Can the Ducks make a postseason run?

DucksFan · Post by **DucksFan** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:04 pm

I know I don't post much in here but at risk of being labeled a bandwagoner I thought I might drop in and get a gauge on what you guys think about the Ducks. They've been remarkably hot lately going from #9 to #5 in the last week or so. I think they can make a postseason run because they play well on the road and because Giguere and many other Ducks have already made a run to the Finals.

What do you guys think? Are they a contender or first round fodder for one of the division winners?

JD · Post by JD » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:08 pm

Shouldn't your nic have a _420 on the back of it?

The Ducks are looking strong right now, and could potentially beat anyone in the 1st round. However I don't think they'll make a deep run because they do rely heavily on youth... guys like Getzlaf, Perry, and Lupul. But their defense is strong and Selanne has been a game-breaker this year, so they are certainly capable of making some noise.

We'll see how long they can ride their current hot streak though. Right now it's tough to gauge what the real Mighty Ducks team is because they've been invincible lately. That won't last.

Cicatrix · Post by **Cicatrix** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:22 pm

Going from 9th to 5th in a week doesn't mean shit at this point in the West when in 2 nights you can be sitting alone in 10th.

That being said I hope the whole team of Ducks crash their Disney powered plane into the Pixar studios in time for the Oil to claim a playoff spot.

ps---you fuckin' bandwagoner

Joey Moss · Post by **Joey Moss** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:40 pm

From today's edmonton sun:

ANAHEIM

Games remaining: 12

Home: Dallas, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Dallas, Calgary

Away: Colorado, Dallas, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose

Back-to-backs: Twice - @Colorado/@Dallas; @Vancouver/@Calgary

Home record: 22-9-2-3

Road record: 15-12-3-4

Key injuries: None

Since the break: 10-2-0-1

In their favour: On a roll. Their only two regulation losses since the break have come against the Detroit Red Wings.

Working against them: Three games with Dallas; a nine-day, five-game road trip; stupid nickname.

Synopsis: A six-game winning streak makes them the hottest team in hockey, and there are enough guys left from their Cup final run, including a Conn Smythe netminder, who knows how to win. They have a very tough schedule, zero dates with bottom feeders, and a couple of wicked back-to-backs on the road. But recent wins over Nashville, Colorado and Dallas in a four-day span tells you they might be up for it.

al? · Post by **al?** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:42 am

absolutely.

If by run you mean run for the hills from the shelling they're going to take from Detroit or Dallas.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:00 am

^^^ rack your sig, al. AND YOU STAAAAAAAAAAAAARE AT MEEEEEEEEEEEE IN YOUR JEEEEEEEEEESUS CHRIST POOOOOOOOOOSEEEEE!

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:02 am

What a bandwagoner.

Giguere should never have won the Conn Smythe in 03. Brodeur had THREE SHUTOUTS in the finals, including game 7.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:53 am

btw i love chris kunitz. hated him when he was at ferris, love him now. he's the shit.

JD · Post by JD » Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:08 am

Cross Traffic wrote:What a bandwagoner.

Giguere should never have won the Conn Smythe in 03. Brodeur had THREE SHUTOUTS in the finals, including game 7.

Heh... your blind hatred of the Ducks will eventually be the death of you, I'm sure of it.

DucksFan · Post by **DucksFan** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:23 am

Cross Traffic wrote:What a bandwagoner.

Giguere should never have won the Conn Smythe in 03. Brodeur had THREE SHUTOUTS in the finals, including game 7.

Bandwagoning??? Its not like I'm here talking Ottawa or Detroit. I'm here talking about a team that has never won a Cup and only come close once. I registered nearly a year ago, not this week. I'm here to talk about 06, not 03. Why don't you tell me WHY the Ducks can't make a playoff run instead of just acting like an ignorant ass?

Joey Moss · Post by **Joey Moss** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:47 am

DucksFan wrote:Bandwagoning??? Its not like I'm here talking Ottawa or Detroit. I'm here talking about a team that has never won a Cup and only come close once. I registered nearly a year ago, not this week. I'm here to talk about 06, not 03. Why don't you tell me WHY the Ducks can't make a playoff run instead of just acting like an ignorant ass?

Yeah, bandwagoning if fair. It's easy to suddenly show up when your team is on a 6 game win streak and holding down a playoff spot with 10 games left... Why weren't you in here two weeks ago asking this question?

Either way, welcome to the forum, hope you post more even because this forum could use some more activity.

JD · Post by JD » Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:57 pm

Joey Moss wrote:hope you post more even because this forum could use some more activity.

