Much of the discussion surrounding the 2024-25 Anaheim Ducks has centered on their significant jump in the standings from the previous two seasons.

With three games remaining on their schedule, they have a 35-36-8 record and 78 points in the standings, a 19-point jump from their 2023-24 total and a 20-point jump from their 2022-23 total.

The Ducks are destined to miss out on the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, soon to be the third-longest such streak in the NHL, but this season’s point total has given some hope for the short-term future outlook of the organization.

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report - 04/12

The Ducks acquired Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers on Dec. 6 to boost the on and off-ice culture of the club and provide another veteran presence in a locker room littered with young, exciting talent.

Trouba (31) had spent the previous five seasons as a member of the New York Rangers, only missing the playoffs once and leading them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, once with an “A” on his chest in 2021-22 and once with a “C” as the organization’s captain a year ago.

He’s been in the playoffs more often than not throughout his 12-year NHL career, split between the Winnipeg Jets, Rangers, and now the Ducks. He is one of a handful of players in the Ducks’ dressing room who understands the lengths it takes a team to realize their ultimate goal of building a sustainable brand of Stanley Cup-contending hockey.

The Ducks lost 6-1 in their most recent matchup with their closest rival, the Los Angeles Kings, on Thursday evening in LA, a game where they were outmatched for the vast majority in all three zones. Following the game, Trouba was asked if his team had turned a corner and was heading in the right direction.

“I don’t know,” Trouba said. “It’s a pretty far back corner if that’s the corner we’re trying to turn. I think there’s a lot more to be had and a lot more we can strive for.”

He was then asked a follow-up question regarding the difference between themselves and a Kings team that sits firmly in second place in the Pacific Division and had just dominated the special teams matchup by scoring three power play goals on six opportunities while surrendering zero to the Ducks on four opportunities.

“The special teams are a big part of that, but I think the battle level,” Trouba continued. “That’s something we can continue to get better at. I think it has gotten better, but there’s still another level we gotta get to.”

As a whole, the Ducks have improved the details of their game this season when compared to seasons past. There haven’t been nearly as many defensive lapses, blown assignments, miscommunications, etc., but they’re still spending far too much time in their own end of the ice where they’re consistently getting hemmed for extended stretches, bleeding shot attempts, and expelling their energy reserves necessary to manufacture counter attacks.

They’re still one of the younger teams in the NHL and their most talented players are all under 25 years old, so winning the amount of games they did will have a natural positive effect on the team’s morale. However, if they truly intend to turn a corner and build on the efforts and strides they’ve taken this season, some significant surgery may be required to their on-ice process to create a more sustainable environment and a style more conducive to the strengths of their brightest talents.

Numbers suggest that with league-average goaltending this season, the Ducks would have suffered a third consecutive season near the bottom of the NHL standings. They also suggest that with the goaltending they did receive coupled with league-average play at 5v5 and on special teams, they’d have been firmly in the playoff picture.

Trouba’s postgame comments on Thursday were one of the few times this season where a member of the Ducks organization has questioned the results and their place in the standings, rebuking the notion that they have turned a corner on their rebuild.

The upcoming offseason will be truly telling on whether the Anaheim front office shares Trouba’s view or whether they bought into the standings jump the team made this season.

Report: Rumored Zegras to Canadiens Trade at 2024 Draft Clarified

Anaheim Ducks Prospect Spotlight: Six Prospects Advance in CHL Playoffs

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the final game of their season series on Sunday. 

On Saturday, the Columbus Blue Jackets dismantled a shorthanded Capitals team missing many of its regulars. The assumption is that Washington will send out its full roster today against Columbus to get complete retribution against the CBJ for the 7-0 drubbing at Nationwide Arena yesterday. 

Although we shouldn't expect the Capitals to put themselves in any situations to cause injuries or suspensions, I fully expect them to come out and hit everything that moves wearing a Columbus jersey. Adam Fantilli should be especially cautious after putting a big, legal hit on Caps rookie Ryan Leonard. The hit sent Leonard to the ice, where he would kneel on all fours as Fantilli would go back down the ice and score. 

With yesterday's win and the Canadiens OT loss, the Jackets were able to stay alive in the wild card race for one more day. With any kind of loss today, though, that dream would be over. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 19.7% - 22nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.1% - 25th in NHL
• Goals For - 254 - 10th - 3.22 GPG - 10th
• Goals Against - 265 - 25th - 3.35 GPG - 27th

Capitals Stats

• Power Play – 23.5% - 13th in NHL
• Penalty Kill – 81.7% - 6th in NHL
• Goals For - 280 – 1st – 3.59 GPG – 1st
• Goals Against – 219 – 9th – 2.72 GPG – 9th

Series History vs. The Capitals

• Columbus is 9-14-4 on the road and 20-26-11 in 57 all-time meetings vs. the Capitals.
• The Jackets are 9-9-4 in the last 22 games vs. Washington.

Who To Watch For The Capitals

• Dylan Strome leads the team with 51 assists and 77 points.
• Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 42 goals. 
• Charlie Lindgren is 19-13-3 with a SV% of .893. 

CBJ Player Notes vs. Capitals

• Boone Jenner has 12 points in 34 career games against Washington.  
• Zach Werenski has 10 points in 24 games.  
• Sean Monahan has 17 points in 23 games against the Capitals. 

Injuries

• Kevin Labanc (shoulder) is on Injured Reserve as of Feb. 21 and is out for the season (21 Games) 
• Elvis Merzļikins (upper body) has missed 1 game. 
• Jake Christiansen (upper body) has missed 2 games. 

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 315

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

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