Around the NHL it was a season of big change, with the standings shifting in a major way. Some older teams have plummeted, while some rebuilders have started to turn the corner. Among the upstarts are the Anaheim Ducks, who have put together a strong season powered in large part by their young talent.
With that in mind, let’s preview what a playoff series against the Ducks might look like for the Edmonton Oilers.
Forwards
Kreider—Carlsson—Terry
Killorn—Granlund—Sennecke
Viel—McTavish—Gauthier
Washe—Poehling—Vatrano
Injured: Johnston, Harkins
Extra: Colangelo, Nesterenko, Gaucher
While some big ticket veterans garner some attention, the Ducks turnaround has been authored by some young talented forwards. In particular, three forwards have taken huge strides to make the Ducks more dangerous. Leo Carlsson has become a bonafide top line centre. Cutter Gauthier has blossomed into a dangerous power scorer. Beckett Sennecke has been effective as a rookie. All three are still scratching the surface of their abilities, and should start to garner a greater reputation as stars in the years ahead.
Still, it has not all been sunshine and rainbows for the Ducks. Mason McTavish seems a bit out of sorts, playing beneath expectations. Still, McTavish should not be written off, as he still brings a lot to this lineup. It could just be a tough season, but between his past contract negotiations and trade rumours the relationship might be tenuous for now.
Mikael Granlund joins Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn as veterans to support the group. Kreider is still effective at the net front, but Granlund has been a great addition to stabilize the lineup. In essence, Granlund has carried a huge weight considering the disappointing season from McTavish. Meanwhile, Frank Vatrano has had an even tougher season, being pushed far down the lineup.
Troy Terry bridges the gap between these groups. Finally, with some better talent alongside, Terry has a chance to produce at a higher level. At nearly a point per game, Terry helps round out the top end of this lineup.
Ryan Poehling deserves some credit for a strong season, stabilizing the bottom of the lineup. Tim Washe and Jefferey Viel have been solid in their limited roles, joining some depth forwards in Jansen Harkins and Ross Johnston.
The Ducks produce a lot of shots, at times prioritizing volume over quality. The power play has been lacklustre. Their high end talent makes them a threat, but in many senses the Ducks are still learning to translate that talent into effectiveness. Overall the offence has been dangerous, especially at even strength, but there is more left on the bone.
Defence
Lacombe—Trouba
Mintyukov—Carlson
Zellweger—Moore
Injured: Gudas
Extra: Hinds, Helleson, Luneau
Naturally, the theme of youth is continued on the blueline. Olympian Jackson Lacombe leads the way in many senses, and like the Ducks young forwards should earn a greater reputation in the coming years. Paired with veteran Jacob Trouba, the duo operates as the Ducks best.
Veteran John Carlson was added at the deadline, and is paying immediate dividends. He has played well in his own right, but has also given young Pavel Mintyukov the best situation of his NHL career. At times Mintyukov’s development seemed to have stalled, so this development is huge for the Ducks.
Olen Zellweger is a smaller skilled defenceman, of ten paired with veteran Radko Gudas, who might be back from an injury for the playoffs. Until then, the Ducks have a lot of young talent trying to fill the spot. Ian Moore and Tyson Hinds have done well, Tristan Luneau has a bit more draft pedigree. Drew Helleson is in danger of being passed by younger options.
In all, while it is a talented group, the Ducks defence matches their offence. It is not necessarily as effective a group as their talent might suggest. They give up a lot of chances from high danger areas, and their penalty kill is not very efficient.
Goalies
Dostal
Husso
Injured: Mrazek
Considering the Ducks defensive issues, the performance of Lukas Dostal has been impressive. Regarded as one of the better young starters in the league, Dostal will continue to earn praise as the Ducks become relevant once more. The context is more impressive than the raw stats, but Dostal deserves credit.
Ville Husso has filled in well after Petr Mrazek was lost due to injury. Neither are a threat to Dostal’s starting job, though. Goaltending will be the foremost advantage the Ducks have over the Oilers, underscoring the importance of Dostal in a potential series.
Stats versus Oilers
The Oilers won two of three games against the Ducks this season, but their matchups tell a lot about what a potential series might look like. Two of the games were extremely high scoring, the Oilers winning in late January, the Ducks winning in late February. While their game in late March was more conventional, there is talent on both sides for fireworks. Both teams have had their share of defensive struggles.
Therein lies the Ducks path to an upset, their youth breaking out in a series without much defence. Of course they would need Dostal to steal a game or two, but they will need their offence to fire on all cylinders to keep pace with the Oilers. By extension, the Oilers will need their defensive game to be tight to beat the Ducks. The Ducks will be prone to their share of mistakes, and the Oilers chances will come. This is reflected in the wild streaks the Ducks have put together during the regular season.
In all the Oilers will be the favourites, but this would’ve a highly entertaining series on paper. This could be the first of more playoff meetings between both teams, as the Ducks appear to be here to stay.
TOR has launched The Oil Rig Podcast!
All episodes are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and more! Check it out!