And try to ignore JM's dyslexia. It's quite normal.

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:13 pm

Where were you when the team was the absolute suck? Oh well, the Kings have made you our bitch for another season.

JD · Post by JD » Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:03 pm

Cross Traffic wrote:Oh well, the Kings have made you our bitch for another season.

6 ANAHEIM 71 37 22 12 86 217 196 22-9-5 15-13-7 8-2-0
7 VANCOUVER 73 39 28 6 84 235 226 22-9-4 17-19-2 4-5-1
8 EDMONTON 73 36 25 12 84 232 234 16-14-6 20-11-6 4-3-3

9 SAN JOSE 71 36 25 10 82 228 213 22-7-6 14-18-4 7-2-1
10 LOS ANGELES 72 38 29 5 81 236 245 23-12-1 15-17-4 4-6-0

Yup, you can definitely see who made who their bitch.

silkyjohnson13 · Post by **silkyjohnson13** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:39 am

Cross Traffic wrote:What a bandwagoner.

Giguere should never have won the Conn Smythe in 03. Brodeur had THREE SHUTOUTS in the finals, including game 7.

The Ducks shouldn't have even been in the Finals. Giguere got them there. He started to play lights out and before you knew it that team was full of confidence. Brodeur is a great, great goalie, but to compare what he did in that particular postseason run to what Giguere did is probably not fair. New Jersey was by far a better team than Anaheim. New Jersey played great defensive hockey in front of Brodeur, and quite frankly, Anaheim wasn't an explosive team offensively. Giguere deserved that Conn Smythe in 03.

That brings me too my next point... Although not very probable, it is possible that the Ducks could make another run. They're playing great hockey right now, which is no better time to catch fire. Salanne is dangerous offensively for them, and Giguere has already proven himself in the playoffs. Who's to say that he will not get hot like that again. Anaheim is for the most part playing pretty well defensively, and if they can keep that up and Giguere get hot, they can beat anyone.

With all of that being said, once again, it's possible for them to make a run, but not probable.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:38 pm

The Ducks don't have many players left from the 2002-03 team that went to the finals but this experience the young guys are getting by playing in key regular season games to get them in the playoffs is pretty close to getting actual playoff experience. As far as I'm concerned, all of the teams that have been fighting their playoff lives since the Olympic break are all capable of making a run because they've been playing in big games for a while.

The situation the Wings have right now remind me of what went on in 2002 after the Salt Lake games when they were way ahead of everyone in the league. They don't quite have the lead in the overall standings but they're very secure in the position. Hopefully they don't get lazy and fall behind in the first round to a team that has been playing intense games right up to the start of the playoffs...which was the story when they ran into the Canucks and they lost the first two games at home and very easily could've been swept in that series without Cloutier falling on his face.

With the exception of 1st and 2nd place in the conference...all positions are up for grabs. Nashville isn't as safe as they once were. They only have a 4 point lead over 5th place and 8 points over 8th place. I'm not saying they could miss the playoffs but they might fall out of that 4th spot and lose home ice for the first round. Detroit and Dallas will slug it out for 1 and 2 but they won't drop below those spots because they have a pretty good buffer going right now. It'll be interesting to see if these teams who have been battling for position for a month or two will be fatigued going into the playoffs or if they'll just be primed to play a tough 7 game series. A lot of that will have to do with leadership in the room and behind the bench and if they have a goalie that is capable of stealing games in a series.

DucksFan · Post by **DucksFan** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:05 pm

As the last two nights have shown, things can change very quickly in the West. Now the Ducks are on a two game losing streak. They lost close ones at Colorado and Dallas but now get the Stars on the Pond on Friday. I was asking the question based on the current standings and with the assumption that the Ducks would make the playoffs which is certainly no sure thing by any means.

Obviously I think they can make a run. How far depends on matchups. I think they have the right blend of youth and veteran leadership with a goalie who has proven he can carry the team when the offense isn't getting it done. Some of the young guys like Lupul and Getzlaf aren't playing like young guys anymore.

All that being said, they could still miss the playoffs altogether. Lots of hockey left to be played and the Ducks have a tough remaining schedule.

Oh yeah, if the Queens had half of the determination and desire as the Ducks have we'd be talking about them. But we aren't, are we??

JD · Post by JD » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:29 pm

Ryan Getzlaf's history in the WHL playoffs does not bode well for him in the NHL playoffs. Getzlaf has a history in junior of piling up points over the regular season and disappearing in the playoffs. I always found that perplexing since he appeared to have the kind of grit and desire you'd expect to lead to playoff success. It never did. At any rate, if the Ducks are expecting Lupul and Getzlaf to lead them in the playoffs, the Ducks won't win a round.

