Jets @ Ducks RECAP: New Season, New Strategies, New Results
The Anaheim Ducks kicked off their 2021-22 regular season campaign by hosting the Winnipeg Jets, an opponent they will become very familiar with in the coming weeks, as they play each other three times in the first seven games of this season. Round one went just about as well as anybody could’ve hoped for, and this Ducks team is playing fun, exciting hockey. It’s only game one of a long season, but man, it’s hard to not be excited about what this team can do.
1st Period
The first period started with plenty of nerves from both teams, with lots of mishandled pucks and giveaways in the opening minutes. The Jets would get the first power play of the game on a high-sticking penalty against Hampus Lindholm, but the Ducks would survive the penalty kill. I don’t want to say that they actively killed the penalty because most of the work was done by John Gibson and the defense seemed to be scrambling in front of him. Anaheim responded shortly after the successful kill with a Kevin Shattenkirk shot from a fairly tight angle sneak into the top corner with an indirect assist to Mason McTavish for the screen that caused Connor Hellebuyck to not see it. 1-0 Ducks!
The Jets continued to pile pressure on in the shots on the goal department and there was one more penalty kill that looked slightly better than the first, but John Gibson continued to stand tall, and once again, the Ducks were rewarded. A scramble and a loose puck in front of Hellebuyck resulted in Mason McTavish potting his first career NHL goal in his NHL debut. It’s the kind of moment that every rookie dreams of, and it was well worth the wait if his celebration and smile were anything to judge by. 2-0 Ducks!
The shots on goal total at the end of the period showed 15-6 in favor of Winnipeg, but a deeper look shows that shots were 6-6 during 5-on-5 play and the Ducks led 9-6 in scoring chances. Not the cleanest defensive period, but certainly plenty out of that period to be excited about for the Ducks.
2nd Period
The 2nd period started with much of the same story throughout the majority of the 1st. Penalties, penalties, penalties. Kyle Connor would eventually break through for Winnipeg on an odd-man rush where he was able to set up all alone in the right circle and one-time a puck past Gibson to pull the Jets closer. 2-1.
John Gibson was run into and made it known immediately that he wouldn’t be dealing with anybody this season and put Pierre-Luc Dubois in a headlock. The Ducks would kill off the ensuing penalty once again, keeping their penalty kill perfect through the first 40 minutes of the season.
Once the Ducks finally got their first power play of the season, they made it count. It’s a new feeling and I’m not sure what to do with my hands, but the puck movement looked good, the shot selection was good, the puck recoveries were fantastic, and eventually, Adam Henrique was able to deflect a Cam Fowler shot from the point past Hellebuyck to return the Ducks lead back to two once again. 3-1 Ducks!
Shots on goal after two favor the Jets still, by a 24-16 count. The plan for the 3rd period is to stop taking penalties and try not to let the Jets have free entry into the offensive zone.
3rd Period
The Ducks continued their freight train forward at the beginning of the 3rd period and were able to draw yet another penalty on the Jets. Rickard Rakell would be the lucky recipient of a deflection power-play goal off a Jamie Drysdale shot from the point. Yes, that’s correct. Two power-play goals in the same game. It took the Ducks ten games to score their second power-play goal of the season last season, so needless to say, this is quite the improvement. 4-1 Ducks!
There was no lack of effort, no setting up in the defensive zone and letting the game come to them, no bad passes to give Winnipeg a free high-danger chance. It was a master class in defending a lead and the Ducks got a well-deserved 4-1 victory. They got outplayed for stretches of the game, but they found a way to counter the Jets attack and give themselves the offense they needed to let John Gibson do the rest.
The final shots on goal were 34-22 in favor of the Jets, but honestly, who cares?
Final Thoughts
If this is what we have to look forward to for 82 games, we are in for a treat of a season. This was a fun game to watch and what else could we really ask for, given the expectations of this season? If you want entertaining hockey, the Anaheim Ducks just might be the team to follow.
Obviously, there were errors made that will need to be cleaned up, and without the mastery of John Gibson as the final line of defense, the Jets could’ve easily scored at least three goals in this game. But a win is a win and I don’t think there’s a Ducks fan out there that will have too much to complain about for this being the first result of the season.
3 Stars
Mason McTavish - 1 G, 1 A
John Gibson - 33 SV, 34 SA
The Fans - Welcome Back
Up Next
The Ducks return to action on Friday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.