Ducks 10 Game Review: Games 1-10

Logo Graphic: Anaheim Ducks

By Thomas Harrington

One game isn’t enough time to evaluate how good or bad a team or a player is. With this in mind, I’ll be doing two different review series: one that will focus on individual players on the Ducks, and one that will focus on the team overall.

Every 10 games, I’ll break down how well the players have done. I’ll look at who I think was the best forward and defenseman during those games, as well as who I think was the worst forward and defenseman and how Anaheim’s rookies are doing. I’ll also discuss the goaltenders, go over any injuries, and mention anything else that caught my eye.

For the other review, every month I’ll take a look back at how the team is performing overall. I’ll name Anaheim’s best and worst games of the month, examine how the special teams are doing, and anything else that seems relevant at the time.

For the second season in a row, the Ducks have been beset by a myriad of injuries. The Ducks went 5-4-1 and recorded 11 points, which is the same record that they had after 10 games last season.

Best Players

The best forward over the first 10 games is a bit of a shocker to me, but it’s Maxime Comtois. The rookie was tied for the team lead in assists with five and points with seven; he also led the team in both categories at even strength. He was expected to be in juniors this year, but he’s now played in 10 games and his entry-level contract has begun. While he could still go back down later this season, for now, it looks like he has carved out a spot for himself in Anaheim’s lineup.

The best defenseman to start the season for Anaheim has been Hampus Lindholm, and he’s arguably been Anaheim’s best skater. Offensively, he is tied for the team lead with five assists and seven points, while also being a defensive force in his own end of the ice.

Worst Players

Anaheim’s worst forward to start the season has been Rickard Rakell. He’s scored over 30 goals two seasons in a row, but has yet to record a five-on-five goal this season; he just has a powerplay goal and a four-on-four goal. His two goals, especially with so many players out with injury, are simply not enough for Anaheim’s most offensively dangerous forward. The good news is that he scored a pretty goal in the 10th game. Hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.

The Ducks’ worst defenseman over the first 10 games has been Josh Manson. This may be a bit of a controversial choice, but to me, Manson has struggled to start the season and is nowhere near the level he was at last year. Manson is a much better player than he has shown so far this season, and I’m confident that we’ll see that player through most of the rest of the season. Every player goes through rough stretches, and these last 10 games were Manson’s turn to struggle.

Between The Pipes

In net, John Gibson has far and away been Anaheim’s MVP. Without him, the Ducks would be in significantly worse shape than they are right now. The Ducks have given up over 40 shots multiple times this season and average 37.9 shots against per game, far and away the highest in the NHL. Gibson has been the primary reason why the Ducks even had a chance in several games. He’s started eight games and won four of them, with a .949 save percentage and one shutout. Ryan Miller hasn’t been as busy, but he’s been equally as good. He’s appeared in three games, starting two of them, and has a 1-1 record. His loss to Buffalo was certainly not his fault, as he made over 40 saves in that game.

Injuries Continue To Plaque Anaheim

Anaheim’s injury list is a long one. Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler both missed time this season and neither is at 100%. Jakob Silfverberg and Carter Rowney have both been injured since the season began and have yet to return to the lineup. Meanwhile, Patrick Eaves, Corey Perry, Ondrej Kase, and Korbinian Holzer have yet to play in a game this season. Nor have younger players like Kevin Roy and Kalle Kossila. The good news is that Max Jones recently returned to action and made his season debut with San Diego. If he plays well enough down there, he could make his way to Anaheim in the near future.

Ducks Lean On Their Rookies

This is one of the better rookie classes that Anaheim has had for some time. In a number of games this season, Anaheim has had as many as six rookies in the lineup. A number of their top prospects were slated to be in the NHL this year, but there have certainly been some surprises, including the play of Comtois. Another big surprise has been Isac Lundestrom. Anaheim’s most recent first-round pick has one assist in eight games, but he is rarely out of position and has shown himself to be defensively responsible. The third big surprise has been Kiefer Sherwood. Similar to Comtois and Lundestrom, he wasn’t expected to be in the NHL this year. Unlike them, however, most fans didn’t know him, as he was signed out of college late last season. He’s got two goals and four points in 10 games, and has really impressed with his tenacity and forechecking ability.

Sam Steel has made his much anticipated NHL debut, and while his point totals aren’t high, he’s shown flashes of the skill that made him a first-round pick. He’s got one goal and three points through 10 games. Troy Terry played in six games and recorded no points before being assigned to San Diego. He has five points in two games with the Gulls and could return to the Ducks soon if he continues at that pace. Marcus Pettersson has been the lone rookie defenseman in Anaheim’s lineup, and he’s played in all 10 games. He’s been unspectacular but solid as Anaheim’s fifth defenseman, playing anywhere from 10 to 14 minutes every night.

Final Thoughts

A few other things that caught my eye through Anaheim’s first 10 games. Last year, Derek Grant came out of nowhere to be one of Anaheim’s more consistent players, especially while the team was dealing with injuries. This year, that player is Ben Street, who has five points in 10 games to start the season, including the first three goals of his career. With so many players out, Andrew Cogliano has seen some time on the power play and scored his first powerplay goal in several years.

Five of Anaheim’s six defensemen have played in every game; Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr are the only two players to be rotated in and out of the lineup. Three players are tied for the team lead in points with seven: Silfverberg, Comtois, and Lindholm. Adam Henrique, Kesler, Street, and Silverberg are tied for the team lead in goals with three. Nick Ritchie made his season debut in Anaheim’s 10th game. He played almost 15 minutes, had three shots, and a couple of hits.

The Ducks have dropped their three most recent games. Hopefully, as the team gets healthier, they can get back on track. Their team defense desperately needs to improve. Gibson and Miller have been Anaheim’s best players to start the season; now the rest of the team needs to catch up with their two goaltenders.

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October 25th, 2018