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Wednesday, November 8, 2000
Ducks have a deep problem
By George Johnson
Special to ESPN.com
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Unless they get into the playoffs, Duck-hunting season is going to be open bright and early April 9.
Coach Craig Hartsburg was handed a two-year contract extension in the offseason, but the whispers are that the job status of both he and general manager Pierre Gauthier are likely to be determined in the next six-and-a-half months.
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Wed., Sept. 27
The Mighty Ducks underachieved last year. They had probably their strongest lineup ever and best depth, yet they fell short of the playoffs. Special teams will be the biggest factor this season. Their special teams production dropped a lot from two years ago to last year. Their power play was 14th in league; with Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya and Oleg Tverdovsky, they should be better than that. And they were last in penalty killing. Without a solid penalty-killing unit, the Ducks won't go anywhere. If their special teams numbers remain the same this season, they won't make the playoffs. |
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Attendance, even with two of the planet's most dynamic players in the lineup, has fallen off considerably at the Pond. And the win-loss ratio doesn't look to improve markedly because the organization did little to improve in the offseason.
German Titov is an okay NHLer, and at 23 it's too early to give up on goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, acquired from the Flames to provide respite for workhorse Guy Hebert.
But Dan Bylsma? Jim Cummins? These types of additions aren't exactly going to necessitate planning the parade route through Disneyland.
Anaheim is long on flash and short on substance, which is where Hartsburg was supposed to come in. But he can't solve a lack of depth.
The inherent problem that has dogged the Ducks for years – lack of support for the tandem of Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya – still hasn't been addressed. All three components of the No. 1 line didn't disappoint last year – Kariya with 86 points, Selanne with 85 and center Steve Rucchin with 57. And yet the Ducks still couldn't claw their way into the playoffs.
For so long, the Ducks counted on Hebert to keep them close in games until either Nos. 8 or 9 could conjure up the required magic. But by comparison with his earlier brilliance, Hebert struggled during the second half of last season.
His bouncing back in a big way will determine a lot this year.
Offensively, after the big three, the bottom falls out like the trap-door floor on a magician's trick trunk. No Duck other than Kariya or Selanne had 20 goals or more. No Duck other than Kariya, Selanne and Rucchin could put up 45 points. No Duck other than Kariya, Selanne ... Oh, you get the picture.
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Bottom Line on the Ducks
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Kariya-Selanne
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Depth
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Oleg Tverdovsky
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Pressure
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SEASON OUTLOOK: Much like last year, when the Ducks finished four points shy of the postseason. Kariya and Selanne deliver year in and year out. So, the pressure is on Hebert to regain form, or otherwise it could be an eventful offseason near Disneyland. |
George Johnson covers the NHL for the Calgary Herald. His NHL National column appears every week during the season on ESPN.com.
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