The Anaheim Ducks of last season were tenacious. They were hard on the puck every shift, had an incredible tendency to mount third-period comebacks and consistently locked down wins when the going got tough. It was no surprise they ended up with one of the best records in the NHL.
2015 NHL scores: Ducks continue to disappoint, Habs remain unbeaten
Ducks fail together.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
So what happened to that team?
The Ducks showing up these days are a shell of that team. Their latest loss, a 3-0 walloping in Minnesota on Saturday, was their worst showing of the season and sent them to a franchise-worst 1-5-1 start.
They simply can't score; Anaheim averages less than one goal a game (0.86 GF/G) and already has been shut out as many times as they were last season (4). Jamie Benn leads the league in goals with eight. As a team, the Ducks are stuck on six in seven games.
Normally I'd sit here and try to assure you the Ducks will eventually find their footing. This time I won't. After years of strong regular seasons and disappointing playoff runs, no team in the NHL faced more doubts coming into 2015-16 than Anaheim. And their numerous changes in personnel (Kevin Bieksa, Shawn Horcoff, Carl Hagelin and Chris Stewart) haven't created chemistry. In fact, Horcoff and Stewart rode out most of the third period on Saturday on the bench.
Their goals-per-game pace is obviously unsustainable. And their recent regular season success allows for some benefit of the doubt. But right now the Ducks seem like a mishmash of ill-fitting pieces on a team already expected to regress at some point in the near future. There’s still plenty of time to delay that inevitability, but this start does not inspire hope.
Scores
Wild 3, Ducks 0
Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 3
Blackhawks 1, Lightning 0 (OT)
Blue Jackets 4, Avalanche 3
Sharks 5, Hurricanes 2
3 things we learned
1. Struggling stars are showing signs of life
Jonathan Toews came into Chicago's big contest with the Lightning with just three points and no goals on the season. He was clearly due to break out soon, but for awhile it appeared it wouldn't happen on Saturday. But then he did what he does best: he came through in a big moment with a big play.
As for Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby, the Penguins duo didn't exactly light up the scoreboard either against the Predators. But when Phil Kessel scores overtime goals like this, you know he's doing just fine.
New rule: If you can do this, you can eat whatever the hell you want. https://t.co/BPGgVYnukA
- — Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) October 25, 2015
2. Columbus can win games!
Well, at least one game. The Blue Jackets’ nightmare ended on Saturday with a win in Colorado, ending a franchise-worst 0-8-0 start to the season. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t easy. But it was a win for a locker room that needed a positive moment for their battered psyche. With that albatross out of the way the Blue Jackets can begin their long climb out of the hole they dug themselves into.
3. The Flyers and Rangers provided the best entertainment of the night
Boy, was this one a thrill ride. New York has dominated this rivalry over the last couple of years, but Philadelphia put up a strong fight to earn a shootout win on Saturday. It helped that goalie Steve Mason (37 saves) was able to match Henrik Lundqvist's excellence in net (46 saves) all night. Philly is now 4-2-1 with a manageable -2 goal differential to start the year. Not a bad way to begin the Dave Hakstol era.
Impact Moment
Close call here between Kessel’s and Toews’ overtime winners. But I have to give Toews the edge considering Kessel sped around defenders while Captain Serious just bullied his way straight through two of them.
Toews OT winner pic.twitter.com/mKWxBgRhcU
— Stephanie (@myregularface) October 25, 2015 Stat of the Night
Goal totals: Plekanec line 16 Desharnais line 7 Galchenyuk line 5 Mitchell line 4 The entire Ducks remain at 6 #Habs
— BrianWilde (@BWildeCTV) October 25, 2015 Post to post
- Sure, the Ducks lost. But at least Frederik Andersen is in the running for save of the year! Because that's what really matters.
- Evander Kane suffered a knee injury, which is bad news for the Sabres.
- Even Canucks fans forget the words to their national anthem.
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