This was a game the Ducks probably didn’t deserve to win, but they still found a way to get the two points anyways.
John Gibson was the team’s best player and it wasn’t even close. The Ducks were outshot and gave up the better chances but Gibson was great in the win. He had to make several saves off one-timers or shots from good locations while in motion. Without Gibson, Anaheim doesn’t win this game.
I will say that Anaheim isn’t making anywhere near as many mistakes as they did in the first couple games and honestly, a good portion of the chances last night can be attributed to Colorado’s top forwards just being a step ahead skill-wise. That said, there were some defensive zone coverage issues that the Ducks should look to address.
On top of that, the Ducks managed just 15 shots and got outplayed badly as the game went on. Anaheim struggled to get much going offensively, in terms of quality chances.
Again though, the Ducks picked up the win and John Gibson was the reason. We knew he’d be key to the team being competitive this season and so far, he’s been excellent.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
John Gibson has been Anaheim's best player this season: