Anaheim Ducks

The Bright Side

They’re not what the Ducks need, but moral victories and silver linings are just about all that is available after the team lost 5-2 in San Jose tonight.  With that in mind, here are some optimistic spins on the Ducks’ current situation.

Cloud:  0-11 on the power play in the last three games.

Silver Lining:  The 6th best PP in the league is getting their chances.  Against San Jose last night the Ducks went 0-4 withthe extra man, but moved the puck well, attacked the blueline and held the zone with sustained pressure for the vast majority of their man advantages.  Bobby Ryan scored just four seconds after a penalty expired and hit a post on the power play that could have made this one a very different game had it tickled twine.  It’s cliché, but as long as the chances are there the results will come.

Negative:  Ryan Getzlaf cuts his leg with his own skate and misses third period.

Positive:  Early reports are that the cut is not serious and Getzlaf is listed as day-to-day, where as last season Teemu Selanne missed over a month after cutting himself with his own skate.

Dark Side:  Sharks beat up on the Ducks leading 5-1 after two.

Bright Side:  Ducks show heart in the third, taking the play to San Jose.  Anaheim out shot the Sharks 10-3 in the third and stood up physically with two fights. 

Concern:  The Ducks sit 13th in the conference seven points out of a playoff spot.

Hope:  They were in 13th last March before going 10-2-1 to finish the season and knocking off these same San Jose Sharks in the first round. 

There is a lot of worry and panic out there among Ducks fans this year, and for good reason.  Runs like the one we saw at the end of last year don’t just happen every season.  While the 2003 team was defined by JS Giguere, and the 2007 team was defined (semi-accurately) by toughness this team has been defined by inconsistency and underachievement. 

The Ducks have lost two in a row, but if they would have won those two games they would be 3 points out of a playoff spot in 11th, right in the mix.  So with 43 games remaining there are all kinds of possibilities for the 2009-10 Anaheim Ducks if they can just get on the same page.