The Anaheim Ducks have been circling the drain lately and they needed a win, if only to feel a little bit better about themselves.
Well, they got their win and they did it by riding the on the shoulders of a 20-year-old kid.
Highly touted and equally popular, John Gibson made his NHL debut for the Ducks and made 18 saves in Anaheim's 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks to earn his first career shutout in his first career start.
The victory means the Ducks can clinch the Pacific Division by defeating the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at the Honda Center.
Gibson's performance means longtime starter Jonas Hiller may be playing out his final season in the OC. Hiller is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and his recent struggles, coupled with the success of Freddie Andersen and now Gibson could mean a a return to Anaheim in unlikely.
Having Gibson in net helped the Ducks refocus their defensive game. They blocked 22 shots while playing their best defensive game as a group in weeks. Even Daniel Winnik's game-winning goal was a shorty.
Where has this effort been over the last few weeks? It was like watching an entirely new team. The Ducks need to play like they did lat night...every night! It also helped that they scored the games first goal. I have said this before, but falling down by multiple goals early on won't help further their Stanley Cup aspirations.
Anaheim increased their lead over the Sharks to three points. A win tomorrow night and they clinch a second consecutive division title and home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Plus they won't have to face the Kings in the opening round. So there's that to look forward to as well.
Tomorrow can't come soon enough. Soooooo.....who get's the start in net?
Thanks for reading!