GDT: Ducks visit Blue Jackets 7 PM ET on 10 - 11 - 19

[Leonardo87]

Honestly if we can find a way to click on the power play(which i think steel will help a lot)… we can be a dangerous team... the effort is there.. we might lack overall skill as far as offense goes. But we need to take advantage on those power play opportunities(granted I don't see us getting many cause BIG BAD DUCKS ARE IN TOWN)

I do think Rakell + kase could flirt with 70 points if healthy... both players look really good right now, and aggressive + creative.

The team as a whole will get better as the weeks gone on also... you can tell they are a little off as far as playing off each other goes.... but thatll get more crisp.

really wouldn’t mind if this team flew (no pun intended) under the radar. Like you said fix the PP make it decent. With Gibson in net they can be a strong team .

 

[bsu]

The only way Rakell is getting 70 points is if he they put him back with Getzlaf

 

[la patineuse]

It seemed there were stretches when they were outplayed by Columbus and a lot of times they were out of sync and it wasn't a pretty win, so that may be coloring the way the game was viewed. But, aside from the shots, they actually did better in hits, takeaways, and were pretty even with scoring chances after Columbus was making a push in the 3rd period. I can't speak to any advanced stats (too Getzlaf to look them up). And as others have said, it was the second game of a back-to-back on the road, so I'll take this win.

I am concerned with the lack of scoring, and I hope they aren't using up their puck luck by getting some lucky bounces and the other teams hitting a lot of pipe. The goaltending is strong, as usual, and the team defense is looking better than last year, so if they can just start finishing, hopefully the scoring will go up. The pp still sucks though.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

How we're playing reminds of the MLB Angels many years ago. They played small ball as they relied heavily on their pitching. They didn't have many great HR hitters, but had a lot of singles-type hitters who ran fast, going from first base to third base (scoring position). Yet, pitching was the most important aspect to the Angels b/c if they didn't have the pitchers, then the team would struggle mightily. During the previous GM's tenure (2011-2015), he had three seasons over .500, which included a playoff berth. The one year he failed to reach over .500 was when he had an abysmal year with the lack of pitching talent that allowed over 700 runs against (similar to Goals Against) the only time in that four year tenure. Under the new GM, his priorities were accruing hitters than pitchers - trading pitchers for hitters. In the past four years, they've never finished over .500 and have allowed over 700 runs against each year.

Small ball isn't flashy and doesn't score much, but they score enough b/c they have their pitchers shut down the opposing team. Welp, that's like the Ducks are this year (and last year under Murray as coach). The Ducks are rallying around their netminder as a priority and then counter. At the moment, we're lacking finishers as well as line chemistry save the fourth line, who often has a revolving LW.

I like these results far better than last year under RC, where we'd get blown out of the water. I have no idea if we can sustain this type of play all season, but it appears that's the direction we're going as we roll four lines.

While we did win this game against the Blue Jackets, I thought we played better overall against the Pens and lost. The fact the team gutted out a win on the second of a back-to-back game on the road after losing a game where they played (despite the special team disparity) is a good sign. There is no losing streak. I'll take that.

We're a very young team. I saw a graphic during the Pens game that color analyst Hazy shared the Ducks had 9 players on the NHL club roster 23-years and younger (granted, at most 7 would play at the same time):
RW Kase
LW Ritchie
RW Terry
D Guhle
D Larsson
LW Jones
LW Comtois
C Steel
C Lundestrom

There's bound to be some growing pains and stealing points early while the team figures out how to score is something I'll take. It's nice to see the defensive philosophy being carried over from Murray's tenure as coach last year. We have great goalies and I'm not ashamed of it, neither has the team. We also have lost C Steel and D Guhle to injury already. We're winning small, which is far better than losing in blowouts. Winning small on the second of a back-to-back series on the road is a far better outcome to a two-game losing streak on the road.

I listened to a podcast mad that the Ducks put two defensemen on the only PP the ducks had in the third period. The podcaster was boasting how the expected goals wasn't being used correctly by putting both Lindholm and Del Zotto on the ice for the PP despite nearly giving up a short-handed attempt with the PP1 unit. The context was the Ducks were up 2-1 and the PP was around the 11 minute mark in the third period. I've noted how the Ducks' PP has given up short-handed situations consistently in pre-season and early this regular season. It popped up again last night. Knowing the result that the Ducks won the game after that scare on the PP, I'm kinda at odds with the all stats driven philosophy. I thought the only stat that mattered were points in the win column?

 

[Hockey Duckie]

The only way Rakell is getting 70 points is if he they put him back with Getzlaf

I thought the Rakell-Steel-Silf line was productive last year, which is why they were a line going into this season. Unfortunately, they've only played one game together. But I'll take a good defensive-minded Rakell and fewer points if it leads to more wins! I'd rather like to see Rakell score more, but seeing him play on the PK and score while on the PK brings tears to my eyes. I never thought Rakell had it in him to play defense until this season. ha ha ha

 

[Ducks DVM]

I just like seeing Rakell actually playing a full game again vs going through the motions for the first 57 minutes.

 

[Goose of Reason]

I just like seeing Rakell actually playing a full game again vs going through the motions for the first 57 minutes.

From the interviews he has given and the way his play picked up under Murray last season, I don't know if anyone on the team hated playing for Carlyle as much as Rakell did.

 

[DavidBL]

From the interviews he has given and the way his play picked up under Murray last season, I don't know if anyone on the team hated playing for Carlyle as much as Rakell did.

Maybe Lindholm.

 

[lakai17]

How did Comtois look? Was he decent? Were the ones who want him in the ahl satisfied enough for his game or are they ever satisfied?

 

[Terry Yake]

How did Comtois look? Was he decent? Were the ones who want him in the ahl satisfied enough for his game or are they ever satisfied?

unimpressive

 

[Paul4587]

From the interviews he has given and the way his play picked up under Murray last season, I don't know if anyone on the team hated playing for Carlyle as much as Rakell did.

Which is weird given his two 30 goal years and increased responsibility came under Carlyle.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Maybe Lindholm.

I think with Lindholm it was also that he believed Carlyle to be incompetent idiot lol.

 

[Sean Garrity]

The only way Rakell is getting 70 points is if he they put him back with Getzlaf

I thought the Rakell-Steel-Silf line was productive last year, which is why they were a line going into this season. Unfortunately, they've only played one game together. But I'll take a good defensive-minded Rakell and fewer points if it leads to more wins! I'd rather like to see Rakell score more, but seeing him play on the PK and score while on the PK brings tears to my eyes. I never thought Rakell had it in him to play defense until this season. ha ha ha

I just like seeing Rakell actually playing a full game again vs going through the motions for the first 57 minutes.

I think Rakell has been our best and most consistent forward offensively with Kase. He's been attacking constantly, creating chances, leads the team in SOG, and damn good defensively. If he keeps playing like this I would bet that he gets to 30, his shooting percentage is at 5% right now and we all know he scores in bunches. Sure his numbers would probably be higher with Getzlaf, but the future #1 line is more likely to consist of Steel than Getzlaf and it's better overall if they can both produce separately IMO. I haven't payed that close of attention, but does anyone know if teams are deploying their #1 pairing against Getzlaf or Rakell's line this season? I'm too Getzlaf to look it up.