The Jets Are Falling Apart To Anaheim And The Ducks Are Loving It
By Keith Rivas
The Anaheim Ducks found a way to survive the first two games at home against the hot-and-ready Winnipeg Jets. In the opening round of this year’s NHL playoffs, the visiting team has had impressive and historic success against the series favorite.
When I say that, I mean that five of the eight series in the first round opened with the road team getting a win — and somehow that list of five did not include Winnipeg.
The Ducks big scare in Game 1 was a lack of rhythm. Winnipeg carried a 2-1 lead into the third period before the Ducks had a universal offensive explosion and sent the Honda Center into a bizarre and scattering frenzy.
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All thanks to a big night from Corey Perry — a two goal in on period kind of night.
Sometimes, though, that’s all it takes.
After the Jets let the opening game slip away, you would think things tightened up in Game 2. You’d be right, but unfortunately for them (and luckily for Anaheim) the result was the same.
In the sequel it was Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg that got the game-winner with just under twenty seconds remaining in regulation.
But then things got even more interesting once the battle headed north.
The Ducks found themselves just one more win away from a trip to the divisional round of the post season after stunning the Jets for third straight time — maybe it really is a charm. Another rally was needed to get themselves out of this one, and as you can imagine, the Jets have had enough of crumbling when it matters most.
A 5-4 tally marked the third consecutive fallout for Winnipeg and that’s never a good thing.
But the good news for them is there’s still time to turn things around.
That’s bad news for the Ducks.
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In fact, Anaheim is overly familiar with falling late in the playoffs. Big leads, whether in an individual game or in terms of the overall series, don’t fare well with the Ducks are there’s a couple reasons why.
First, is the expectations. After winning a division title, the expectation that seems to always follow is — at the very least — a trip to the second round, maybe even past that.
But never a first round exit, let alone a collapse.
As it stands now, an epic collapse is the only way that the Ducks can find themselves starting the off season early but don’t rule that out just yet — after all, it did happen to San Jose when everyone thought that the Kings were down and out but that didn’t happen.
A Stanley Cup did.
With another road game for Game 4 coming up tonight, the Ducks know they can’t afford to get too comfortable with their current position. The Jets are going to be bringing everyone and their cousin in to the MTS Centre to root on the home team that must win to move on.
Bottom Line: It’s Anaheim’s time to bring home the bacon
Then again, they must win four straight.
A tall order, sure, but the Jets will be up to the task and will be looking to catch the Ducks sleeping.
Time to go all in or go home.