Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After a miserable season in which they missed the playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks completed the regular season as the no. 2 seed out of the Western Conference. Though they don’t look as strong as they did early on, there’s no doubt that this team is still a large threat to make a deep run in the West.
Of course, they’ll have to get past the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the postseason. A month ago, pretty much any team would have welcomed a meeting with one of the oldest teams in the league. But now, this team is going to be a tough out, especially for a Ducks team that has been reeling a bit in April.
The Ducks did manage to win three of their last four, but prior to that, April was a struggle. They had some issues putting the puck in the back of the net, as well as beating consistent teams regularly. Not exactly a trend you want to have towards the end of the regular season.
Anaheim has also had their issues with this Detroit team in their matchups this season. After the Ducks won the first meeting of the season, in convincing fashion, the Wings took the next two. But the fact that the Red Wings simply took two points from the Ducks isn’t the end of it.
It was against Detroit that we saw the Ducks melt down. The likes of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each lost control of their emotions towards the end of a close game, as well as the normally reserved Teemu Selanne. Does that mean this Red Wings team is in their heads? Not necessarily, but it’s worth monitoring.
When it comes down to it, the Red Wings are hot, the Ducks are not. Of course, this is the playoffs. That can all change on a dime. But we’ve seen how these teams have interacted this season. Despite this being a matchup of a no. 2 and a no. 7 seed in the Western Conference, this will be anything but a cakewalk for the Anaheim Ducks.
