Anaheim Gets Moral Victory, Pittsburgh Gets Win

It's such a confusing time as a Ducks fan right now.

Should we be happy that the Ducks are making progress in their game? Or should we be upset that it's taking so many games to get it figured out?

Is there something to take from the fact that the Ducks are finding ways to kill penalties? Or should we be upset that the Ducks are still taking so many trips to the sin bin?

No matter what perspective you chose, the Ducks are still caught somewhere in the middle and one can only hope that they begin to make a strong push towards the positive.

Complaining about the officiating and often questionable calls is pointless. The Ducks are going to have to push through that.  To continually sit here and wish the Ducks played more disciplined is a simple waste of time.

The Ducks are going to get the calls, they are going to be victims of the all-too-often one-sided games. Whatever penalties are called, both good and bad, the Ducks need to be able to kill those shorthanded moments successfully, and they were doing just that Tuesday night against Pittsburgh (Four in the first period alone...literally back to back to back to back, I'm not exaggerating).

On the other end of the ice, they're finding ways to get pucks in the net; well, Corey Perry is finding ways to get pucks in the net. Other lines are starting to look solid, but it's still not enough.

Todd Marchant, Ryan Carter, and Mike Brown have defined roles and are utilizing their power accordingly.  From grinding down the opposition, to occasionally making an offensive push, these guys are making the most of every shift.  They have been rewarded accordingly, as those three saw significant ice time once again.

The power play, on the other hand, is lacking at this point. While yes, we're finally seeing them establish a force in the offensive zone and threaten their opponents, we're still not seeing results, which is potentially the reason we're losing games right now. It seems while we are able to get set up, executing the planned play is greatly lacking.

When the Ducks finally figure out how to make the most of the man advantage, the swing in momentum and the confidence in their ability to score goals will go hand in hand. 

Another flaw in the Ducks' recent efforts has been their lack of shooting from the point. We saw Pittsburgh do it wonderfully, they were able to create traffic, shield Jonas Hiller, and score all of their goals from a distance. 

At this point, whenever someone is taking a shot from the point, they're intentionally shooting it two feet wide of the net and hoping for a successful rebound off the boards. It's not working. It’s high time they create havoc, make the opposing netminder suffer and question his positioning, and see a few pucks fly at his head!

Lately, the Ducks have been relying heavily on "Perry patient goals."  You know, those moments where he bobs and weaves through defenders, only to find a sprawled out goaltender, and a wide open net.  Unfortunately, those moments are rare during games.  While I'm all for Perry's multi-goal games, it's high time someone else start helping out. It was evident that once Perry had two, Pittsburgh was not going to allow him to get a third.

This brings me to the Ryan Getzlaf rant, which is getting old, but here it comes once again. Getzlaf dictates so much of the game.  He decides the flow and the speed with his power and control with the puck. Sometimes, I'm in awe of his play and abilities. Other times, I find myself screaming, "what the hell are you doing?!"

When Getzlaf finally decides to take matters into his own hands, the Ducks might find themselves with a few victories. How much longer will we have to wait for Getzlaf to be the player we all know he can be?

Likewise, notice we haven't been talking much about guys like Saku Koivu, Joffrey Lupul, and Bobby Ryan?  Let's hope that changes soon...and for the better!

Tuesday night was a solid performance by the Ducks, but they're in desperate need of more than good games with rotten outcomes. 

Here's hoping the Ducks can start turning moral victories into actual victories.

GO DUCKS!!!