Well, March was a month to forget for the Anaheim Ducks. They concluded one of their worst months of the season with back-to-back losses to the Edmonton Oilers (March 30) and the Vancouver Canucks (March 31). Tough to expect anything from the Ducks in either contest, as both opponents were deep, talented, Stanley Cup-contending squads.
And yet, there were some notable takeaways from their weekend slate. Let’s talk about a few of those today as the Ducks get some much-needed rest before they close out the road trip in Calgary (April 2).
Henrique and Carrick Faced Former Mates for the First Time
For the first time since the March 8 trade, Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick faced off against the Ducks as members of the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as usual, did most of the damage, but both Henrique and Carrick factored into the scoring in the dominant 6-1 victory for Edmonton.
It didn’t take long, as Henrique got the Oilers started less than five minutes into the game when he fired a shot on net and converted his own rebound. It was not unlike many of the goals he scored for the Ducks during his five-season tenure in Anaheim: he got the puck on goal, drove the net hard, and went to the right areas to score goals. Carrick picked up an assist on Mattias Ekholm’s goal. Henrique and Carrick find themselves in an excellent situation in Edmonton.
Alex Killorn Was the Ducks’ Best Player in March
It feels odd labeling anyone a “Player of the Month” for a team that scored one or zero goals in seven of its 16 games. That being said, if anyone deserves the title for March, it’s Alex Killorn, who netted seven goals and one assist throughout the month, including a goal in the loss to the Oilers. Those numbers were more than Troy Terry and Mason McTavish’s scoring totals combined (four and two points in March, respectively), and beat out Frank Vatrano’s seven points to lead the team.
On the road to settling into his first season in Anaheim, Killorn has had to contend with his own injuries, organizational mediocrity (something he’s not used to), and an ever-changing lineup. Those factors can delay the integration of any player, even a two-time Stanley Cup champion. It hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows though in his first season with the Ducks. He is one of many veterans who have failed to set a consistent tone throughout the season. After all, that’s part of the reason he was brought in. He’s had his moments, but, ironically, he sits sixth on the team in penalty minutes with 52 (in 56 games) and is in earshot of his career-high in penalty minutes for a season. That said, he deserves his flowers for statistically leading this team throughout the last month.
While the Oilers rebuilding methods in the past decade were not so reliable (first-overall picks in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015; third-overall pick in 2014), the Canucks’ path to contention has been a bit more, shall we say, traditional. Yes, they also had many high draft picks, too (Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko), but they have held onto that talent, honed it, been patient with it, and made moves to surround that talent with pieces like JT Miller that have finally made this team a force in the Pacific Division. They deserve their kudos.
Related: 4 Positive Signs for Anaheim Ducks’ Rebuild
The Ducks can look at this path and see a way forward. Like the Canucks, they have collected a myriad of pieces through the draft and appear ready to hand this team over to those players under the guidance of old-school management and player – and systems-focused coaching. Patience has been and will always be the key, but there are examples out there that if you can draft, develop, and be patient with your talent, then it can pay off. The Canucks are one such example.
Big Night for Olen Zellweger
Olen Zellweger is one of those drafted talents that has all the makings of an elite NHL player, so long as he is coached and developed properly. He suited up against the Oilers and Canucks, games 18 and 19 of his career, and found the back of the net for the first time, unleashing an absolute rocket that beat Arturs Silovs, top-shelf, on the near-side.
True to form, Zellweger was thinking offense as he activated from the blue line, collected a pass and skated down the half-wall. As he skated in near the face-off circle, he had his eyes up the whole way, and fired the shot, using a Canucks defender as a partial screen. As he celebrated with his teammates, he was all smiles, as he deserved to be; it was a great moment and one of many to come for the young rookie.
New Month, New Beginnings?
A back-to-back set with the Oilers and Canucks, both of whom look primed for deep runs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is a tall task. It didn’t go the Ducks’ way, but that’s okay. They were outclassed by the Oilers but brought a much more competitive game against the Canucks.
That said, the transition to April, their last month of the season, is a welcome change. With a handful of winnable matchups across their final seven games, the Ducks have a chance to put a miserable month behind them. It’s the Calgary Flames up next (April 2); let’s see who, if anyone, steps up and takes charge.