Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Anaheim Ducks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes in a 6-2 win. Jonas Hiller and Fredrick Anderson both spent time as goalie, which was a surprise to some ever since Viktor Fasth became the superstar goalie last season. It’s anticipated Hiller and Fasth will be switching off upcoming games. What was most exciting for fans was to see newcomer Jakob Silfverberg, Teemu Selanne and Peter Holland together on ice. Silfverberg was aggressive and precise with the puck and as always, Selanne new exactly where to find an open spot to slam a first goal after an assist from Silfverberg and Holland. It was evident that chemistry between Selanne and Silfverberg was phenomenal, and both strong forwards will definitely return together when season begins in October.
The second shots in last night’s game were scored by defenseman Sam Vatanen and Nolan Yonkman at 2:59, making it three goals in the first three minutes. Topping off first period was a fourth goal by Daniel Winnik assisted by Andrew Cogliano. A total of six goals were made by six different players. With this kind of teamwork and lineup on ice, the Ducks’ will be making a perfect return after last season’s first in Pacific Division.
Not only was the first preseason game an exciting one to watch for Ducks’ fans, but it may have been a preview of this upcoming season, and how underestimated the lineup may be. Although the six Ducks who scored a goal last night really proved individual performance, the work and assists made through team effort proved chemistry on ice will be inevitable for upcoming games. Cogliano’s assists made him the star of the game and his strategy as a defenseman seemed sharper than ever.
And while Ducks make trial and error in preseason games to see what lineups work and what fail, coach Bruce Boudreau seems to put faith and emphasis on having veterans and young players play together on ice creating a dynamic combo.
Ellie Pourang is a sports columnist for Rant Sports. You can follow her on Facebook or Twitter @elliepourang.
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