Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Anaheim Ducks will attempt to recover from an incredibly disappointing loss on Saturday night, when they hit the road to take on the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. After battling back, only to fall in overtime on Thursday night, it will be interesting to see how the Ducks respond.
More specifically, it will be interesting to see how Jonas Hiller responds after a pretty rough night in net. He surrendered five goals in the loss, which many thought would lead to a change in goal. But Bruce Boudreau decided not to hand the reigns over to Viktor Fasth and will roll with Hiller once again.
That’s a pretty large surprise heading into Game 3. While Hiller finished the season strong, one would have imagined that the goaltender situation that the Ducks have been working with all year would mean short leash for the veteran. Especially with what Viktor Fasth achieved this year.
In his first year in the league, Fasth was excellent. He finished the season with much better numbers than Hiller, albeit with less action. Fasth finished the season with a .921 save percentage, a 2.18 goals-against average, and four shutouts.
Hiller was strong for the Ducks in Game 1 against Detroit, allowing just one goal on 22 shots. Anaheim managed to grab a 3-1 win and jump out to the 1-0 series lead. But in Game 2, Hiller struggled quite a bit. He faced 32 shots and surrendered five goals, none more painful than the one he allowed early in the extra frame.
The Ducks have essentially rolled with whichever goaltender is playing better at that moment during the season. When one struggled in a start or consecutive starts, the other would take over and roll until he did the same. The likely scenario is that if Hiller struggles in Game 3, look for Fasth in Game 4.
But if Hiller comes out and plays better than he did in Game 2, the Ducks will likely continue to roll with the veteran for the foreseeable future.
