Poor Bruce Boudreau.
The guy looked seriously stressed out after his team was shutout out in Buffalo. Boudreau is feeling the white hot heat right now as his team is woefully under performing. The Ducks pushed the Chicago Blackhawks to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals last spring. Many expecrts had the Ducks pegged to finish first overall in the West this season. The Ducks are in last place in their division and in the basement of the Western Conference.
How bad is it for Boudreau's club?
The Ducks have now been shutout 5 times in their first 30 games. To add insult to injury, the Ducks have scored just 56 goals while allowing 76 goals against in their 30 games played.
Having a -20 goal differential and scoring 1.8 goals per game on average can cause many sleepless nights and acid reflux disease for an NHL head coach.
Boudreau, desperate for a win any way he can get one, was expecting so much more from his well rested Ducks on Thursday night in Buffalo.
His Ducks laid another big fat egg in Buffalo on the first night of a pivotal four game eastern roadie.
Ducks GM Bob Murray and his scouting staff witnessed the game in person from press row in Buffalo. Murray furrowed brow and exasperated look on his face told the whole story.
The Ducks are flying with a badly broken wings that requires mending.
Anaheim badly out shot Buffalo in the game. They threw 44 shots at Chad Johnson. John Gibson finished with 19 saves
Johnson made 44 saves. However, the Sabres carried the play for extended periods of time and they won the majority of wall battles where the puck was concerned.
The Ducks pushed the Sabres. The Sabres pushed back. The Ducks pushed the Sabres then then the Sabres pushed back harder. The Ducks got nothing in terms of offensive production from it's top three forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.
In the end, Buffalo cashed in it's chances and controlled the puck.
The result was a convincing 3-0 win for the home team.
Evander Kane, Jake McCabe and Jamie McGinn scored for the Sabres.
Prior to Thursday night's game in Buffalo, the Ducks had played only one game in the past 10 days. They should have been the fresher, more aggressive team.
Shockingly, they were the recipient of the body shots and the heavy body contact.
Boudreau said he exepcts more from his star players.
"We need our best players to be our best players on a consistent basis. That’s not happening right now."
The Ducks have dropped two in a row.
"It’s frustrating," said Ducks D-man Hampus Lindholm. "You feel like you have so many chances but nothing connects and nothing goes in the net. We just have to keep working and playing simple. Hopefully we’ll get those goals, but right now it’s frustrating. We have to look at the positives. It’s frustrating when nothing goes the way you want."
Lindholm's frustration was felt by all 12 skates, 6 D and 2 goalies.
"We had the shots and territorial... but if there was a one-on-one battle, they (Buffalo) were coming away with the puck," Boudreau said.
"We had an opportunity at the beginning of the second period and third period on the power play, and we didn’t gain any momentum from it. Those things are going to cost you."
"You keep going," said Boudreau, looking ahead to Saturday's game. "That’s the only thing you can do"
The Ducks will play in New Jersey on Saturday night.