4 X factors who could push their team to NHL playoffs (Western Conference)

Anaheim Ducks X factor: John Gibson

The Anaheim Ducks have the ultimate X factor in net in John Gibson. Any game Gibson is in net gives a Ducks team that ranks 21st in the NHL in goals for per game a chance to come out with a victory.

Along with the LA Kings, the Anaheim Ducks’ postseason hopes are at an advantage, due to the fact that they have an elite goaltender. The Ducks’ goalie, John Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, has played very well down the stretch.

Through the month of March, Gibson played in 12 games, posting an 8-3-1 record to go with an elite 2.26 GAA and .928 SV%. Gibson helped carry a Ducks team to within one game of the Stanley Cup final last season, and he has potential to do the same once again.

The Anaheim Ducks are a team that doesn’t generate a lot of offense compared to other teams in the playoff race. They have a power-play percentage of 18.0, which ranks 22nd in the league. Although they may not score many goals, they also don’t concede many, either. Currently sitting fourth in the league with a penalty kill operating at 83.1 percent, and fifth in the league with a defense that gives up an average of just 2.6 goals per game, these statistics are largely in part to the solid play of John Gibson.

The Ducks have the ultimate X factor in elite goaltender John Gibson. Watch him continue his solid play down the stretch and lead this Ducks team to the playoffs.