GDT: #82 ⋅ ANA @ VGK ⋅ 7:00 PM PDT

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I know a lot of people have expressed sentiments otherwise, and I get it, but I've enjoyed this season FAR more than last. By the final game last year, I didn't even care. The only thing that mattered was getting the best odds at Bedard and securing a top three pick. Rooting for your team to lose sucks.

Mostly, I'm encouraged by the young players. Even in games that were otherwise miserable, Carlsson, Mintyukov, Zellweger, and others give me hope for the future. And now Gauthier is in the mix.

I'm excited to watch this game tonight. Hopefully next year we'll be watching some meaningful games in April.

Sorry, I am really struggling to believe that statement. You really think this was better to watch than last season?

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I agree, last year was a slog. This year there's been more general competitiveness (as goal differential suggests) and more flashes from more future core guys. The season felt like it went by a lot faster.

It has been frustrating to constantly have injuries though. We never really even got a glimpse of what everyone together could look like. What's the final total for games with all of Leo, Zegras, McT, and Minty all healthy? Feels like about a dozen.

Last year it was really just Mason and Trevor who we knew were going to be key pieces moving forward, and a whole lot of junk/stopgaps ... Besides that we only got a cup of coffee from Lacombe. This year we've gotten a chance to see many more pipeline guys, and what we've seen from those individuals has mostly been promising:

Leo: despite some lulls looks like a great pick and future 1c
Minty: exceeded most expectations, future core Dman, maybe even 1d?
McT: still needs work but flashed higher offensive potential than last year when healthy
Zell: progressed nicely from camp, potentially dynamic OFD
Zegras: slow start, injuries, but now playing at a higher level than ever before
Lacombe: mixed bag in a tough role, but is at least NHL capable
Luneau: made progress in a short time before getting leprosy or whatever
Colangelo: he looks NHL ready already, will help bottom 6 next year
Gauthier: blue chip addition, and we get to see the trailer tonight

That's a lot for one season.

Competitiveness...

On paper, the only stat that looks competitive is the ES defense. Everything outside of that was abysmal. Sure, our goal differential is better, but our record is still behind last year's team.

On ice, we were lethargic more often this year. We didn't show up in the first and second periods, or none of the periods.

As you point out, we didn't have a lot of talent last year. This year, we added a plethora of talent. That means we also added talent depth. The addition of Carlsson and Killorn helps make up for injuries in our top-6. That duo added 116 games that last year's team did not have. On defense, that's were we had a huge influx of talent and talent depth (healthy Vaak, vet Gudas, waiver pickup Lindstrom, and the rookies: Minty, LaCombe, Luneau, and Zell). The influx of defensive talent coincides with better ES defense (ES GA).

Ducks	81 games
Season	ES GF	ES GA	ESGD	PP GF	PK GA	Shorties	.	GF	GA	GD
2022-23	168​	256​	-88​	36​	76​	1​		205​	332​	-127​
2023-24	148​	204​	-56​	41​	90​	11​		200​	294​	-94​
24 comp	-20​	52​	36​	5​	-14​	10​		-5​	-38​	33​

• This year's breakdown
  • On ES GF, we scored 20 fewer goals! (bad)
  • On ES GA, we prevented 52 goals against. (amazing improvement)
  • On the PK, we increased it by 5 goals. (slight improvement)
  • On the PK, we gave up 14 more goals against and lead the league in PK GA by 24 more goals against on the PK! (abysmal)
  • Oddly enough, our PK increased its shortie production by 10 more goals. (amazing improvement)

We owe are vast improvement in total Goal Differential (GD) due to ES defense and PK Shorties. We shot ourselves in the foot everywhere else, which doesn't show the TSH - which the Ducks lead the league with 327 TSH events. How can we be amazing at ES defense, but 31st on the PK?!

Again, last year's team didn't possess a lot of talent that this year's club had. Yet, last year's club clawed and scratched itself to 58 points on the season. This year's club has 57 points in 81 games and it doesn't look promising they'll earn more against Vegas. This year's club vastly underachieved. That review doesn't point to "more general competitiveness". We got more talented, but we weren't more competitive.

 

[Ducks DVM]

It’s been a pleasure posting with you fine folks this season…..View attachment 854375

Well, ALMOST all of us…

 

[Ducks DVM]

After seeing that a Vegas win means the kings get to play Dallas, I am assuming Alexander get the start tonight.

 

[FiveTacos]

Competitiveness...

On paper, the only stat that looks competitive is the ES defense. Everything outside of that was abysmal. Sure, our goal differential is better, but our record is still behind last year's team.

We were absolutely more competitive when factoring in the nonstop injuries to important guys this year. Last year at least our best guys were (mostly) able to play. I have no doubt this years team, warts and all, beats last year's team in a head to head series.

For me the biggest indicator is regulation wins went from 13 to 20. 20 isn't great but 13 is pathetic.

 

[Rybread86]

Both years were a shitshow. I just feel like this year we at least got to see the evolution and building of a future.

 

[ScarTroy]

It’s like we’re debating what smells worse between Dog or Cat shit.

