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| Via: sports.yahoo.com |
If it weren't for Chicago, Anaheim would have been the class of the West this season. By March 20th, they had a record of 22-3-4 and looked to be on their way to a deep playoff run. Ultimately they finished with 66 points en route to winning the Pacific division for the first time since 2007 and capturing the second seed in the conference. The offense was good, finishing 8th in the NHL for goals scored, and they were led as usual by Ryan Getzlaf (49 points), Corey Perry (15 goals) and Bobby Ryan (30 points). Francois Beauchemin, who had his best season since winning the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, led a patchwork defense that wasn't always spectacular, but they got the job done on most nights. When they didn't, Ducks goalies Jonas Hiller and Vikor Fasth were there.
It was a bit of a tough season for Hiller. Injured early in the regular season, he missed some games and then had difficulty getting back into the lineup, because Fasth was outstanding. Fasth, a 30 year old rookie, went on an incredible 8-0-0 run to start his career, finished the season with 15 wins, a 2.18 goals against average and a .921 save percentage to go with four shutouts. However, Hiller's NHL playoff experience tipped the scales in his favour when it came time to start their first round playoff series against Detroit.
Things started so well in game one for the Ducks, a solid 3-1 win at home. However the next night they suffered a wild 5-4 loss in overtime after making a comeback in the third period to tie the game. It would become a theme. A solid 4-0 win and a shutout for Hiller in game three at Joe Louis Arena seemed to have put the Ducks in the driver's seat of the series, but the Wings won 3 of the next 4 games to eliminate Anaheim. This could have been a very different series, as Detroit got three of their four wins in overtime. So what went wrong in the playoffs after such a great regular season?
Mostly it was because their offense from the regular season abandoned them. It's not as though they went completely dry though, and Wing's goalie Jimmy Howard was giving them opportunities. Getzlaf and Beauchemin led the team in scoring with 6 points apiece, and depth forwards such as Emerson Etem, Kyle Palmieri and Nick Bonino all chipped in with three goals. However, you will notice a few names conspicuously absent from that list. Top guns Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne combined for just four goals total while 2011 Hart and Rocket Richard winner Corey Perry was a complete no-show, finishing with zero goals and just two assists. While depth scoring is essential for any team to win, there is a cliche that rings true for the Ducks this year: your best players need to be your best players. Aside from captain Getzlaf, they simply weren't in the first round and that's why they're packing their bags and going home.
So what now? It seems as though the Ducks are going to be in a bit of trouble next year with the cap, as Getzlaf and Perry are both getting 3 million dollar raises next season. How do they address the issue of a more balanced offensive attack if they don't have the money to do so? Then of course there is the will he or won't he drama of Teemu Selanne. The 42 year old Selanne, veteran of 20 NHL seasons, will again take his time to decide during the summer if he wants to retire or not. Even if he wants to stay, do the Ducks have the space to sign him? It seems, as of now, that they do not. With Koivu's future equally in doubt, and a dearth of good young forward prospects coming in to replace them, it may be a tough couple of transition years in Anaheim. Luckily the team has one of the best goaltending prospects in the world in the shape of John Gibson, and with Hiller and Fasth in the fold, the team should at least remain competitive enough until they are able to make a big run again.
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