- Jul 25, 2012
- 40,191
- 35,378
These games from him are not very normal…. I’d rather bring in someone with more consistency
GDT: #58 ⋅ NSH @ ANA ⋅ 5:00 PM PST
- Thread starter anezthes
- Start date
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Agree the Jones, grouxl, mcginn times are over. Carrick possibly as well. Verbeek gets to bring in all his guys to fill out the bottom of our roster for next season. I do not know what to think about leason. Our gm picked him up off the waiver wire, but our coach doesn’t play him. I can tell you that big Ross Johnston is a fixture in our bottom 6 going forward and I’m happy about that.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
Does this season feel worse than previous years or is it just me?
duxfan1101
Registered User
Last year was the worst, easily.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
Maybe I've repressed it but I feel like I was still excited last season. I wanted to tune in to see if Z was gonna do something crazy and if we did lose oh well we were closer to getting Bedard (boy, was I naive!).
This year I'm just sad.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
LaCombe, Lindstrom, and Vaak are in rotation for two spots on the ice. We need to see what we have in Lindstrom and this rotation helps management plan things as well as give LaCombe a breather to watch from the press box, since he's a rookie.
| Ducks | 2023-24 | 58 games | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Games | ATOI | Blocks | Blk/Gms | Hits | Hits/Gm | CF% (SAT%) |
| Lyubushkin | 55 | 17:09 | 138 | 2.51 | 112 | 2.04 | 44.0 |
| Gudas | 52 | 19:21 | 119 | 2.29 | 189 | 3.63 | 48.9 |
| LaCombe | 51 | 19:29 | 91 | 1.78 | 40 | 0.78 | 44.2 |
| Fowler | 58 | 25:04 | 83 | 1.43 | 34 | 0.59 | 46.6 |
| Vaak | 49 | 17:20 | 58 | 1.18 | 28 | 0.57 | 48.3 |
| Minty | 47 | 18:04 | 45 | 0.96 | 66 | 1.40 | 48.7 |
| Lindstrom | 10 | 15:11 | 11 | 1.10 | 14 | 1.40 | 39.0 |
From these productions, I can see why the org wants to keep LaCombe up with the NHL club. He's got a knack for blocking shots. Although, I wish he would throw in a bit more hits. During the rookie tourney, LaCombe looked dominant out there and dished out a booming hit on a King b/c the Ducklings were being manhandled. That was the speed that LaCombe was used to in the NCAA. Playing against NHL'ers, it's a faster game and they're bigger.
The CF% (or SAT%) is going to be depended on who's your partner with respect to LaCombe, Lindstrom, and Vaak. Vaak's most prominent partner is Gudas. LaCombe and Lindstrom have played top pairing with Fowler.
Lyubushkin has been a good, serviceable stay-at-home D. Also, he's durable. If Lyubushkin gets traded, then we need to find someone similar to him or better in the off-season b/c we need more hitters and blockers (for the PK). Also, if Lyubushkin gets traded, then that's a d-man roster spot open.
I was either turning off or fast forwarding through last year's games by the beginning of the 2nd period most nights. All I cared about last season was the result. Did we lose? Ok, we're closer to Bedard/Fantilli/Carlsson. Oh, we lost by 6? Glad I didn't watch that.
This season I've found that the games have been more engaging. It is frustrating in its own way - the injuries and the question marks about the new coaching staff are the biggest issues - but it is definitely better hockey. And even when Carlsson isn't producing, he does things that are fun to watch.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
I just don't remember being this annoyed last season. Like yeah we lost a lot but I still wanted to tune in. Maybe I'm still sour about the draft and realize no matter how shitty we are this year we likely won't have anything to show for it. This isn't a knock on Carlsson, I'm really happy to have him and he is going to be a great hockey player but we've dropped in the draft how many times already? And I just expect more bullshit this year so losing feels even worse to me.
I'm glad you and @duxfan1101 see improvement this year, maybe you can convince me to not be so emo about this season but I just can't shake how disillusioned I feel about the games this year.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
Record after 58 games last year: source.
