 28th
1st PP Unit
Maroon-Getzlaf-Perry
Fowler-Vatanen

 

Five reasons the ducks will win

1. BATTLE-HARDENED

The Ducks have finished third, second and third overall in the NHL regular-season standings the last three years and have diddly-squat to show for it in their trophy case. They fell to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the second round last year; and in seven to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in 2013. Get this: Over the last three years they are an impressive 135-56-21 but, heading into this post-season, are just 10-10 in their last 20 playoff games.

All of that means two things: This team has lacked something to take it to the next level over the last couple of springs, but it is considerably more playoff-seasoned than the Jets as the Stanley Cup derby opens. Pressure can burst pipes all right, but it can also make diamonds.

2. GETZLAF/PERRY

Neither posted particularly gaudy numbers during the regular season — Ryan Getzlaf had 70 points (25G, 45A) in 77 games; Corey Perry had 55 (33G, 22A) in 67 games — but their resumés positively glow. Both have world junior, Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medals. The two combined for nine game-winning goals this year and can single-handedly carry a team, particularly in a short series. Getzlaf had five points in three games against the Jets this year, is a deft playmaker and is among the game’s elite in both ends of the rink. Perry, the former 50-goal man and Hart Trophy winner, remains both one of the NHL’s deadliest snipers and master shift disturbers.

3. CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBRE NUMBERS

Every team has its flaws — and many have circled the question mark that is the Ducks’ goaltending situation and their goals-against and power-play rankings (20th and 28th, respectively) — but there are more than enough statistics that point to Anaheim’s regular-season success and ability to wrap their hands around an opponent’s throat and squeeze the life out of them.

Consider: The Ducks are 26-3-3 when leading after the first; 30-0-2 when leading after the second and 33-1-7 in one-goal games. What those numbers represent is a confidence in their system and an ability to stick to their blueprint. There’s also this: The Ducks set an NHL record this year with the most wins when trailing after two periods and also when trailing after any point in the third period with 18. Anaheim has, get this, 50 comeback wins over the last two seasons.

4. BUILT FOR RIGHT NOW

Ducks GM Bob Murray has made a handful of moves since last season, all of them built for April-May-June hockey. Dealing for Ryan Kesler and Nate Thompson last summer gave the Ducks two solid centres behind Getzlaf. Free-agent addition Clayton Stoner and the additions of James Wisniewski, Simon Despres and Korbinian Holzer near the trade deadline have given the Ducks a ton of options on the blue-line to go with Cam Fowler, Francois Beauchemin, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen. That’s a significant chunk of change, all made for a push into deep spring.

5. INTRIGUING ‘X’ FACTORS

Lurking in the shadows of stars Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler are bit pieces such as Richard Rakell (six points in three games vs. Winnipeg), Kyle Palmieri (three points in three games vs. the Jets) and Matt Beleskey (tied for third in the NHL this season with eight game-winning goals). The Ducks had nine players hit double digits in goals this year (Perry: 33; Getzlaf: 25; Beleskey: 22; Kesler: 20; Andrew Cogliano: 15; Palmieri: 14; Jakob Silfverberg: 13; Sami Vatanen: 12 and Francois Beauchemin: 11). Prolific doesn’t exactly describe this crew’s offensive production. Deep does.

 

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait