Anaheim Ducks: How Recent Win Streak Could Put Them in Playoff Contention before April
We may finally have sufficient evidence to put away the Bobby Ryan trade rumors once and for all.
Bobby Ryan has totaled 14 points during the month of January.
With wins in eight of their last ten games the Anaheim Ducks are on the fast track back into the Western Conference playoff picture. In their last nine games the Ducks have snagged 17 out of a possible 20 points, which is enough to bring them to within 11 points of 9th seeded Colorado (whom they beat Sunday night) , and push their home record back over the .500 mark.
So the question plaguing the mind of every hopeful Ducks fan is simple: Is it enough?
That question must be answered with a certain level of uncertainty. Though I would like to cite a few significant accomplishments the Anaheim Ducks have made in January that if continued, could push them into playoff contention before April.
Spreading Out the Losses
The reality is that by January 3rd the Ducks had already lost 22 games and were at the bottom of the entire league in terms of point totals. Now at the end of the month, Anaheim’s regulation loss column is still holding at 22, with many other teams beginning to catch up to that total.
In an article I wrote on January 17th titled What the Anaheim Ducks Need to Do to Make the Playoffs, I stated that Anaheim needed to “spread out their losses.” What I meant is the Ducks were essentially running out of race track. At 22 losses so early in the year, their margin for error had become incredibly small. So small in fact, that another 8 regulation losses would have put them around the 30 mark which is usually on the fence as far as a playoff berth is concerned.
Yet if the Ducks continue at the rate they are now going, they will be able to spread their losses thin enough to make their wins count. A team with such a poor start has no margin for error, and Anaheim has absolutely answered the bell in that regard by keeping their “errors” to a minimum.
What I’ve just said might not seem that profound when summarized.
“The Ducks are winning a lot and they need to keep doing that.” Fair enough, but what about the inner workings behind the turnaround? Are there technical changes that could be an indication of continued success for this team? You bet.
Coach Boudreau: Defense
As a huge fan of Randy Carlyle I was admittedly not quick to jump on the Bruce Almighty fan wagon. His early lack of success seemed to indicate that Anaheim’s problems were player based and not coach based.
He may just be proving me wrong yet again.
Everyone knows Boudreau is an offensive coach. As the driving force and personality behind the early years of Alexander Ovechkin’s career, Boudreau was expected to do just fine drawing offense out of the top line in Anaheim. The league MVP, the second overall pick behind Sidney Crosby and the second coming of Joe Thornton all on the same line had to be part of the lure that brought Boudreau to Anaheim in the first place. In short, no one was worried about the offense with Bruce behind the wheel.
Then again offense wasn’t exactly Anaheim’s problem. Rather it seems that ever since the departure of Scott Neidermayer and Chris Pronger, the Ducks’ defense has been inconsistent and unreliable. They need a coach who could help improve them defensively. Then how is the “run and gun” Boudreau an improvement over the defensive minded Carlyle?
Somehow he is, and it’s plain to see on the ice.
Under coach Boudreau the Ducks have been playing a much more solid defensive game. Forwards are covering down low and collapsing around the net when needed, making it very difficult for opposing teams to find shooting lanes. Anaheim is still giving up a fair amount of shots but they’re usually from a distance and when they haven’t been, Jonas Hiller has been spectacular.
In addition to a tighter positioning game, Boudreau has the defensive scheme moving a bit quicker, and capitalizing on the rush off turnovers. The players are simply skating harder, and moving out of their zone far quicker then at the beginning of the season. Boudreau’s coaching style is undoubtedly responsible for this and has brought a great deal of discipline and life to Anaheim’s defensive game.
If Anaheim’s defense continues to develop and succeed under the changes Boudreau has made, the Ducks will absolutely be in a position to dominate the rest of this season on the defensive side of the stat sheet. With such an offensively capable team in front of them this could spell a friendly forecast for the Anaheim win column.
Moving Forward
Whether or not Anaheim has found a formula to help them succeed the rest of the year is yet to be seen. Overlooked in the shadow of Boudreau’s coaching has been the play of Jonas Hiller who has been excellent for Anaheim during this January stretch.
If he can continue at the pace he is going, and steal some games for the Ducks, then momentum and great defense complimenting an already capable offense should do the rest. There’s no question that the Ducks must have a historically great second half if they’re going to be a part of this year’s post season. Though I wouldn’t count them out yet as this team has shown year after year that they are capable of incredibly good second half surges.
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