New additions to this year's club:
C McTavish (Year 2)
F Killorn
C Carlsson
F Johnston
D Gudas
D Lybushkin
D Minty
D LaCombe
D Vaak (healthy)
D Luneau
D Vaak
D Lindstrom
This shows the added talent depth this year's team acquired.
================
Stats Comparisons
================
- Record after 58 games
- Last year: 17-34-7 (41 pts)
- This year: 20-35-3 (43 pts)
- GF, GA, GD after 58 games
- Last year:
- GF = 145
- GA = 246
- GD = -101
- This year:
- GF = 151
- GA = 207
- GD = -56
- Last year:
- Special teams after 58 games
- Last year:
- PP = 16.3% (we finished 31st at the end of the season)
- PP goals = 27 goals
- PP Opp = 166
===================
- PK = 72.9% (we finished 31st at the end of the season)
- PK goals against = 55 goals against
- PK Opp = 203
- This year:
- PP = 19.32% (20th rank)
- PP goals = 34 goals
- PP Opp = 176
===================
- PK = 76.39% (26th rank)
- PK goals against = 55 goals against
- PK Opp = 233 (1st most)
- Last year:
This year's special teams play is much better than last year's club. The oddest thing is that b/c the PP is better, then that implies our ES goal scoring is worse this year. Another oddity is that our PK efficiency is better, but because we're an undisciplined team with 30 more PK opportunities, we still gave up the same amount of PK goals against as last year's team.
===================
Conclusion
===================
This year feels worse than last year. Last year, everyone complained about the high volume Shots Against. I shared that Eakins was purposely doing that to improve his chances of winning games and I supported it with graphs, charts, and breakdown splits. It was high even hockey because we didn't have any talented defensive d-men on our roster!
| Ducks | 2022-23 | Splits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Set | Games | W | L | OTL | Pts | Pts Pct |
| Total | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 58 | 35.4% |
| 1 to 25 | 25 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 30.0% |
| 26 to 49 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 41.7% |
| 50 to 61 (TDL) | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 50.0% |
| 62 to 82 | 21 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 26.2% |
This year, we added more talent at forward and a lot more talent on defense, improved on GF by +6, reduced GA by 39 fewer goals against, improved PP, and slightly improved PK. The problem is we are only 2 points better than last year's team after 58 games. Many of the games this season have been snooze fests too.
The only silver lining I can see about this season is that we shouldn't see a huge drop of play after the TDL like last year's team. Although, losing Rico might sting a lot offensively.
DavidBL
Registered User
Imo I think the expectations were different for this year vs last. I think most of us were hoping for, if not expecting, to be closer to a 16th overall than to first overall. The injuries really suck but it's hard not to be disappointed given where this team is and where many were hoping it would be. Last year we all expected to be bad.
duxfan1101
Registered User
Honestly, it sounds like the biggest difference for you (and a lot of people, I’m sure) is that losing this year feels worse because the possible prize of the #1 pick doesn’t seem as impressive, so losing seems more pointless. This year’s team is clearly better than last year’s team. Last year we were literally historically poor defensively, and that was miserable to watch, and it’s not like we were better offensively last year either. I can buy the idea that last year felt better because people were more ok with losing, but the games this year I find much more competitive and entertaining to watch (still a long way to go, though). So there are kind of two ways to look at it.
Terry Yake
Registered User
- Aug 5, 2013
- 26,850
- 15,333
nah, last year most of the games were close and it seemed like they were losing a lot of one goal games. this year it's as if they've already given up before the game even begins. injuries have played a role of course, but last year's team was a lot more prepared to play compared to this current team
duxfan1101
Registered User
I mean our average goal differential per game has improved by over half a goal this year so I’m not sure how you could feel that way. Yes, at the end of the season we lost many close games, but it wasn’t like that all year.
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
I'm having a much worse time this year. I find very little to look forward to in these games and I don't give f*** one about our draft position.
