Tag Archives: Hockey

Ducks rediscovering scoring touch at historic rate

If the Anaheim Ducks keep this up, their resurgence will be one for the record books.

The Ducks erupted for eight goals in a blowout victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night, continuing a remarkable transformation.

The Ducks' 3.44 goals per game in the second half of the season would stand as the best scoring rate in the NHL if they'd been this good beginning on opening night.

Despite the boost, Anaheim is ranked 16th in the league with 2.64 goals per game through 76 contests, which tells you just how goal-starved the Ducks were in the first half.

So what changed?

While it certainly helped that Ryan Getzlaf rebounded after a woeful start, Anaheim's secondary scoring has made the difference.

Rickard Rakell, the Ducks' 22-year-old first-round pick from 2011, ranks second on the club with 20 goals. Ryan Kesler was virtually invisible early in the season, but a four-point night Wednesday gave him 18 goals this season, and 12 points in his last eight games.

Jakob Silfverberg, who signed a four-year contract extension last August, scored twice against the Flames and now has 18 goals this season. Half of them have come in the last nine games.

Then there's Jamie McGinn, who's quietly been one of the best trade deadline acquisitions in the league with eight goals and 15 points in 12 games since Anaheim picked him up from the Buffalo Sabres.

A glance at the analytics bodes well for the Ducks, and might further explain how they've rediscovered their scoring touch.

Anaheim is ranked fourth in the NHL in even-strength Corsi For percentage, driving puck possession at a rate of 52.78 through 76 games. That means the Ducks have been generating a high number of shot attempts all season - even before their revival - and are now being rewarded.

The Ducks' supposed demise was clearly a mirage, and their scoring surge has vaulted them over the Los Angeles Kings into first place in the Pacific Division with six games left in the regular season.

(Analytics courtesy: Corsica.hockey)

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2016

No Canadian teams in the playoffs, more revelations from concussion e-mails & more in today’s collection of notable NHL headlines.  The Playoff Chase. PHILLY.COM: Steve Mason made 29 saves, plus two in a shootout, backstopping the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks defeated the […]

VIDEO: Mason’s sprawling shootout save helps Flyers earn extra point

Every point counts for teams in a playoff race.

Steve Mason ensured his Philadelphia Flyers picked up an extra one in Wednesday's shootout win over the Washington Capitals, out-waiting Evgeny Kuznetsov to make a brilliant, sprawling glove save.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Woe, Canada: NHL Playoffs will be all-American for only 2nd time

For the first time in 46 years, there will be no Stanley Cup playoff hockey north of the border.

After a Philadelphia win over Washington on Wednesday, the Ottawa Senators were officially eliminated from postseason contention, meaning the NHL's Canadian hockey teams will be preparing for the draft rather than fighting for hockey's greatest prize.

A rare occurrence indeed, as this will mark only the second time in NHL history where every Canadian team will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs, with 1970 being the other.

Don't forget that only Toronto and Montreal represented Canada in the NHL back in those days.

Despite a win for Ottawa in Winnipeg, no Canadian team ranks higher than 21st in the overall standings:

Fittingly, this year's top prospect is American-born Auston Matthews.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.