Retool, rebuild or rethink?
Whatever you want to call it, the Anaheim Ducks have figured out how to take flight from pretender to contender.
The Vancouver Canucks should take a good look Tuesday at how the Pacific Division leaders are pushing to end an eight-year playoff absence with an aggressive approach to reshape their roster with a blend of young snipers and veteran support.
The Ducks are 13th in NHL scoring and often outscore their problems and know becoming consistently competitive takes years of suffering and growth at both ends of the ice.
A late rally Sunday in a 6-5 overtime victory to end the Buffalo Sabres’ seven-game road win streak was another indication that the Ducks can play it anyway you want. Low event, high drama or something in between, it’s worth a look at what they’re bringing to Rogers Arena on a 6-3-1 run.
“They’re a very dangerous team,” said Sabres goalie Alex Lyon, who gave up the equalizer with 1:44 left Sunday before Troy Terry scored on an overtime breakaway. “I was extremely impressed with their offensive capability. It took me by surprise … how good their offensive game was.”
Leo Carlsson advances against a trio of former Canucks. His ability to play in traffic has helped reshape the roster.
The Ducks have seven players between the ages of 20 and 24, nine veterans in their 30s and head coach Joel Quenneville behind the bench. It speaks to future potential and the present push, which is a slippery slope. Desperate trades and expensive free-agent plays often sent the Canucks into the ditch.
Anaheim’s roster is also comprised of 10 draft picks, including four first-rounders, plus seven free agents and seven via trades. Leadership deals for vets Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba and John Carlson, along with young sniper Cutter Gauthier, were prudent.
Gauthier has 36 goals, and four 20-goal scorers are augmented by Beckett Sennecke, 20, who leads all rookies with 54 points (21-33).
The Ducks learned how to win late last season when they could have quit. They won five of eight games, finished 18-11-1 in one-goal games, and gave youngsters a runway to be creative and learn from mistakes.
That’s what the Canucks need to keep in perspective. Teaching is critical and games matter.
Here are three things to watch Tuesday:
1. Make those line changes count
The Canucks have struggled in the second period where they have been outscored 95-56. They sag mentally and positionally after giving up a goal and quickly surrender another with suspect changes in their own zone.
“It’s a learning curve whether you’re young or old,” Canucks head coach Adam Foote said following practice Monday. “It’s understanding the odds and managing the game. We can’t go gambling. You go back (puck retrieval) and you’ve got to understand the odds. You don’t want D-men to get caught out there.”
2. Get dirty, get the greasy goals
The last-place Canucks are scoring the second-fewest goals, and looking for the perfect play isn’t helping.
It’s rare to get Grade A looks when the shooting lanes are clogged, defencemen are willingly blocking shots and goaltenders can track pucks without being screened. And that’s where the Canucks need to make life more difficult for stoppers.
“You can give them (players) techniques and you always want to have an anchor and a guy under their defence,” Foote said of the net presence. “Some guys are better than others at it.”
3. Grateful Mancini could use a goal
Victor Mancini was all smiles Monday following his new two-year contract Friday. The towering blueliner has one less thing to worry about and maybe he finds the net Tuesday for his first goal in 19 games since being recalled from Abbotsford.
“I’m really excited and want to thank the organization for believing in me,” said Mancini. “It’s getting reps and making sure my head is up and calming my game down. I don’t want to force opportunities and this (contract) kind of puts an ease to your mind.”