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
Verbeek didn't expect to be bad last year. In fact, he thought we should have been at .500 early in the season. Here's a Dec 1, 2022 article interview with Verbeek excerpt :
On the start of the season
Looking back when the season started, I thought we'd be at or near .500. It's kind of been disappointing. I would split the first 20 games up into two different segments. I thought for the first 10 games our team, as a whole, didn't compete hard enough on the ice to win puck battles. I think that contributed to some losses. And over the last 10 games, I thought our team's competing a lot harder and we're giving ourselves a chance to win from that aspect. Overall, I think our special teams hasn't been very good. You could look back on the first night, Seattle scored three goals on us on the power play and it really hasn't gotten much better from there.
I don't think we all expected to be bad last year. I know I pointed it out after looking at our defensive roster before the season started. Half of the media pundits thought we'd be better because of the signings of Strome, Klingberg, and Vatrano.
As for injuries, last year's team had a multitude of injuries. Those injuries are worse because we had far less talent. This year, we lose a Zegras, but have a Carlsson. Both teams lost Drysdale, but the loss wasn't devastating for this year's team.
This year is worse because Cronin couldn't figure out how to win despite given a better roster than last year's club. Eakins figured out how to win with a shit roster, a bottom tier PP, and a bottom tier PK. Cronin's team is only 2 points better than last year's team despite boasting a lot of improvements.
Last year was a joke. It was barely hockey. I expected it, so it's not like I was mad most of the time, but I'm a fan. The whole point of being a fan is to care. But if I had tried to care about the results or the process last year, I would have been angry all the time. The team was historically bad at getting outshot and outchanced. So I just stopped caring.
This year has been a pretty big step up from that. The team isn't getting historically outshot and the goal differential is much better. They haven't just given up in games. And while not getting Bedard is disappointing, I'm a huge fan of Carlsson. I think he's going to be awesome, and I look forward to every shift of his. I couldn't say that about anyone last year, maybe because while I like Zegras, I don't like his game as much as I like Carlsson's.
I have hope for the future. I was expecting to have more hope (the lack of progress under Cronin is really bumming me out), but some hope is better than rooting for the team to lose.
duckaroosky
So sayeth Duckthulu
2 whole points better. I'm gonna go plan the parade.
Spoiler alert: it's just Google Map directions to the liquor store
Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
I feel like it is. This team has no direction, and I’m not really confident on the coaching/management staff to bring us to the next level. I don’t even bother watching the games anymore because we truthfully are pitiful. The ’watch the kids develop’ mantra is such an excuse because while they may show flashes, the overall product sucks
i hope my view of the team will improve over time, but I doubt it. Really hoping for Celebrini or anyone else but Levshunov. Just seems like another project** defenseman that may take even longer to get going.
Last edited:
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
Last year was exciting hockey. They were inept defensively with a clown shoes roster, but always motivated and would score at the end of games, just not enough. At least pre-Verbeekening II.
They are frequently just boring this year.
duxfan1101
Registered User
I mean we were THE comeback team in the NHL for the first month of this season. We are even averaging more goals per 3rd period this year compared to last year. And if you are interested in goals with our goalie pulled, we had 7 last year and 6 so far this year.
This year feels worse because expectations were higher.
duxfan1101
Registered User
I can see that side for sure. My perspective is that our team is undoubtedly better than last year's team, so I see that as a better season. Obviously, I wish we were better (and healthier), but taking expectations out of it, this is definitely a (small) step in the right direction.
EDIT: This is hopefully our rock bottom as a fan base: arguing about which year sucked the most.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
I feel bored for significantly more of the games this year sitting there in the stands. Too many players are inept who shouldn’t be, more should give a shit and don’t appear to. High event trying and failing is significantly more entertaining in person than waiting for the 10-15 minutes if the game that they decide to try in the average game this year.
It’s got nothing to with the reward for losing, I was never part of that crowd. I just think that Cronin is ass at motivating this team.
duxfan1101
Registered User
I don't disagree with anything you said, but all of those things were true last year, too. And we had the puck even less often last season.
Ducks DVM
sowcufucakky
They were actually shooting more per game last year at this point than they are this point.
I found the Kings teams to be boring as hell when they were winning. Same with New Jersey. Having control/shot suppression is not the only, or main, element creating entertainment to me.
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