Anaheim Ducks Round Table: How much should John Gibson be used?

How many games should the Anaheim Ducks use their number one goalie down the stretch? L.A. Sports Hub’s Ducks contributors give their opinion.

Goalie John Gibson is arguably one of the two or three most important players on the Anaheim Ducks. If Anaheim is going to make the playoffs and a subsequent run for the cup, they will need Gibson defend their net. His injury history and the need to keep back up Ryan Miller sharp bring into question how much Gibson should play the rest of the regular season.

L.A. Sports Hub’s Anaheim Ducks contributors Redan Lopez, Ed Stein and Raymond Min offer their opinions on the situation.

Redan Lopez

With 31 games left in the Ducks’ regular season, it has become a real concern how many games Ducks’ goaltender John Gibson can play in. Gibson played in 52 games this past regular season, and it looks like he may surpass that amount this season. But, can his body hold up? The Ducks have a proven No. 2 in Ryan Miller who has the experience and poise to step as he is no stranger to taking on a big workload.

The Ducks must weight two things: 1) Make sure John Gibson is ready & healthy for a long playoff run (assuming the Ducks get there) and 2) Get Miller enough starts to keep himself sharp and Gibson fresh. With a greater concern for Gibson’s health, especially after going down again in Boston – I think Ryan Miller should start 13 of the remaining 31 games with Gibson starting in the remaining 18.

While many would think that allowing the backup goaltender to log in 13 of the final 31 games of a regular season may be extreme, the Ducks have the luxury of a goaltender who is technically sound and can still excel in a speedy, fast-paced game. Miller may be 37 and considered old for an NHLer, but he still sports an excellent 2.20 GAA and .928 save percentage in 15 games thus far with the Ducks.

Gibson will still get a majority of the starts, but the increased usage of Miller down the stretch will help ensure that Gibson does not get overtaxed down the stretch. The Ducks do not want a weary goaltender if they reach the postseason. That is not fair to the goaltending tandem that will help take them there.

Most importantly, not utilizing Miller would be a crucial mistake. He has been nothing short of exceptional when he has started for Gibson this season. There is no reason to think he cannot do the same. The Ducks brought Miller in to be the perfect complement to Gibson in goal; its time for the Ducks to let Miller prove them right.

Ed Stein

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I have a theory about goalie starts. If a team has a clear cut number one, he should start a minimum of two-thirds of all games. That again is a minimum, it should be more like 70 to 75 percent. Quality of the backup goalie and injuries will have the greatest impact on what the number of starts is, but we are talking somewhere in the range of 55 to 62 starts.

One of the reasons Ryan Miller was brought in as the number two goalie was because of Gibson’s frequent injuries. Last summer there was talk that Gibson was considering surgery for his chronic groin issues.

Gibson’s past two starts, in which he was unable to finish either, have shown that he is still fragile. Both times Anaheim was able to bring in Miller to sew up the win.

At this point, the Ducks are in a quasi-catch 22. They are not a playoff team at the moment, so they need their main goalie to play as much as possible. On the other hand, Gibson has a history of injuries and missed games. Additionally, if the Ducks make the playoffs, coach Randy Carlyle doesn’t want to burn him out. So what to do?

Let’s break down the numbers considering both goalies remain relatively healthy. The Ducks have 31 games left on their schedule of which there are four sets of back-to-backs. It’s very rare that a team with two quality keepers would let one of them play both games. One of those back-to-backs is

February 24 & 25, after which they don’t play again until March 2. Conceivably Gibson could get almost a week off without upsetting the mix.

Gibson has made 40 starts so far. By my formula, he should play 20 or 21 games, going forward. If I’m Carlyle, I start Miller Thursday in Ottawa, one end of each of the four back-to-backs and then go by match-ups for his other half dozen starts. Eleven starts should be enough to keep a veteran like Miller in game shape.

Raymond Min

John Gibson is the undisputed future goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks. However, his injury history has been a concern. With Ryan Miller proving that he is more than capable of spot starts, Randy Carlyle may have reason to rest starter Gibson more often.

Unsurprisingly, Gibson has performed better when given 3+ more days rest going 7-3-2 with a 2.03 GAA and .942 SV%. The Anaheim Ducks have 31 games remaining in their push for another playoff berth with 4 sets of back-to-back games.

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Ideally, I would like to see Gibson start in 23 of the next 31 games, which would have him start less than 75% of games, down from the 78% of games he has started until now (including time spent injured). I believe that this would be the perfect amount of games giving him enough rest but also keeping him sharp for a potential Stanley Cup Playoff run.

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