Anaheim Ducks Will Struggle With Nine-Day Break

“By no means is this a vacation break for us. We’ve had two hard practices so far, we’ll have another one tomorrow and prepare for Friday night’s game.”

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler spoke these words yesterday in a media interview when asked about the long break from play. What is being referenced here is a glitch in scheduling that is only giving Anaheim one game (against the Carolina Hurricanes) over a span of ten days. This effectively gives a nine-day break from play for a squad that just seemed to be hitting its stride in the standings.

Players and coaching staff have emphasized how they are practicing with a great deal of intensity. That’s great, but it is not enough. Nothing can substitute for 60 minutes against an opponent you don’t know rather than one you do (which is more or less what practice is). While Anaheim is not to blame for this, I have a strong feeling that the loss column will start to pile up in the coming days.

There is something to be said about mental battles in the game of hockey and whether or not a team admits it, time off equals a lazier attitude. The Ducks can tell the media how hard they work in practice but it still does not mean that the players aren’t treating the nine days as a vacation. It is human nature at work here, and motivation is hard to maintain when you are not at work (not playing games).

It will be interesting to see how the Ducks handle this challenge, as it certainly throws a wrench in the proverbial gears of their streak.