Ben Shelley: The Anaheim Ducks have entered a new era

It's weird how the status of the team has changed so quickly. During the first Penguins game, the Pens were constantly flying the zone for stretch passes, with little or no regard for the Ducks' defense. It cost them the game. A week later, they were packing it in in the D-zone at the Ponda and making the Ducks earn shots. It worked. The Kids are going to have to learn to adjust to this and START SHOOTING THE PUCK! The Penguins were just throwing pucks at the net and they got a greasy one and it held up. The kids have to stop trying to beat 2 or 3 defenders and just get the puck on the net.
All said though, it was an entertaining game! This team is not that far away from contending for the playoffs.

Mintyukov looks to be a long-term top-pairing guy. Not sure where Z fits long-term - he supposedly wants to play C and has picked up his defensive game to make that case, but McT and Carlsson were both drafted to play C. You can't play three centers on your top 2 lines. Nice problem to have...

The D is better than expected at this point, and the combo of Gibson (2.41 .921) and Dostal (2.80 .920) are keeping them in every game.

Team probably still needs another scoring winger and some growth on D to make a playoff push, but they've obviously had a heart transplant since last season and they're fun to watch again.

The future does look bright for the Ducks, having McTavish and Carlsson as the top 2 centre a d with Gaucher in the system,(should be a good 3rd line centre), Zegras will become e expendable.

With Warren, Hinds, Luneau and Zellweger inthe system, on the backend, the team needs 2 of them to become players, for the Ducks sake all 4.

A bit of patience and this team will not just be contending for a playoff spot.

New era? Ya mean the rebuild is over??

The swarm plague was real and very detrimental…

Cronin is the hire of the offseason in league … perhaps Lavy ..but no.

Systems - accountability- praise and a heavy dose of belief…

Plus more kids getting ready to blow up…

Cronin - Adam’s winner

Minty - Calder winner

Book it ….

Total sheet game tonight…

Eakins level disaster /

Serious Organizational Depth.

Upfront you've still got Nesterenko, Gaucher, Perrault. If you can sign Colangelo before he becomes an NCAA UFA that would be big for the middle 6 in the mid-long term. Sadly Brayden Tracey looks like a wasted pick but hopefully guys like Ben King turn out to be death gems that help to balance it out.

On the back end there's speedster Olen Zellweger still on the way. Big body Drew Hellion and fellow Right Shot Tristan Luneau as well. Nevermind the monsters that are 6'4" Noah Warren and 6'5" Konnor Smith on patrol at the blue line.

And we've all seen how Anaheim is a legit Goaltender factory. Literally seems like the Quacks have gone from Hebert to Jiggy to Hiller to Gibson and soon to Dostal like it's no biggie while trading off myriad other goalies for surrounding assets as they went. Amazing.

To add to it all, you've got 6 Picks in the first 3 Rounds in the next draft which promises to be very deep.

Gotta give some love on the leaky good Ross Johnston pickup as a Sheriff is needed out on the ice to allow those young guys to push the envelope without feeling like they're all on their own should things get hairy.

Serious Organizational Depth.

Upfront you've still got Nesterenko, Gaucher, Perrault. If you can sign Colangelo before he becomes an NCAA UFA that would be big for the middle 6 in the mid-long term. Sadly Brayden Tracey looks like a wasted pick but hopefully guys like Ben King turn out to be death gems that help to balance it out.

On the back end there's speedster Olen Zellweger still on the way. Big body Drew Hellion and fellow Right Shot Tristan Luneau as well. Nevermind the monsters that are 6'4" Noah Warren and 6'5" Konnor Smith on patrol at the blue line.

And we've all seen how Anaheim is a legit Goaltender factory. Literally seems like the Quacks have gone from Hebert to Jiggy to Hiller to Gibson and soon to Dostal like it's no biggie while trading off myriad other goalies for surrounding assets as they went. Amazing.

To add to it all, you've got 6 Picks in the first 3 Rounds in the next draft which promises to be very deep.

Gotta give some love on the leaky good Ross Johnston pickup as a Sheriff is needed out on the ice to allow those young guys to push the envelope without feeling like they're all on their own should things get hairy.
- 13of39

Well said...