The Ducks actually did a fairly good job in the first period to create some chances for themselves and worked to create turnovers in the offensive zone. They gave up some good chances too but at least it was nice to see the forward group getting things going.
After a pretty decent first period, however, the Ducks didn’t really show up for the second period. Anaheim got outshot 14-2 and got lucky that the Coyotes couldn’t capitalize on any of their chances. The Ducks were better after that but still didn’t manage a whole lot more offense in the third period.
John Gibson, once again, was the story for the Ducks. He got lucky a couple times with players missing the net or hitting the post on a great chance but he made several excellent saves to keep the Ducks in it.
Despite the win and a 3-2-2 record, this should be a bit of a concerning start for the Ducks. They’ve scored 13 goals in seven games and have scored more than two goals in a single game only once (that being a 3-1 win, with an empty net goal). Between the lack of scoring and the chances they’re giving up, the Ducks have rarely been the better team in a game this season. Their record may look fine for now but there’s too much pressure on Gibson to be perfect every night for this to be a team who can consistently win games.
That said, once again, they managed to find a way to win.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Not including John Gibson, are you happy with Anaheim's performance this season?
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