Here are five reasons why the Anaheim Ducks can win the Stanley Cup.
Over the course of the 2017-18 NHL season, the Anaheim Ducks have triumphed against all odds. They’ve battled widespread injuries, controversy and more general obstacles — all of which have caused the team to slowly fade away from the overarching narrative of the mainstream hockey world.
But as the playoffs loom, the fact remains — the Ducks are an incredibly powerful force to be reckoned with. They’ve quietly finished in second place in the Pacific Division. Make no mistake: this isn’t a fluke.
Let’s look at five reasons as to why the Ducks are the NHL’s most intimidating dark horse.
5. Experience
Let’s face it: the Ducks are one of those teams that a wide range of hockey fans love to hate. There’s a unique sense of anti-fandom about them — that is, a very specific kind of notoriety which finds its roots in overexposure.
Take their first line, for instance. Specifically, two-thirds of it.
At center is Ryan Getzlaf, while Corey Perry presides over the right wing. Both are consistently strong point-getters. Both play with an edge to their game. Both ensure that opponents feel their presence — physically speaking, as well as on the score sheet.
Both also played integral roles during the Ducks’ 2006-07 Stanley Cup run.
For over a decade, the hockey world has watched as the two aforementioned figures — both faces of Anaheim’s franchise — battle challenges and challengers with a degree of intensity that’s extremely difficult to match. Similar forces have been added along the way — undoubtedly the most frustrating of which being Ryan Kesler.
Although the Ducks’ experience-ridden roster frequently fades away from the focal point of NHL news, few would refute the notion that Anaheim is, at the very least, an incredibly aggravating team to match up against. And while such frustrations are likely rooted in discontent regarding the questionable tendencies of certain players, one must not forget that the Ducks have made the playoffs on 11 of 13 occasions since the 2004-05 lockout. As such, many of their players know the postseason like the backs of their hands.
That the Ducks continue to unsettle opposing players and fanbases alike, coupled with the fact that they don’t appear to be going away anytime soon is a lesson in the value of experience.