Anaheim has faltered tragically on their current road trip.  The only problem is — they have no room for failure.

As hard as it is to see the Ducks lose. It’s even harder seeing them miss the post season all together. While they aren’t technically out of it yet,  elimination is definitely on its way.

I still think this missed opportunity is a positive for various reasons, however it is still hard to accept that hockey is ending two months earlier than I’d like. 

The Ducks have yet to be a playoff option the entire season. Perhaps the team was relying on the same late season surge they experienced last year to enable them to snatch a spot.

No matter what they were expecting this season to result in, they’ve yet to put together a solid campaign to achieve any sort of success.

Mini win streaks from time to time and 11 straight wins at home weren’t enough for a team who should have never found the bottom of the standings in the first place.  Shamefully, they’ve been bottom feeders all season long. 

Again, we have to wonder where the team went wrong. With so many options and so much talent, how is it possible that in three short weeks this team will be working on their short game rather than perfecting power play options?

This would mark the first time in four consecutive seasons that the Ducks have missed the playoffs.  Yet again, we begin to wonder if it is even worth the Ducks making the post season.

Many wrote this team off months ago.  Some question if the players wrote this season off before it even began.

Is it that too many of the players expect games to be handed to them?  Are the efforts on the ice a reflection of the desire in their hearts?

As this season is coming to a close, fans have witnessed a typical Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde experience.

On any given night, the team is fired up, forechecking, speeding up the ice with the puck, and pressuring the net.  Recent games against San Jose and Chicago were great examples of that.

However, this road trip has been a more accurate reflection of an entire lost season.  A view of a team that plays as if they’re meeting each other for the first time.

As a fan who expects so much from Ryan Getzlaf, is it fair to point the finger at him?  Corey Perry?  Bobby Ryan? Is it fair to ask why they didn’t give more?  Is it fair to expect them to do so much?  Sure, Getzlaf’s recent injury has held him back, but would it have been best to allow him to heal to 100 percent before retuning?

Perry and Ryan have had moments throughout the season that allude to greatness, but is it fair to say they could/should bring more to this team?

Are any of these young men ready to lead this team in the future?

What about the support.  Did Saku Koivu bring his “A” game to Anaheim?  Was there too much riding on the chemistry between he and fellow Finn Teemu Selanne?

With the teams’ defense clearly lacking, how much can one realistically expect from Scott Niedermayer when he’s forced to play extended minutes and constantly babysit young uneducated defensemen? 

Behind the bench, Randy Carlyle has proven he’s a capable coach.  However, sometimes the power of change can be overwhelming.

Has the constant underachieving created too much strain on the team?

Were they under so much pressure to produce a gem, that the only result would be a dud?

I’ve wondered all to often this year where the drive and determination from seasons past has escaped to.

I beg you to think about all of the elements of this team and where the potential misstep took place.  I’ll be covering those aspects myself at the conclusion of the Ducks’ season as well as the many questions I’ve asked here. 

Perhaps the simplest answer is that there are too many questions to begin with.

Stay tuned…