So far, so good for the Anaheim Ducks following the Christmas break. They beat the Flyers, 4-2, on Sunday and the Flames, 1-0, last night.
It wasn’t the prettiest hockey you’ll ever see Tuesday night in Calgary. Then again, the Ducks can’t afford to worry about aesthetics.
“We had a game plan to try to clog up the neutral zone, try to slow them down. We did a pretty good job of it,” goalie John Gibson told the Associated Press following his 14-save shutout.
Yep, that’s right. Gibson only had to make 14 saves the entire night. In the first 40 minutes, the Flames could only muster seven shots.
The Ducks, of course, have the worst offense in the NHL, averaging just 1.89 goals per game. Hence, the focus on clogging up the ice against a team that features Johnny Gaudreau.
But last night’s game plan doesn’t seem to have been unique to the Flames. In fact, in their last 10 games, the Ducks have surrendered an average of just 23 shots against. Over that stretch, they’ve won games 1-0, 2-1, 2-1, 4-2, and 1-0.
The Ducks play Thursday in Edmonton and Friday in Vancouver, two big games against Pacific Division foes.
