Recapping the Shutout Loss to Wild & Goals for Remainder of Season
With losses piling up and nowhere for the Ducks to go, the countdown toward the end of the 6th straight season without playoff hockey begins.
Welcome to the THW Anaheim Ducks Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Ducks writers.
In today’s edition, we look at what went wrong against the Wild and lay out some goals for the team ahead of its final few weeks of the season.
Don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorites…or all of them if you want.
You can also upgrade your subscription to a paid THW account, and get access to ALL of our Premium content from ALL of our team Substacks for one low price.
Now on to the good stuff!
Ducks Fail to Bring Fight Against Wild in 7th Straight Defeat
March 20, 2024 by Jordan Reinhardt
Well, the woes continue for the slumping Anaheim Ducks, who fell for the seventh straight game last night (March 19) in a 4-0 shutout defeat to the Minnesota Wild. Despite a decent opening frame, the Ducks failed to build momentum at any point the rest of the game and simply fell apart as the game wore on because they couldn’t possess the puck, sustain any pressure, or convert on their power play opportunities.
This game marked the third time in the last four games they were shut out. Their seven-game losing streak now includes six defeats with a four-goal or more margin of victory. Simply put, they are down, beaten, and discouraged, and there aren’t many signs of optimism. What gives? We’ll soon find out, but let’s highlight some takeaways from last night first.
Ducks’ Goals for Final Games of the 2023-24 Season
March 19, 2024 by Charlie Hiller
With a loss on Sunday (March 17) to the St. Louis Blues, the Anaheim Ducks have mathematically been eliminated from playoff contention. This should come as no surprise, as the rebuilding Ducks (23-42-3) have missed the postseason in each of the last five seasons, and despite a very fun start in October, there wasn’t enough improvement to the roster to suggest they would be competitive in any way.
The Ducks are in a no man’s land in the NHL standings — they’re firmly in 30th place, seven points ahead of a Chicago Blackhawks team that has no motivation to make up ground and eight points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, in turn, Anaheim has no motivation to pass up.
While this does feel like yet another lost season, Anaheim still has plenty to play for the rest of the 2023-24 season. Their recent losing streak has brought in last season’s defensive woes and should be addressed immediately. Additionally, injuries to the top of the lineup are beginning to let up and could allow the team to finally run at full strength.
Anaheim Ducks 2023-24 Obituary: Playoffs No Fly Zone
March 19, 2024 by Andrew Forbes
Sunday marked the third team officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention as the Anaheim Ducks lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights won earlier in the day.
It’ll be the sixth straight season that the Ducks miss out on playoff hockey and it marks yet another season of disappointment for the young core they have up and coming.
While there’s a ton to look forward to in terms of the team’s overall depth in the system, the lack of success in recent years remains a worrisome part of the team’s overall development. Now, officially eliminated from the running, here’s a look back on the 2023-24 season for the Ducks and what went wrong, if changes could’ve been made and what they have to look forward to.