The Anaheim Ducks‘ five-game losing streak didn’t go unnoticed prior to their comeback win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Flyers’ coach Rick Tocchet made the admission following the Ducks’ 5-4 win over his team. Per Charlie O’Connor of ALLPHLY via Yahoo Sports, Tocchet said, “I think we thought it was going to be a bit of an easy night, I really do. And that happens to teams sometimes. You’ve got to be careful of that.”
This is a lesson all young teams can learn. For the Flyers, whose Hockey-Reference page lists their average age at 27.7, it’s a prime teaching moment that Tocchet can use. As for the Ducks? It’s also a teaching moment, even if they emerged on the right side of it.
Anaheim’s average age is 26.2, making the Ducks one of the youngest teams in hockey. They will have teaching moments that they may emerge on the wrong end of. But they can also learn from an opponent’s mistakes. Especially when that opponent is roughly on the same level as they are.
Anaheim Ducks Emerged On The Right End Of A Prime Teaching Moment
What Tocchet said on Saturday afternoon is a recurring trend among young teams. They build a multi-goal lead, put the game in cruise control even without realizing it, then find themselves playing catch-up hockey.
And the Ducks are no strangers to what happened to the Flyers on Saturday. Go back to Anaheim’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 16, when the Ducks scored two goals in 21 seconds toward the end of the first period.
It looked like Anaheim was going to blow out the Bruins. Then Boston scored on three straight power plays — one in the second period, two in the third — as a result of sloppy play from the Ducks. Anaheim also led that game 2-1 after the second period before Boston scored three times in the third frame.
Anaheim also had moments throughout their entire road trip where they played outright lazy hockey. They let the New York Rangers score five times before they finally woke up toward the end of the contest. The Islanders put three goals on the Ducks in the first period. Against the Devils, Anaheim never seemed particularly energized.
Ducks Road Trip Has Been Full Of Learning Experiences
Rick Tocchet’s comments drove home the fact that the Ducks did not either win or learn on their four-game road trip. They either won and learned, or they learned. Anaheim learned that they can’t start playing decent hockey late in three of their four East Coast games.
They also learned a solid first period of hockey won’t guarantee a win. That learning experience dated back to before the East Coast trip began. Tocchet and the Flyers just reinforced it.
As the Anaheim Ducks head back home to begin a three-game homestand at Honda Center, their short-term aim should be simple: Take the valuable lessons they learned on and even before the road trip, apply them, and start getting consistent again.
Anaheim Ducks’ Comeback Prompts Telling Admission From Flyers Coach