Anaheim Ducks at Risk of Being Swept in Stanley Cup Playoffs Opening Round

Anaheim Ducks Down 2-0 in Series after Dropping a Pair at Home, Coach Bruce Boudreau Shows Frustration

Several hockey experts pegged the Anaheim Ducks as Stanley Cup favorites heading into the 2015-16 season. They had people nervous through the first portion, but came together as one of the NHL’s hottest teams over the last half to three-quarters of the season.

To put icing on the cake, the Anaheim Ducks were able to secure the number one spot in the Pacific Division on the final day of the regular season. With a loss, they would have drawn San Jose in the first round, with a win, the first seeded Wild-Card Nashville Predators. Anaheim defeated the Presidents’ Trophy winning Washington Capitals 2-0 on April 10th.

Fast forward, Anaheim now heads to Music City for game three on Tuesday after having dropped the first two. If the Predators can capitalize on the opportunity, the Ducks may have played their final game at Honda Center this year.

Feeling Pressure From the Hot-Seat?

After dropping the second game on Sunday, Anaheim Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau expressed his frustration with his team to the media. It created quite the stir/buzz on Monday with people questioning whether or not he crossed a line.

Defensive Lapses To Open The Series

There a few facets of Anaheim’s defensive game not struggling thus far. Both forwards and defenders are constantly being drawn out of position or caught running around. It causes confusion among linemates, which usually leads to a missed assignment in front of the net or in the slot area. Wingers are also failing to pick up that player sneaking into the high slot when a Ducks defender and center are battling for puck control in the corner.

As for Anaheim’s defensive group, they need to be better all-around. Limit turnovers, make a smart first pass, get involved in the offense – much of their success begins with their offensive blueliners.

So far, John Gibson is seeing a lot more rubber than he should be. Anaheim Ducks defense need to get in the shooting lanes far more often to block shots, but they need to be smart about it to avoid tips/deflections. They also need to fix their gap control to get on Predators forwards more quickly, force them to make quicker decisions – they’re young, therefore more prone to making mistakes.

More puck prose: Ducks vs. Predators Round 1 Preview

Discipline

Bruce Boudreau already addressed this one with the media, but it’s worth re-iterating. You want your players to bring that nasty edge of playoff intensity, but there’s a fine line a player must walk. Just ask the Dustin Byfuglien‘s of the hockey world, that feisty edge can be detrimental at times.

Anaheim needs to stop engaging in the extracurriculars after the whistle, or at least limit them. It’s time for the Ducks to turn the table to get under Nashville’s skin. There’s a way to flip the script on the Predators, who seemingly have Anaheim players biting at retaliation.

Ryan Kesler and Ryan Garbutt can be key players in helping Anaheim tie up the series. Both are agitators that can draw opposition off their game. It doesn’t mean getting involved in scrum’s or attempting to lay a big hit, it means doing the little things. A little extra stick-work on face-offs, a little hook or bump on the backcheck, oh, and let’s not forget the beaking/trash talk.

Next: NHL Video Review: Getting Calls Right

If the Anaheim Ducks are unable to claw their way back in the opening round, ownership may be forced to pull a Eugene Melnyk (short of making an odd public announcement in the media) to evaluate each and every position within the organization, from front office to player personnel.

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