Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler will be out of commission for three to five weeks after spraining a ligament his knee in Colorado on March 14. How much will his absence hurt his team?
Fowler is having his best season since his rookie campaign in 2010-11. In 67 games he is fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and 30 assists. Cam also leads the team in ince time with an average of 23:54 a game and is a career high +15.
His loss with have an immediate impact on the team. How much of an effect has yet to be determined.
The 22-year-old has been one of the Ducks most dependable defenseman this season. His absence in the lineup will create an irreplaceable hole on the back end.
One of the Ducks more glaring weaknesses in on the power play. The loss of Fowler will only continue to further handicap the often powerless play. Fowler has scored a little over 10% of all of the Ducks 38 power play goals this season. Four of Fowler's six goals have come with the man advantage.
In addition Fowler kills penalties and has a shorthanded goal to show for it. This too has become an area of concern over the last handful of games. Since killing of all five penalties in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on March 5., the Ducks have surrendered at least one power play goal in six consecutive games.
The Ducks have allowed the opposition to score on eight of their last 20 power plays, including three of six in the two games since Fowler went down.
Now the Ducks face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday in what is easily the game of the season. San Jose and Anaheim are tied for the Pacific Division lead with 97 points apiece. The runner-up will be left with the daunting task of facing perennial playoff juggernauts, the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the playoffs. The division winner won't...simple as that.
Anaheim has not been the same team since peaking with a 9-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 15. The win capped off an unbelievable run in which the Ducks won 18 of 19 games.
In the 20 games since, Anaheim is barely a .500 hockey club posting a mediocre 9-9-2 record. Now they will be without the services without arguably their best defenseman for the remainder of the regular season.
Fowler has matured beyond my expectations this season and has matured into a fine NHL defenseman and one that is not easily replaced. To say the Ducks are a better team with him in the lineup is a gross understatement. It's up to Bruce Boudreau to find his little Dutch boy to plug another hole in the dam.
The Ducks have been able to overcome injuries all season, but a hockey club that can't stay healthy is ultimately playing Russian Roulette. At some point it has to catch up with them....Right? Is the loss of Fowler the straw that finally breaks their back?
What do you think? What would you do if you were Bruce?
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