Anaheim Ducks Fall To Chicago Blackhawks In Shut Out

The Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time this season on Thursday night. This was one of the most anticipated match-ups of the year for both franchises as it was the first time that the first overall draft pick of the 2023 NHL draft, Connor Bedard, would go up against the second overall pick, Leo Carlsson. The game ultimately resulted in a shut-out loss for the Ducks, as they fell 1-0 in Chicago. The Blackhawk’s victory was primarily due to the spectacular goal-tending performance of Petr Mrazek, who stopped all 37 of Anaheim’s shots. The Ducks’ net-minder, Lukas Dostal, was able to block 24 out of 25 of the Hawks’ shots, and he was able to glove down several lethal shot attempts from Bedard.

The Chicago Blackhawks currently reside at the bottom of the league standings, and their win over Anaheim on Thursday was only their fourth win on home ice. The Blackhawks and the Ducks are in similar phases of their rebuilds, and both teams ran a close campaign for the first overall draft pick in the 2023 draft.

In a recent interview, Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin stated that he would like to see his team average 40 shots on goal per game and hopes that an increase in scoring attempts will allow them to capitalize on rebounds. Anaheim has struggled with their offensive production all season. This detrimental struggle was noticeable during their 60 minutes at The United Center earlier this week, as Anaheim only found the back of their opponent’s net once whilst taking 37 shots. Without top point producers like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish in the line-up, Anaheim continues waiting for expected production from first-line forward Troy Terry.

The Ducks continue to demonstrate a lack of consistency as they spend excessive time in the penalty box and struggle to play a 60-minute game. Additionally, Anaheim has only found themselves on the scoresheet ahead of their opponent in 6 out of their 26 games played so far. Although the Ducks have faced an unfortunate bout of injuries to first-line contributors early on in the season, as 2023 comes to a close, it is crucial that the team recognizes their shortcomings and puts in the work to adapt a sustainable style of play.

Episode 111: Who's Better? – Late Arrivals: An Anaheim Ducks Podcast

So uh… yeah things aren't great…again! The guys do their best try and say something positive about the last week of Ducks hockey. They talk about the nauseating struggles this team still seems to have and give their thoughts on just how bleak things seem right now. They also cover some league news including Ovechkin's continued chase of the goal record and the uniforms for the Stadium Series. As always, the episode is finished with some listener questions! Follow Late Arrivals Twitter: @latearrivalspod Instagram: @latearrivalspod Follow the hosts Chris: @CJKChel Connor: @91_Pluty Jake: @_JRobles71 Louis: @Louiex37 Intro/ Outro done by Will Rice/ @pastorwillrice