Yes, it’s true that the Anaheim Ducks took their time waddling back to contender status.
And yes, it hasn’t always been pretty, even when they’ve been winning.
But all complaints aside, the Ducks are starting to look more and more like that team many expected to push for a Stanley Cup.
Monday provided another example of their winning (even if it isn’t always glamorous) approach, as they outlasted the Calgary Flames to the tune of a 6-4 win.
.@MSantorelli85 to @JSB_FOX: "We knew we needed to settle it down. We can't have a track meet out there, and that's what we did."
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 15, 2016
You can watch the highlights in this handy Tweet.
Highlights from this afternoon's battle between the #Flames and #NHLDucks. #ANAvsCGYhttps://t.co/fewFFXreKg
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) February 16, 2016
In the case of this early evening, Anaheim’s power play was just a little better than Calgary’s (going 3-for-3 while the Flames were productive at 2-for-5), and the Ducks overcame some early bumps for the victory.
They’ve now an impressive 9-1-1 in their last 11 games and are on quite the run since the Christmas break, which must have done Bruce Boudreau’s group some good.
Ducks win, 6-4. Now 16-4-2 since Christmas. Andersen with 33 saves.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) February 15, 2016
This surge is showing in the standings, too, as the Ducks - at least briefly - passed the San Jose Sharks for second in the Pacific and may make the Kings sweat a bit for the top spot.
1. Kings - 69 points in 55 games played
2. Ducks - 64 points in 55 GP
3. Sharks - 63 points in 54 GP
As you can see, the Ducks cannot rest on their laurels, yet this is a significant step up from being a team that was struggling to stay in the playoff picture.