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Anaheim Ducks’ Backs are Against the Wall Before Game 3

By Jamaal Artis

April 28, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) reacts following the 2-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers in game two of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 28, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) reacts following the 2-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers in game two of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Down 0-2 in their series against the Edmonton Oilers, the Anaheim Ducks are in a precarious state.  With Game 3 looming the Ducks have to reach down deep if they are going to salvage their season.

Having lost the first two games at home the Anaheim Ducks must be feeling deja vu, last year they found themselves in a similar situation in their 1st round series against the Nashville Predators.  Just like last year, John Gibson was in goal looking tentative, and the rest of the team has looked a step slower than the speedier Oilers.

Last year the Ducks came back and pushed the series to a Game 7, Ducks fans may not want to see another Game 7 but if the Ducks don’t start playing their game they won’t get there.

Like last year the Ducks may have to sit John Gibson if they are going to win, but after riding with him in their 1st round sweep of the Calgary Flames it’s time for the Ducks to play better in front of him.

Just like in the 1st round the Ducks continue to struggle with penalties, the Ducks have taken 12 penalties in both games while the Oilers have taken 10.  That may not be a large disparity except the Ducks have struggled killing penalties in the playoffs at a clip of 64% easily the worst among playoff teams.  If the Ducks want to win Game 3 they have to stay out of the penalty box.

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While the Ducks did find the net in Game 1 scoring 3 goals, their struggle to score in Game 2 means someone other than their captain Ryan Getzlaf will have to score.  After scoring 3 goals in the Flames series, Getzlaf has continued to play well with a goal and an assist against the Oilers.  Someone will have to step up though and the person most people are looking at is Corey Perry.

Perry once the elite scorer on Getzlaf’s wing has struggled the last two years in the regular season to find the net, and those struggles have spilled out to the playoffs.

Last year Perry failed to score a goal in their 7 game series loss to the Predators, this year again Perry is struggling to score once against the Flames and so failing to register a single point against the Oilers. If Perry can’t find his scoring touch in Game 3 the Ducks season could be over.

The Ducks are a veteran team currently getting pushed around by a young team on the rise, with all of their playoff experience the Ducks need to be smart and push back, they’ll need to avoid taking penalties and it’s time for veterans like Perry to start finding the net.

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If the Anaheim Ducks do these things and they’ll be back in the series, continue to struggle and the Ducks could be starting their summer vacations early.

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