Recapping a Big Win in Boston & Deep Diving into Carlsson’s Player Development Plan
Welcome to the THW Anaheim Ducks Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Ducks writers.
In today’s edition, we revisit the big win over Boston, look at some of the Ducks’ top performers using NHL Edge, and discuss Pat Verbeek’s development plan for Leo Carlsson.
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4 Takeaways From Ducks’ Huge Win Over Bruins
October 27, 2023 by Jordan Reinhardt
Poof! Gone is the undefeated record of the Boston Bruins. After playing the Bruins tough in their first meeting of the season last week, the Anaheim Ducks brought an even better effort last night, highlighted by strong first and third periods, to complete the comeback and pull out a second consecutive overtime victory. Just like that, the Ducks have their first winning streak of the season.
There were positives all over the ice last night. Coming back late to beat a team as dynamic as the Bruins has got to feel good. In that spirit, let’s look at all the positives from the Ducks’ biggest win of the young season.
Ducks’ Fastest Skaters, Hardest Shooters & More Using NHL Edge
October 27, 2023 by Charlie Hiller
On Oct. 23, the NHL launched its new advanced statistics website using puck and player-tracking technology. The site, NHL Edge, gives fans access to a new set of statistics involving speed, location, and distance.
The new site has statistics dating back to the 2021-22 season when the tracking technology was first launched. Previously, this data was only seen in some limited forms as part of the television broadcasts. The most obvious example of this for fans of the Anaheim Ducks was the use of a puck tail on the Bally’s Sports broadcasts during power plays last season. While it may have elicited distasteful memories of the 1990s-era glowing puck technology, the newer version is cleaner, albeit less useful in the 20 years since high-definition television has become available.
Ducks Gameday Preview: Boston Bruins – 10/26/2023
October 26, 2023 by Jordan Reinhardt
The Anaheim Ducks pulled out a gutsy team win over the Columbus Blue Jackets the other night (Oct. 24). They battled, killed off important penalties, and played their best defense when it counted. Long enough for Frank Vatrano, sprung by an excellent Bo Groulx pass, to capitalize on a breakaway opportunity in overtime.
The Ducks head to TD Garden tonight looking to avenge their recent defeat to the Boston Bruins. Their second of two meetings within a week will give the Ducks a chance to clean up their game a bit and put their best foot forward against this dynamic, complete Bruins team. Let’s preview the rematch by looking at storylines, personnel, and tactics.
Ducks Can Blaze New Trail with Carlsson’s Development Plan
October 26, 2023 by Corey Abbott
The Anaheim Ducks raised some eyebrows by choosing Leo Carlsson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. However, the team’s reasoning behind the selection was well thought out, and it quickly became clear that he was the appropriate fit for the organization. Anaheim general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek is facing some criticism again for limiting the number of games that Carlsson will play during the first part of the 2023-24 season.
The straightforwardness of the strategy has been met with some frustration and disappointment, which is perfectly reasonable and understandable. Still, it’s worth noting that resting inexperienced players isn’t a completely novel tactic at the big-league level. The development plan for Carlsson is just different than what we generally see from top prospects in the NHL, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the wrong path.