With the playoffs quickly approaching, the Anaheim Ducks look to be in the same spot they were last season: near the top of the standings, yet still in the midst of a goaltending controversy.
Bruce Boudreau has been flip flopping between Frederik Andersen and John Gibson a lot of late, and neither has been particularly good recently, perhaps due to being unable to get in a rythem.
In today's post the hotstove examines which goaltender Boudreau should appoint the No. 1 entering the playoffs.
Todd Cordell The next couple weeks will probably go a long way in terms of deciding who starts Game 1, but I think the Ducks should give Gibson the no. 1 job.
Despite Frederik Andersen's excellent play throughout his first few seasons, Anaheim seems hell bent on making Gibson the goalie of the future. It wouldn't surprise me to see Andersen shipped out to a team looking for a goaltender this summer, so the Ducks may as well make the future the present. Give Gibson the job and a chance to run with it.
Tim Chiasson They have to go with Andersen.
They played this game last year. Andersen has more experience and the Ducks just seem to play with more confidence when he's in the net as opposed to Gibson.
There's no need to go through the nonsense and controversy like they did last season. It's not like Andersen has played 70 games. He's still going to be fresh and he deserves a chance to prove he can play well in the post-season.
If Gibson was leaps and bounds better than Andersen then maybe I'd say differently, but that isn't the case. Start Andersen.
Ed Stein Great question. Ducks fans have been asking themselves the same thing for the last month.
Bruce Boudreau said that there is a plan and that he, John Gibson and Frederick Andersen know what that plan is. In my opinion, he brought the goalies into his office at the beginning of March and said something to the affect of “Both you guys can play and have proven your worth plenty of times, go out there and show me over the next few weeks which one of you should represent us in the playoffs.…
So then who is winning this duel? My long answer is both and neither. Before the current road trip, Andersen and Gibson were both playing well. Since the east coast trip began on Sunday neither one of them have looked very good. It may wind up that the hot hand plays. My short answer is that Gibson is very slightly ahead.
Recent posts