As for the Kings, that game here in Calgary last night told the story: the Kings aren't gonna be in the dance. That team has a lot of passengers and the majority of them just aren't willing to compete. The Flames took it to them physically in the 1st, and the Kings backed down. The Flames could easily have won the game 5-0 if not for some lack of finish and some nice goaltending by Labarbera. Conroy, one of the few Kings who was competing, got a nice goal to make it close, but that score flattered the Kings.

One sequence, little Byron Ritchie engaged Jeremy Roenick in a corner for a puck battle, and JR just kinda stood up and floated out of the scrum. He just didn't want to be involved in that stuff.

In my view, the Kings may as well be out of the race.

JD · Post by JD » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:31 am

OK, after reconsidering, the answer to your original question is a resounding NO, the Ducks will not make a postseason run!!

Seriously, I like this matchup for the Flames. The series hasn't even begun and Carlyle is complaining about the rough-housing he's expecting his fancy little forwards to take in this series.

The Flames are built to grind teams up in a 7-game series, and the Ducks are not built to take that kind of punishment. Selanne's comeback season was a great story, but this is where it ceases to be a great story.

I suppose if Giguere remembers his impersonation of a brick wall, the Ducks could sneak out a series win, but the way Kiprusoff is playing lately, it's going to work both ways.

WAR playoff hockey FINALLY

al? · Post by **al?** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:01 am

Ducks have more pure scorers than Calgary.

I like their chances provided they aren't intimidated by Calgary's physical play.

JD · Post by JD » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:30 am

al? wrote:Ducks have more pure scorers than Calgary.

OK, fair enough al?....

Let's lay the smack aside, and you tell me how often in the past "pure scorers" have been really beneficial in the playoffs. As I mention, the Flames are built to survive the grind of 7 game series', meaning they're going to try to take away the game of "pure scorers".

Actually, you acknowledge in your post that you think the Flames will win if their physical play is a major component of the outcome. The Flames, by their very nature, will try to intimidate the Ducks physically. That will not change no matter what.

The way I see it, there are two ways the Flames lose this series:

1) Jean-Sebastien Giguere is all-world, even moreso than Miikka Kiprusoff

2) The "new NHL" prevails and the refs call something whenever a Flame touches a Duck. If this happens, it's a sad day for the league. Hockey was never meant to be a non-physical game.

Joey Moss · Post by **Joey Moss** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:09 am

This series will come down to who scores first.

If the Ducks score first, we will see 4-2 or 5-3 games because it will force the Flames to open up.

If the Flames score first, the Ducks can kiss the game good-bye.

al? · Post by **al?** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 3:20 am

JD,

you and all fooking shame fans are making a critical error in your post season analysis.

You are assuming that as soon as the weekend rolls around, that the refs are going to put the whistles away and call old tyme hockey. Do you really think Betman is going to let the stripes throw away his miracle comeback season by allowing washers and dryers to grind out games during the most high profile part of the season?

The memo has been passed......call the rule book or call the unemployment office.

That spells doom for grinding teams and opens up the door for pure scorers to do their thing.

All smack aside, make from that what you will.

p.s.......nic sig.

JD · Post by JD » Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:30 am

al? wrote:You are assuming that as soon as the weekend rolls around, that the refs are going to put the whistles away and call old tyme hockey. Do you really think Betman is going to let the stripes throw away his miracle comeback season by allowing washers and dryers to grind out games during the most high profile part of the season?

Did you even read my last post?

Point 2) addresses what you are saying.

And believe me, if Roman Hamrlik gets a hooking penalty for trying to lift someone's stick, the NHL is a worse league for it.

al? · Post by **al?** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:23 pm

ya I read it. You brushed by it at the end in a 'gee, I hope they don't call it the way the called the last game' type of way. It's not just one game, it's one season. It's a common theme in this city.......when the playoffs start, we're a 'playoff' team. I hate to say it, but not anymore. Flames hockey will not win in the new NHL, it's built for the old NHL.

I agree that the ticky-tack calls are not what hockey is suppossed to be, but you'll have to live with it for the rest of the year. After the GM meetings in the offseason the rules wll relax a bit,but for this post season, what you saw is what you'll get.

IMO

JD · Post by JD » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:09 pm

I doubt the playoffs are suddenly gonna be two months of free-flowing firewagon hockey interrupted by 5 on 3 powerplays.

But we'll see.

silkyjohnson13 · Post by **silkyjohnson13** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:34 am

I'd say yes, they can.