Well first, Sutter isn't exactly a friend to the kind of hockey that avoids complacency. His molasses game plan does nothing to overcome the post-championship doldrums.
Quick has been shaky, too.
I don't think he's been all that shaky, just came back down to earth after his stint being Superman.
1 - Quick is clearly not over his injury vs channeling the ghosts of Hasek and Roy
2- No longer on a hot streak and have come back down to their actual talent level
3 - Obstruction is actually being called semi-consistently this year
I meant "team" in the sense of chemistry. For their roster, they are nowhere near as good as they should be. That team BARELY made playoffs last year.
For their roster, Anaheim was nowhere near as good as they should be too.
Everything came together for the Kings at the right time. Sometimes that is all it takes to win the Cup. It wasn't just Quick. That team was a monster on defense, and was very opportunistic offensively. I may not like the Kings, but give them credit where they deserve it. Don't get me wrong, I don't buy the crap the Kings fans are selling about how they can play like **** during the regular season and then go on to win the Cup because they are ubermensch. Lightning won't strike twice.
I dunno. The Blackhawks are competition to us, and the Kings aren't. It makes sense to want the Kings to hold them back.
The Kings are 11 points back with 2 games in hand (ok, 1 game in another 90 minutes) and play the Ducks 3 more time with 36 (35) games left in their schedule. They are absolutely the team that the Ducks are in competition with.
The Kings are 11 points back with 2 games in hand (ok, 1 game in another 90 minutes) and play the Ducks 3 more time with 36 (35) games left in their schedule. They are absolutely the team that the Ducks are in competition with.
Numbers say one thing, but the product on the ice says something else. I'd love a first round match up against the Kings though.
For their roster, Anaheim was nowhere near as good as they should be too.
Everything came together for the Kings at the right time. Sometimes that is all it takes to win the Cup. It wasn't just Quick. That team was a monster on defense, and was very opportunistic offensively. I may not like the Kings, but give them credit where they deserve it. Don't get me wrong, I don't buy the crap the Kings fans are selling about how they can play like **** during the regular season and then go on to win the Cup because they are ubermensch. Lightning won't strike twice.
Anaheim lacked team chemistry last year, they have it this year, and it's been a world of difference. The willingness to block shots is the easiest way to see the way everyone has bought in this year. As far as the Kings go, they were hot at the perfect time, and their best player was also the most important one on the ice. You always see the teams with the hot goalies find their groove in the playoffs, while Philly breaks down because of the opposite. I mean, the Ducks were a good team in '03 but Giguere was the straw that stirred the drink in the playoffs.
Numbers say one thing, but the product on the ice says something else. I'd love a first round match up against the Kings though.
The point is there a lot of games left in the season to say a 5-0-1 swing won't happen.
I just doesn't want a Dalllas or Nashville matchup. Those two teams are bad for the Ducks' system.
Why you don't want number one in the western conference? I sure as hell do
That'd be nice, but to root for a team in our division and our biggest rival? They are off to a bad start but I am scared of them getting hot again. And, oh yeah, hate them too much to ever root for them.
The point is there a lot of games left in the season to say a 5-0-1 swing won't happen. I just doesn't want a Dalllas or Nashville matchup. Those two teams are bad for the Ducks' system.
Well there's one thing we can agree on, Jar Jar. Back to you in the studio, Qui-Gon.
Anaheim lacked team chemistry last year, they have it this year, and it's been a world of difference. The willingness to block shots is the easiest way to see the way everyone has bought in this year. As far as the Kings go, they were hot at the perfect time, and their best player was also the most important one on the ice. You always see the teams with the hot goalies find their groove in the playoffs, while Philly breaks down because of the opposite. I mean, the Ducks were a good team in '03 but Giguere was the straw that stirred the drink in the playoffs.
Not quite the same. Giguere in '03 was on a completely different level. Giguere didn't just stir the drink. He was just flat out the main ingredient in the drink. The Kings were also a significantly better team than the '03 Ducks were. Better in pretty much every area, save goaltending.
To the Ducks credit their playoff run in '03 featured FAR better teams than the Kings, who faced a lot of young inexperienced teams, not playoff beasts. And the NJ the Ducks played was a playoff juggernaut at that time, much different than the Devils team last year.
To the Ducks credit their playoff run in '03 featured FAR better teams than the Kings, who faced a lot of young inexperienced teams, not playoff beasts. And the NJ the Ducks played was a playoff juggernaut at that time, much different than the Devils team last year.
That year we got robbed I'm just happy Jiggy got his trophy. That almost never happens
To the Ducks credit their playoff run in '03 featured FAR better teams than the Kings, who faced a lot of young inexperienced teams, not playoff beasts. And the NJ the Ducks played was a playoff juggernaut at that time, much different than the Devils team last year.
I agree. That's also one of the reasons I say lightning won't strike twice. The Kings, in my opinion, faced some of the weaker opposition you'll see in a playoff run. Two inexperienced teams in St. Louis and Phoenix, and some injuries that really helped. I give props to the Devils, but compare them to almost any of the recent Cup Finalists. The only one that they really match up against is Edmonton.
) and play the Ducks 3 more time with 36 (35) games left in their schedule. They are absolutely the team that the Ducks are in competition with.
