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NHL: The Anaheim Ducks Are Mighty Average Without Corey Perry

By Mike Majeski

Nov 2, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) takes a rebounded puck to score on Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1) in the first period at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) takes a rebounded puck to score on Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1) in the first period at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Anaheim Ducks are off to a hot start to the 2014-15 season and are one of the best teams out of the West, but take Corey Perry out of the lineup and they become beatable.

Last night was the Anaheim Ducks third game without leading goal scorer Corey Perry. Perry was added to the injured reserve list (retroactively) due to flu-like symptoms and will be eligible to return on Wednesday. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf also sat out a game with an illness, but was able to return this past Friday. While the Ducks have been able to contain the illness to just Getzlaf and Perry, both the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues saw players miss games with a flu-like illness after their Southern California road trips. Serious concern? – or perhaps too much Del Taco?

Having Perry out of the lineup has resulted in a significant cooling off for the Ducks, as prior to the flu the Ducks were 10-3-0 on the season. In the three games without Perry in the lineup the Ducks have lost 3-2 to the Islanders in overtime, 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes in a shootout and 2-1 to the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout. Even though he has missed three games, Perry is still tied with Rick Nash for the scoring lead with 11 goals.

Take a look at the Anaheim Ducks player comparison chart, courtesy of War-On-Ice. Perry’s 8.57% CorsiRel is third best on the team and his 64.85 offensive zone start % is second highest. Perry isn’t the type of player that the Ducks can easily replace.

Courtesy of: war-on-ice.com
Courtesy of: war-on-ice.com /

It should come as no surprise that Perry plays a big role in the Ducks offense – generally if he has a good night, so do the Ducks. October 26th against the San Jose Sharks: the Ducks lose 4-1, no goals or assists for Corey Perry. October 28th, a 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks – also no goals or assists for Corey Perry. October 22nd: a 4-1 demolishing of the St. Louis Blues and a hat trick for Corey Perry.

In the two losses to the Arizona Coyotes and the New York Islanders, the Ducks were able to manage two goals in each and just one in the loss to the Canucks – these are the type of games where a healthy Perry could probably equal that total single-handedly.

This apparent weakness in the Ducks scoring depth could be concerning, but we can’t forget that the Ducks do have Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf also missed the game against New York, but had a goal in the game against the Arizona Coyotes. Ryan Kesler had assists in both. However, it is clear that the Ducks go from having one of the more lethal offensive attacks in the NHL to perfectly manageable when you take Corey Perry away. The Islanders and the Coyotes aren’t exactly the toughest defenses to figure out. The Islanders are averaging 3.00 goals allowed per game, eighth most in the NHL. The Coyotes are averaging the fifth most overall with 3.23 goals allowed per game. And yet both teams were able to hold the Ducks to two goals.

The Ducks are fortunate that Perry will be back in the lineup when they take on the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. The three game’s without him have provided a good look at what the team would be like if he were out of the lineup for an extended period of time. Coupled with an injury to goaltender Frederik Andersen or Getzlaf, the result could be disastrous for the Ducks and end any hope of going on a playoff run.

With those fearful thoughts out of the way, Perry will rejoin the Ducks just in time for back-to-back games against the Kings, as well as a more manageable game against the Florida Panthers. However, playing in the Western Conference (especially the difficult Pacific Division), the Ducks will need a healthy lineup if they want to be contenders. Losing Perry for three games has shown that the Pacific Division is going to be a war of attrition this season. Both the Ducks and the Kings have had players miss extended time and both teams have struggled to find the depth to make up for it. Keep in mind though, there are some players you just can’t replace.

Here’s to hoping whatever bug has kept Corey Perry out of the lineup ends with him – the Ducks season depends on it.

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