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The Anaheim Ducks closed out the calendar year with a loss yesterday, falling 6-1 to the Nashville Predators.
Nashville got on the board first, as Colton Sissons got the puck in-close and ripped a perfect shot past John Gibson midway through the period. The Ducks did actually put together a decent opening frame though and despite being outshot 13-9, they had some good chances that just didn’t find their way in.
Anaheim then get on the board only about two minutes into the second period, with Urho Vaakanainen’s shot going in off Sam Carrick in front. However, Nashville went right back ahead a little later in the period, as Cam Fowler had a chance to clear a rebound off a faceoff and didn’t, so Yakov Trenin was just able to flutter it past Gibson. Then after the the Ducks continued to allow some great chances from good spots, only about four minutes after Trenin’s goal, Anaheim gave up an odd-man rush and while Gibson stopped the initial shot, this time Troy Terry didn’t clear the rebound, giving Filip Forsberg an opportunity to make it a 3-1 game.
In the third period, the Ducks did come out with a bit of urgency early but that quickly died down. Midway through the frame, Thomas Novak took a pass in front to beat Gibson with a great shot, making it a 4-1 game. Then with only about four minutes to go, Roman Josi extended the lead on a power play, just getting the puck through traffic to pick a corner, before Nino Neiderreiter ended up making it a 6-1 game with about 10 seconds left.
To me, this game wasn’t wildly different from what we’ve seen recently, and for the majority of the season in general. This time though, the Ducks didn’t get the goaltending at the end to keep it a respectable score, unlike some of their recent losses.
They were outshot 42-27, which is pretty standard at this point. They also haven’t been getting much offense from their top forwards, with only a single goal and four points from Troy Terry over the last 10 games. Meanwhile, Trevor Zegras has five points in his last 12 games and the Ducks have scored only eight total goals over their last five games overall.
Another small note: I don’t know why the Ducks opt to use Justin Kirkland in the lineup for about seven minutes a night, while Pavol Regenda remains in the AHL. Regenda has scored five goals and 10 points in 13 games with the San Diego Gulls, we’ve seen he’s capable of making an impact with the Ducks, and would immediately be a better wing option in the top-six, over the likes of Jakob Silfverberg. But hey, I suppose actually using a 12th forward rather than a seventh defenseman is progress.
As the calendar year ends, there aren’t a whole lot of positives. The Ducks really haven’t been competitive in most games and there hasn’t been a huge sense of urgency or intensity.
In other news, the Ducks also signed goalie Gage Alexander to an entry-level contract yesterday.
Alexander was selected by the Ducks in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has spent the year with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos as an overager, posting an .898 save percentage through 15 games. He's been assigned to the AHL.
The Ducks will return to action on Monday, for their first game of 2023 against the Philadelphia Flyers, as their long homestand continues.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Ducks shut out by Stars for fourth straight loss
Ducks fall to Wild in shootout for fifth straight loss
Ducks blow lead against Jets, lose sixth straight game to end road trip
Ducks snap six-game losing streak with overtime win against Hurricanes
Ducks suffer blowout loss at home against Sharks
Ducks shut out by both Senators and Maple Leafs in back-to-back set
Ducks find some success on road trip with back-to-back wins
Ducks suffer back-to-back 4-1 losses against Kings and Wild
Ducks fall to Flames in OT, enter break on three-game skid
Nathan Gaucher, Tyson Hinds and Olen Zellweger representing Canada at WJC
John Gibson returns, leads Ducks to shootout win over Golden Knights 
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