Tonight, the Anaheim Ducks face off against the Minnesota Wild for the second time in five days. Their last matchup, a 2-0 victory for the Wild, was the Ducks’ most closely contested 60 minutes of hockey during their abysmal six-game slide, during which they’ve been outscored 31-7. The Ducks won the first game of the season against the Wild back on Jan. 27, and are looking for a victory on home ice to win (and conclude) the season series.
Related: Ducks Showing No Signs of Life During Latest Losing Streak
Leo Carlsson returned to the lineup against the St. Louis Blues (March 17). He brought speed, energy, and a spring to the lineup that simply hadn’t existed before his return. He, along with Troy Terry and Frank Vatrano, will be key factors in the game plan tonight. Let’s preview the game by looking at storylines, personnel, and tactics.
Terry, Vatrano & Carlsson Need to Shine
These three forwards remain the most dynamic players in the lineup for the Ducks. Mason McTavish, when healthy, is obviously in the mix as well. Whether the latter plays tonight or not, the Ducks will lean on Terry, Vatrano, and Carlsson for speed, playmaking, and finishing.
Terry scored both goals in the loss to the Blues. Vatrano put six shots on goal, and Carlsson tallied an assist and three shots on goal. When these guys get going, they can put opposing defenses on their heels. It’s really the only chance the Ducks have to come out victorious, because they don’t get consistent offense from any other sources. For about 40 minutes against the Blues, they did exactly that but descended into penalty trouble in the final frame, and the game got away from them.
Penalty Trouble Looming Large Once Again
The Blues were another desperate hockey club in need of points to remain in contention for a playoff spot. The game was tightly contested and heading for a grind-it-out, whoever-wants-it-most type battle to win the third period, but the Ducks made it easy for the Blues right away with three minor penalties in the first half of the period. The Blues scored on each of them and gave themselves a 4-1 lead to work with, effectively putting the game out of reach.
In the last two games alone, against the aforementioned Blues and the Winnipeg Jets (March 15), the Ducks have surrendered six power play goals, three in each game. Their lack of discipline has been a season-long trend, and it has reared its ugly head once again, especially lately. It’s the type of penalties that make them undisciplined. It is the holdings, the slashings, and similar-type infractions that happen when one plays lousy defense or stops skating. There’s simply way too many of them. The Ducks are one of the youngest teams in the NHL, sure, but at some point, that can’t be an excuse for giving up as many goals on the power play as they are. The shorthanded units simply aren’t strong enough to sustain any type of success.
The most eye-popping stat perhaps of all this season? How about the 374 penalties the Ducks have taken in 68 games? That’s 38 more than second place (Florida Panthers) and 67 more than third place (Arizona Coyotes).
Who Is Going to Make the Big Saves to Deliver a Victory?
Many a time this season, the team skating in front of either Lukáš Dostál or John Gibson has failed him. Whether by leaky defense, turnovers, poor positioning, or something similar, Dostál and Gibson are saddled with the near-impossible task of saving 30-40 pucks a night to give this team a chance at victory. Lately, though, the opposite has been true.
A six-game stretch during which the Ducks have surrendered 31 goals is embarrassing. Is that all on the players, though? Sometimes, a goaltender needs to bail his team out when the team in front of him is not playing well. While it’s happened at several points this season, it is not happening lately. Five goals per game, on average, throughout this losing streak simply is not a good look for anybody. Whether it’s Gibson or Dostál in net tonight, somebody needs to play lights out and deliver a win amidst a terribly demoralizing losing streak.
11th Win at Honda Center This Season Is Within Reach
The Ducks’ losing streak began at home on March 8. They return tonight still needing a win. The keys to victory are pretty simple. Their best players, which includes their starting goaltender, need to play lights out, and they need to minimize penalties. Sound familiar? Well, it should, because those have been the keys to victory for a majority of the season.
On occasion, the key to victory for the Ducks was contributions from depth and/or bottom-six players. After all, winning in today’s NHL, especially in the playoffs, is often a result of depth. But you also need your best players to be your best players. If the Ducks can get a strong game out of the strong offensive players they have available – some combination of Terry, Vatrano, Carlsson, and McTavish, maybe even Olen Zellweger – then they have a chance to take down the Wild for the second time this season and put a damper on their postseason aspirations. Puck drop is at 7 PM PST at Honda Center.
