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The Anaheim Ducks are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, as they limp forward towards the trade deadline.
The Ducks' current skid started with a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Friday, after what were two pretty strong games against the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks following the All-Star Break. However, the loss to Pittsburgh saw the Ducks give up an absurd 59 shots, and the team was fortunate to only allow six goals (which sounds ridiculous to say).
On Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Ducks kept the game close through 40 minutes, only to give up five goals in a disastrous third period, on route to a 7-2 loss. Then last night, the Ducks didn't show up through much of the opening frame, spending pretty much the entire period in their own end. Despite a bounce back second frame where they made the game interesting, once again, a poor third period left the Ducks with seven goals against in a loss.
As a result, the Ducks have now allowed 20 goals over their last three games, giving up 142 shots over the brief losing streak.
It’s tough to find a lot of positives at this point in the season, especially when the Ducks don’t show up for stretches of games. We’ve seen they can be competitive, like their rebound of a second period against the Sabres last night. At the same time though, when they so frequently look disengaged, it's not like there’s a whole lot of positive progress to point towards.
Troy Terry’s absence obviously doesn’t help, but it’s hard to use that as much of an excuse.
Some small wins, though: John Klingberg has five points over his last five games, while Kevin Shattenkirk has been contributing more offensively. As two of the Ducks’ more notable trade deadline pieces (along with Dmitry Kulikov), seeing two offensive defensemen putting up points helps them to maintain their value.
Some other somewhat disappointing news, though: Ducks prospect Henry Thrun informed the organization that he’s opting to head to free agency, rather than sign with the team. Thrun is 21 years old and was originally selected by Anaheim in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The defenseman has posted point-per-game numbers with Harvard this season and while the Ducks have a pretty deep prospect pool for their blue line, Thrun could’ve been a promising player to watch in the years to come.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM FEBRUARY
Where do the Ducks go from here?
Ducks battle back against Stars but fall in shootout
Ducks defeat Blackhawks in overtime to wrap up back-to-back set
Ducks give up 59 shots in loss to Penguins 
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
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