_Pacific Division - GDHQNHL15_2pg-Anaheim Ducks 1

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Anaheim WESTERN PACIFIC CONFERENCE DIVISION DUCKS Offense Despite returning without scoring forward Bobby Ryan for the 2013- 14 season, the Ducks were once again one of the top scoring teams in the NHL. Their 266 goals scored on the season ranked second in the NHL behind only the Chicago Blackhawks, and they did it despite a power play that ranked just 22nd in the league. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf were their usual excellent selves last season. Perry scored a whopping 43 goals, ranking second in the NHL behind just Alex Ovechkin in that category. Getzlaf chipped in with 31 goals and 56 assists for a total of 87 points, which also ranked second in the NHL. Perry and Getzlaf are the top offensive duo in the league and the main reason why Anaheim’s offense is one of the most potent in the league. However, as good as Perry and Getzlaf are, they can’t do it all by themselves. While no one player emerged as a star to replace Ryan’s production, the Ducks got solid contributions from just about every regular forward on the roster. Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino each scored 22 goals. Mathieu Perreault scored 18 goals while Kyle Palmieri scored 14. Jakob Silfverberg chipped in with 10 goals in 52 games played. Saku Koivu and Patrick Maroon each scored 11 goals; Maroon in particular emerged as a pest to opponents. As good as Anaheim’s offense was last year, the potential is there for the Ducks to be even better. Their power play was actually below average at just 16.0 percent, a noticeable dip from the strong 21.5 mark they posted the previous year. The Ducks also ranked just 16th in Fenwick, a statistic that estimates a team’s puck possession by looking at how many shots they take compared to how many their opponents take. If the Ducks can improve their puck possession and their power play, their offense could be a dominant unit in the 2014-15 season. Defense While the Ducks defense wasn’t quite as spectacular as the offense, it was still a solid unit that helped the team win games. Francois Beauchemin returns as the solid and steady veteran leader of the defense. Beauchemin’s offensive explosion from the 2012-13 season didn’t quite carry over to 2013-14, but Beauchemin remained arguably the top defensive player on the Ducks. He is joined by Hampus Lindholm, the sixth overall pick from the 2012 NHL draft. Lindholm was excellent in his rookie season, emerging as a two-way defenseman who shut Key Additions: Clayton Stoner, Jason LaBarbera Key Subtractions: Nick Bonino, Mathieu Perreault, Daniel Winnik, Stephane Robidas, Jonas Hiller Strengths: Scoring, Goaltending Weaknesses: Power Play, Puck Possession Corey Perry PHOTO/NHL/Getty Images


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