The Anaheim Ducks have maintained a torrid pace so far, topped in the Western Conference only by the Chicago Blackhawks.
So, four straight losses in Anaheim probably seemed like a bit of a shock to the Ducks’ system. They were outscored 16-5 in those four games, and shut out in one of those games.
Friday’s 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago got the Ducks back into the win column. It put them six points ahead of the third-place Vancouver Canucks and just three points back of the Blackhawks.
“I know I can’t win the game myself… we need everybody. Nobody was happy after the last game (against the Sharks), I know I wasn’t happy with the way I played and I don’t think many guys were,” Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller told CSN Chicago. “We knew we had to play better and we proved that if everybody plays at 100 percent, we have a chance to win against anybody.”
The top seed in the West is still within the Ducks’ reach.
But more importantly, Friday’s performance can go a long way in getting their collective confidence back.
“At least they know in their mind that when they put their mind to it, they’re a good hockey team and that the first 22 wins weren’t a fluke,” Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau told the Orange County Register.
The Ducks improved their record to 23-7-4.