When Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson first came into the league, there was a lot to be impressed with.
Gibson, 29, would post great numbers, make the big save when his team needed one, not allow soft goals, and would be a contributing factor as to why the Ducks would win hockey games. It was a simple recipe for his success in the first few years of his career.
Fast forward to now, and things are very different for the still somewhat young masked man. For starters, his numbers are not very good.
While the Ducks have been one of the worst teams in the league this season, that does not let Gibson off the hook. As of this writing (Thursday, December 29), he is 6-14-0-3 with a 3.88 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Those kinds of numbers certainly will not help a team win hockey games. In fact, Gibson’s goals-against averages have not been great over the last several seasons:
2019-20: 3.00 goals-against average
2020-21: 2.98 goals-against average
2021-22: 3.19 goals-against average
Yes, the Ducks have been one of the worst defensive hockey clubs during those seasons. With that said, Gibson’s less-than-stellar play between the pipes certainly did not help anything.
Secondly, Gibson is not playing with the same kind of confidence that he did when his career was first starting. When he first came into the league, he was usually in a good position for first and second saves, knew how to control rebounds, and the puck certainly did not get behind him as much as it is now.
Let’s take a look at these numbers:
2015-16: 2.07 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts
2016-17: 2.22 goals-against average, .924 save percentage, and six shutouts
2017-18: 2.43 goals-against average, .917 save percentage, and two shutouts
Clearly, his statistics were much better than they are now. The numbers mentioned above are elite-level.
So, which goaltender is Gibson? Is he the one that once played at an elite level, or is he the one that is playing right now?
Only time will tell if Gibson will be ever to regain the form that made him a three-time All-Star.
