Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20 Follow HockeyBuzz Ducks on Twitter: @HB_Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks picked up their first win of the season tonight, defeating the Minnesota Wild by a score of 1-0.
Defensively, the Ducks weren’t perfect, but they were certainly better. They were still giving up the puck in some avoidable situations but there weren’t nearly as many odd-man rushes or point-blank chances given up as in the previous games.
John Gibson was rock solid once again though and after a shaky season opener, he’s been great in the last two games. Most teams can't count on their goalies for some of the saves Gibson has been making and without him, Anaheim would be in a worse spot.
It’s not much of a surprise and things could always change but right now, it seems pretty clear that the Ducks are going to have trouble scoring. There just aren’t enough high-end finishers or playmakers in the forward group and nobody that can be counted on to create chances on a consistent basis. Kevin Shattenkirk made an excellent pass to Nicolas Deslauriers for the lone goal of the game and it’s clear he and Cam Fowler will be called upon to jump into the offense like that as the season goes on.
The feed by @shattdeuces.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 19, 2021
The finish by Nic.
We lead 1-0. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/JZOEcBpVHh
Enough with the negativity though because the Ducks came away with the win and have now taken three of six points in their first three games of the year. The Ducks were able to kill off five penalties and this was definitely Anaheim's best game so far. Hopefully, Anaheim can keep this momentum going and take a second game against the Wild on Wednesday.
***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Ducks Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Ducks for updates on articles, Ducks news, etc.***
Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Breaking down Anaheim's training camp roster Trevor Zegras has been dominant at World Juniors Weekly Recap: Ducks Edition (January 3) West Division Comparison: Ducks/Coyotes West Division Comparison: Ducks/Avalanche Five Ducks prospects earn medals at World Juniors, Zegras named MVP Ducks re-sign Anthony Stolarz Ducks waive David Backes, Christian Djoos and seven others Christian Djoos claimed by Red Wings Weekly Recap: Ducks Edition (January 10) West Division Comparison: Ducks/Wild Ducks assign 11 players to AHL Ducks announce roster and taxi squad West Division Comparison: Ducks/Golden Knights Ducks lose to Golden Knights in season opener Ducks sign Ben Hutton Weekly Recap: Ducks Edition (January 17)