Drowning Pool
One - Something's got to give Two - Something's got to give Three - Something's got to give Now - Let the bodies hit the floor
Enough already. The Ducks lack of offense is bordering on ridiculous. They score less often than Steven Glansburg. Even worse Anaheim has made goalies like James Reimer look like the second coming of Ken Dryden way to often.
If low scoring was the only problem it could be overcome. Low scoring combined with defensive zone turnovers (ie Josh Manson coughing up the puck to a 45 year old man behind the net) and too many penalties is a recipe for disaster. Judging by the heated exchange between captain Ryan Getzlaf and assistant coach Trent Yawney at practice shows that tensions are running high. This situation needs to change.
Randy Carlyle sent a message to Sami Vatanen by scratching him four weeks ago and it had little to no effect. Then the coached mixed up his lines and it worked for two games before the situation crashed back to the ground. Its time for his boss, GM Bob Murray, to do something. It might be shipping someone out of town, or maybe waiving a veteran. Standing pat is not an option.
L.A. @ Ducks
The Freeway Faceoff Series continues tonight at the Honda Center. A battle of two teams who thought they'd be better off at this point in the season. The Andrew Cogliano-Ryan Kesler-Jakob Silfverberg line will be reunited. The defense pairings should remain the same. John Gibson will defend the Ducks goal. Here is the expected lineup:
Forwards Richie-Rakell-Perry Kase-Getzlaf-Shaw Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg Cramarosa-Thompson-Boll
Defensemen Fowler-Vatanen Lindholm-Manson Bieksa-Montour
Goalies Gibson Bernier
Scratches Holzer Tropp