Ducks 10 Game Review: Games 61-70

Logo: Anaheim Ducks

By Thomas Harrington

Anaheim’s struggle to score goals continued over their last 10 games, leading to a record of 3-7-0. The good news is that Anaheim has been playing better overall; they have just had some really bad luck some nights.

Best Forward

The Ducks’ best forward over the last 10 games was Jakob Silfverberg. He was second on the team in goals with three, assists with four, and points with seven. Despite being second in all three categories, I believe he was the best forward because of his consistency. He had points in five straight games and just played a great game in all three zones.

Worst Forward

Anaheim’s worst forward was Corey Perry. He was relegated to the fourth line at times and scored just one goal and two points, both against Montreal. When he returned from injury, I was willing to give him time to get back into game shape. However, he’s now been in the lineup for over a month and he just hasn’t been producing. Against LA, with the goalie pulled, Perry wasn’t on the ice as the Ducks pushed for the tying goal, a telling sign of where he’s at right now.

Best Defenseman

Anaheim’s best defenseman over the last 10 games was Hampus Lindholm. He played in all 10 games and recorded a couple of assists. He played well in the defensive zone and helped push Anaheim’s offense, one of the few players who did in the games when the Ducks struggled to score.

Worst Defenseman

The Ducks’ worst defenseman was Korbinian Holzer. He’s spent much of the season on IR and in San Diego, but he rejoined Anaheim just prior to the trade deadline. He’s a serviceable seventh defenseman, but he’s been playing in more games than he usually would. He hasn’t been bad, but he’s struggled at times. A perfect example would be the second goal that the Kings scored when he missed his check and LA went in and scored on a 2-on-1 break.

Between The Pipes

In net, the Ducks used three goaltenders: John Gibson, Ryan Miller, and Kevin Boyle. Gibson started four games and had a record of 2-2. He stopped over 92% of the shots he faced. Gibson did struggle while Anaheim was shorthanded, giving up six powerplay goals, most of those to St. Louis. Miller started in four games and went 1-3, his lone win coming against Arizona. Boyle started two games and went 0-2. He played pretty well against Edmonton, but he didn’t have a great night in his second game against Vancouver. Still, for a player freshly called up from the AHL, he’s played quite well and I think he could get more NHL time next season.

Injuries

Anaheim continues to be relatively healthy, though four players missed the most recent game with injury: Ondrej Kase, Brendan Guhle, Ryan Kesler and Chad Johnson. Kase is of course done for the season, but hopefully, Guhle, Kesler, and Johnson will be back soon. A number of players also missed time over the last 10 games, including Ryan Getzlaf, Derek Grant, Nick Ritchie, and Devin Shore.

Youth Movement

On the rookie front, the Ducks used seven rookies over the last 10 games: Sam Steel, Max Jones, Kevin Roy, Jacob Larsson, Jaycob Megna, Troy Terry, and Guhle. Steel, Roy, and Larsson were all called up to fill in for injured players, while Jones, Megna, Terry, and Guhle represent Anaheim’s four callups from San Diego after the trade deadline. Steel played in three games and recorded one assist, Roy played in three games and recorded no points, while Larsson has played in three games and recorded a pair of assists. Jones scored his first career goal against Montreal, his only point in the last 10. Megna scored his first career goal against St. Louis, while also picking up an assist. Guhle was acquired before the trade deadline for Brandon Montour and has played in five games so far and recorded one assist, but he has missed the last few games with an injury. Terry was tied for second in goals with three and led the team with eight points, including two games in a row where he scored three points. He still has some work to do on his overall game, but he’s really shown why he’s one of Anaheim’s top prospects over the last few games.

Final Thoughts

A few more things that caught my eye over the last 10 games. Adam Henrique led the team with four goals. Getzlaf played in only five games and recorded a lone assist. Cam Fowler and Megna were the only two defensemen to score a goal. Fowler and Josh Manson led the defense with three assists each, and Fowler led the defense with four points. Despite playing in only six games, Grant’s three assists were tied for third on the team.

With just 12 games left, Anaheim’s 2018-2019 season is nearly over. Between injuries and inconsistent play, it’s been a rough season, but the play of some of Anaheim’s young players does give hope to next season and beyond.

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March 11th, 2019