2010
As much as I would love to see the Ducks succeed this season, and make the playoffs for my own personal desire to ingest as much hockey as possible, I can’t help but wonder what it would mean if the team missed the playoffs…in a positive manner.
To begin, I do not anticipate either Teemu Selanne or Scott Niedermayer will return next season. I don’t want to see either go, but to be honest, I don’t feel that either player has had the season they hoped for. Disregarding their Olympic achievements, both men have their ups and downs on the ice and Selanne’s injury list grew a great deal this year.
With 16 games remaining, Selanne only needs to score two goals to reach the 600 career mark in the NHL. If he is able to do so, I’d be willing to wager on his departure from hockey for good at the end of this season.
It would be wonderful to see both men leave the game on top, unfortunately, I do not see this team rising to that level in 2010. I don’t think the team wants it, I don’t think the team has the drive, determination, or the passion to achieve it.
While I don’t want to see the Ducks take an early summer vacation (or to continue to play the way they have been), I do want to see them become a winning team again in the future. I think that needs to begin now.
With an early exit from the hockey scene this season, the Ducks could benefit greatly from the disappointment.
For example, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have seen more than their fair share of winning at a young age. Numerous playoff appearances, a Stanley Cup, and Olympic Gold medals are on a list of achievements that these two men boast. Some will never be as successful in their entire career, and these two have done it all before age 25.
Perhaps it is worth missing a post season run in order for these two gentlemen to reevaluate the work ethic necessary to obtain such glorious accomplishments. It might be time for the slew of youth on the Ducks roster to learn the sting of defeat before they are able to appreciate the joys of victory.
Time and again fans have questioned the level of talent the Ducks posses and the disappointing season they have produced. Would a missed playoff opportunity be enough to bring these stars down to earth?
Likewise, many fans have called for the firing of coach Randy Carlyle. Perhaps his previous seasons of success have allowed the management and ownership to keep him at the helm. Would a failed season be enough to give the coaching staff an overhaul? Perhaps even to replace General Manager Bob Murray.
Again we are reminded of the numbers and the possibility of the Ducks making the playoffs this season. The chances of them seeing hockey in late April are slim, but still possible.
Assuming the team makes the post season, would it even be worth the trip? Do they have the firepower they possessed last season to upset a powerhouse like the San Jose Sharks? Or would they simply vanish without even creating a spark?
It might just mean that missing the playoffs is a positive.
Going into the season (as with all of them) there was great hope to what the roster of our Ducks team possessed. Murray addressed the need for more offense by acquiring Joffrey Lupul ans Saku Koivu. Our defensive image took a big hit when Pronger and Beauchamin left willing or unwillingly. In that regard, initially Murray did a bandage maneuver before addressing that issue at the trade deadline with Vishnovsky and Ward (though Ward is only a playoff push rental). JSG, well history would have been different if he would have said earlier “You know things aren’t working here anymore. I’ll waive my no trade clause.” Probably we would have seen Pronger or Beauchamin still in a Ducks uniform if that were the case.
So with the lineup looking like it will have some significant headway in the regular and post season, we fans were introduced to the real team at the beginning of the season. An abysmal start in October (4-8) with the starting course of a poor 4-1 loss to the Sharks in a home opener. But the initial response from Bob Murray and Randy Carlyle – these things take time to work themselves out. Well, time in this case, was something pulled out of thin air, as we were treated to a lot of false starts that came in spurts until the 11 game homestand prior to the Olympic break gave us a glimmer of hope. But we all know that once the Olympians got back with their medals they were done for the season. And they have shown it with how they started the season…abysmal.
Now during this time, there were calls for either Carlyle or Murray to go. Instead, it appears that the players were the problem, not the decisions made by the other two. But one can only go choosing the same path which returns to the same starting point before realizing the other path needs to be tried. So in this post season, I would hope that the Ducks organization realizes that the Stanley Cup honeymoon is over for Randy Carlyle, and to find a coach that will awaken this team (that on paper) should have been playing the postseason in 09-10.
As for the players – Scotty and Teemu will be gone. The former is taking over in his brother Robs place of having a team worse -19 (Ward, has the same but wasn’t on the team long enough to accumulate that number. Though you would never guess with the latest losing streak). But that can be chalked up to being the only goto choice for Carlyle on defense. The younger players – Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan -I agree the first two need to have a post season off for once to realize how it feels. Koivu, might holdover, but with a one season contract, it appears unlikely. Joffrey “bad back but blame it on the equip manager” Lupul won’t be a marketable commodity, so we are stuck with him. Overall, there really isn’t much Murray can do that he hasn’t done to right the ship. Its the guy at that is at the steering wheel – Carlyle who need to go.
What an assessment! I can’t disagree with any of this. Thank you so much for your input!
Well said ESP182. Very good points in there. If they really do miss the playoffs (and even if they don’t) this might be the most intriguing off-season in quite awhile.
[...] still think this missed opportunity is a positive for various reasons. However it is still hard to accept that hockey is ending two months [...]
Air hockey is like writing, you gotta practice before you can do it.