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Ducks 10 Game Review: Games 21-30

Logo: Anaheim Ducks

By Thomas Harrington

The Ducks struggled over the last 10 games, going 3-5-2. Anaheim’s youth movement continues to struggle, but the team’s veterans have been getting it done. The good news is that Anaheim’s defense is getting healthier, and will hopefully be at full strength in the near future.

Best and Worst Forward

Anaheim’s best forward over the last 10 games was Ryan Getzlaf. Despite the Ducks losing to Washington, Getzlaf played what was probably his best game of the season. He was dominant in all three zones, led the team in assists and points, and was second in goals. Overall, he scored three goals and 12 points. Getzlaf even got in a fight against Winnipeg. If he can continue this kind of play, he could be the catalyst that leads the Ducks back to the playoffs, but he’s going to need some help.

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The Ducks’ worst forward over the last 10 games was Adam Henrique. Despite appearing in all 10 games, he only scored one goal and no assists. He had a hot start to the season but has cooled off considerably. He did score in the loss to Washington and looked really good in that game, so hopefully, that’s a sign that he’s going to start filling the back of the net with some regularity again.

Best and Worst Defenseman

Cam Fowler was the Ducks’ best defenseman over the last 10 games. He had some up and down games, but he and Erik Gudbranson have formed some nice chemistry and have been playing very well together over the last several games. Fowler appeared in all 10 games, led the defense with five assists and six points, and was one of two defensemen to score a goal.

Korbinian Holzer was Anaheim’s weakest defenseman over the last 10 games. He actually played great against Washington, but he struggled most other nights. This was particularly evident in Anaheim’s win over Los Angeles. He played in nine games and went scoreless. He’s a good seventh defenseman, but it feels like he’s being asked to do too much at times this season.

Inbetween The Pipes

Anaheim’s goaltending is often the team’s greatest strength, but both John Gibson and Ryan Miller struggled at times over the last 10 games. Gibson played in seven games and had a record of 2-3-1-1. He did record his first shutout of the season, a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Miller played in three games and had a record of 1-2. Tampa Bay lit him up, but he was solid in his games against Los Angeles and Washington. Neither goaltender has been bad, but neither has been up to their usual high level of play.

Injury News

On the injury front, it was recently announced that Nick Ritchie will be out for six to 10 weeks and that he was placed on the IR. He was injured in the game against Washington. Josh Manson missed all 10 games, but he’s hopefully going to return to the lineup soon. Hampus Lindholm missed a few games, but still managed to appear in seven of Anaheim’s last 10 games. Finally, Gibson missed a couple of games because he was sick.

Rookie Struggles

For Anaheim’s rookies and young players, they are still struggling to find the back of the net. Sam Steel was the only player to appear in all 10 games, and he recorded two goals and no assists. Brendan Guhle played in nine games and scored his first career goal against Arizona. In the game against Washington, Guhle really learned how cruel the NHL can be. He picked up an assist on Steel’s powerplay goal, but the goal was overturned on an offside challenge. Later in the game, he turned the puck over on the play that led to Washington’s game-winning goal.

Troy Terry played in nine games and scored one goal and four points. Max Jones played in seven games while scoring a goal and two points, while Jacob Larsson played in six games and recorded an assist. Both have been assigned to the AHL, but I think they’ll be back in Anaheim in the not too distant future. Josh Mahura played in three games and went scoreless. Max Comtois played in Anaheim’s most recent game, but went scoreless, his only game in the Ducks’ last 10.

Final Thoughts

There were a few more things that caught my eye over the last 10 games. Derek Grant scored his first career hat trick, led the team with six goals, and was tied for third in points with six. Two of Grant’s goals were shorthanded. The fourth line of him, Carter Rowney, and Nicolas Deslauriers have formed an effective trio, and they combined for 11 points over the last 10 games. Devin Shore had a lot of chances against Washington, but he finally broke through and scored his first goal of the season in the loss to Winnipeg. Rickard Rakell was second on the team in scoring with seven points; five of those were assists.

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Anaheim’s offense continues to struggle, but players like Getzlaf and Rakell are playing well enough. Henrique has struggled, but he’s still scored nine goals this season. The Ducks desperately need for their rookies and defensemen to start scoring, and there were times over the last 10 games where it started to look like they might turn the corner. Steel only scored two goals, but they were his first two goals of the season. Terry’s four points were his best 10 game stretch in the season so far. On the blueline, Fowler continues to produce, but he’s been the only one to do so consistently. So there has been some progress, but not quite enough. Hopefully, Anaheim’s offense can turn it around over the next 10 games as they approach the season’s halfway point.

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December 10th, 2019

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