Anaheim Ducks Surprises and Areas for Improvement at 30-Game Mark – Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

Before tonight's contest against the always-dangerous Colorado Avalanche, let's continue our 30-game analysis of the Anaheim Ducks. In this edition, we will start with the biggest surprises of the season and end with some players and areas that need improvement.

The Ducks currently sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division at 12-14-4 with four games in hand on the Seattle Kraken, who sit in sixth place at 15-17-2.

Amazing Win: 3-2 Thriller Over Winnipeg Jets (Dec. 18)

Call it late bias, but the Ducks' recent win over the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets is their biggest surprise win of the campaign so far. I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking that the Ducks, who scored just 70 goals to start the game, would have a hard time keeping up with a team that scored 117. How surprising then that after two periods. , the Ducks had held the Jets to eight shots on goal and were in the game? Indeed, I must say.

Another thing is that the Ducks played well for most of the game. The forward threw shot after shot on net and bullied the Jets defenseman when they didn't have the puck. The Ducks defense was physical with the Jets forwards and slowed them down a lot, which was a big pregame thing. Falling behind in the third period despite their excellent play was typical of the Ducks, and they usually can't overcome the one or two mistakes that often make the difference in a game. That was not the case on Wednesday, thanks to some heroics by Jackson LaCombe, Radko Gudas, and the Troy Terry-Ryan Strome-Frank Vatrano line, including Terry's best mark of 25 seconds.

Related: Best Anaheim Ducks Players at 30-Game Mark

Although head coach Greg Cronin thinks the Ducks' performance against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 29 was their best game, no one can argue that this game was not among their best, and most surprising, winning performances. Can they repeat it tonight against an equally challenging opponent in the Avalanche?

Here are some honorable mentions for best/amazing wins: 6-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings (Nov. 15) and 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars (Nov. 18).

A Surprising Employee Move: The Jacob Trouba Acquisition

Before the season, you could count the number of people who can honestly say they expect to see Jacob Trouba in a Ducks uniform at some point this season. In fact, that number is almost zero. But general manager Pat Verbeek and his management team jumped at the chance to make a deal with the excited New York Rangers and scooped up Trouba without parting with the young NHL player or prospect. Time will tell if this is the impactful job Verbeek had in mind for this team, but for now, it's the most impressive move of the campaign in Anaheim.

Trouba is a physical defender who isn't shy about throwing his weight around. His style is not unlike that of Radko Gudas, who gives the Ducks' blue line a combination of a physical, defense-first defense and a forward-thinking, mobile defenseman. Trouba is not here to provide offense, but rather the physicality, leadership, and presence of a veteran many young Ducks can learn from. He has now played in five games for the Ducks, scoring zero points but playing 20-plus minutes three times.

Case To Benefit: Mason McTavish Mass Production

The Ducks would be in a much better place if more players were more productive. But if Mason McTavish takes the step forward he is expected to take in 2024-25, then the Ducks will be a very dangerous team. He is only 21 years old, so he does not disappoint. He scored just his third goal of the season in his 23rd game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a big goal that kept the offense going in that game. However, he is in the 33-point range, which would be a career low.

The Ducks are hungry for a player to step up and form a line that will provide reliable scoring behind the Terry-Ryan Strome-Vatrano line. With Trevor Zegras out until February, McTavish should be that player. He has all the tools – size, skill, competitiveness – to be a top young player in this league. Before the season, a few of us Hockey Writers predicted that McTavish would take the next step in his development and join an elite class of third-year players like Owen Power and Wyatt Johnston. Even though he hasn't done that yet, he remains a breakout player, and there's plenty of time for him to find a groove and become a legitimate criminal threat. The best time of his young career came at the beginning of 2023-24, when he was a point-per-game player in the first quarter of the season.

Ducks Will Win More Games If: Their Power Play Improves

This can be said about any team, but for one whose units have helped one sit near the bottom of the NHL for the past few seasons, it's especially true. This season, the Ducks have converted 15.1% of their power play opportunities and are 28th in the league. They failed to convert their first 20 chances to start the season so getting their conversion rate to 15% is remarkable, but not enough. Their power play doesn't consistently create chances, put pressure on opposing short units, or create the momentum that Cronin often says is a side benefit of the power play.

Enhanced power play is achievable. They have various skills and personnel to carry out unique, unpredictable, and dangerous schemes. An extra turnover here or there can and will be the difference between the Ducks getting the third or fourth goal they usually need to win games.

The Ducks' Progress Must Continue

The Ducks need to take advantage of the momentum they have created for themselves and finish the calendar year strong. With six games in 11 days, including two back-to-back sets, it won't be easy, but if they can repeat the effort they did against the Jets on Wednesday, they will have a chance to win these games. . It all continues against the Avalanche tonight. Puck drop is 7pm PST at the Honda Center.