 

[Rybread86]

It’s like we’re debating what smells worse between Dog or Cat shit.

Dog shit for sure

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

It’s like we’re debating what smells worse between Dog or Cat shit.

more like horse shit

 

[Dryish]

To paraphrase a Finnish saying: shit is shit even if you fry it in butter.

But, fortunately, spread enough manure around and it tends to create fruitful ground for growth. That should be the expectation going forward, anyway.

 

[Rooch]

There was an article somewhere recently where Verbeek was saying he thinks we'll be ready to make a playoff push next season. He must know or see something we don't. There's no way this group can improve that much with this coach in one calendar year.

 

[duckaroosky]

View attachment 854685

Well, ALMOST all of us…

I feel like this guy:

 

[Hockey Duckie]

We were absolutely more competitive when factoring in the nonstop injuries to important guys this year. Last year at least our best guys were (mostly) able to play. I have no doubt this years team, warts and all, beats last year's team in a head to head series.

For me the biggest indicator is regulation wins went from 13 to 20. 20 isn't great but 13 is pathetic.

=========
Injuries
=========

I'm sorry, but last year's team didn't have a lot of talent, which you completely agree with.

So any injury to last year's team affects it far adversely than injuries to this year's team. Case in point, both teams lost Drysdale early into the season. Last year's team couldn't absorb the loss of Drysdale. This year's team easily absorbed Drysdale's injury that Verbeek traded away Drysdale during the season! Vaak turned out to be a good player now that he's healthy for a whole season.

Both teams lost Rico around the TDL. Rico got injured games before the TDL last year. This year, Rico was sent off at the TDL. Sure is nice to have Carlsson and Killorn onboard after the TDL this year.

With the images shared below, both teams were ravaged by injuries. Only one team had talent depth to absorb injuries.

2022-23, Injury Viz

2023-24, Injury Viz (80 games)

=============
Competitiveness
=============

Regulation Wins stat is the biggest indicator of competitiveness?

• Records
  • Last Year: 23-47-12 (58 points)
    ROW = 13
  • Last Year: 26-50-5 (57 points)
    ROW = 20

ROW is more important than points generated in a season? This doesn't make any sense. A team with vastly more talent who can improve ROW by 7 games, but cannot generate more points than last year's team is the more competitive team? That inconsistency points to this year's team being competitive at times (improved ROW) and not competitive enough at even more times (fewer Pts).

A better way to gauge competitiveness should be looking at 1-goal games stats.

Ducks 2022-23​	1-goal​	Games​
Type of Games​	Games​	W​	L​	OTL​	Pts​	.​	Pct of games​	.​	Point Share​
Game 1 to 81​	81​	23​	46​	12​	58​	.​	100.0%​	.​	35.8%​
						​		​
1-goal games​	33​	14​	7​	12​	40​	.​	40.7%​	.​	60.6%​
Non 1-g games​	48​	9​	39​	0​	18​	.​	59.3%​	.​	18.8%​

.

Ducks 2023-24​	1-goal​	Games​
Type of Games​	Games​	W​	L​	OTL​	Pts​	.​	Pct of games​	.​	Point Share​
Game 1 to 81​	81​	26​	50​	5​	57​	.​	100.0%​	.​	35.2%​
						​		​
1-goal games​	30​	13​	12​	5​	31​	.​	37.0%​	.​	51.7%​
Non 1-g games​	51​	13​	38​	0​	26​	.​	63.0%​	.​	25.5%​

With respect to 1-goal games, last year's team was able to be more involved in those situations as well as generated more points in those situations. A team with far fewer talents outproduced a more talented team in 1-goal situations better reflects competitiveness than ROW.

Verbeek said he needed to add more talent to improve his 1-goal results for this season. Seems like an odd recognition because last year's team did better with a weaker roster.

============

Sure, we're comparing shit showings, but at least I'd like to find out what is actual shit and what is bullshit.

 

[ff8]

One of the more inflammatory posts I've seen our social media team make.

Everyone has seen the original right? Flyers twitter posted a photo of Drysdale captioned “all smiles to be in the right orange and black” lol

So the ducks aren’t quite inflammatory enough to do it on their own but it was still funny

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Hope Silf gets on the scoresheet tonight.

 

[MCB]

Everyone has seen the original right? Flyers twitter posted a photo of Drysdale captioned “all smiles to be in the right orange and black” lol

So the ducks aren’t quite inflammatory enough to do it on their own but it was still funny

I didn't see that, thanks for sharing, makes our post feel justified lol not that we needed to be justified or anything

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

more like horse shit

Hopefully next season isn't the unfortunate third movie of this terrible trilogy of shit

 

[HanSolo]

Sorry, I am really struggling to believe that statement. You really think this was better to watch than last season?

I think there were more fun games this year overall. Not to say there were a lot of them by any means.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I wonder how many flyer fans are going to tune in

 

[Terry Yake]

I wonder how many flyer fans are going to tune in

i wouldn't be surprised if some even bought tickets just to boo him

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

I think it's naive to take anyone in management (not just hockey) at their word. When Verbeek pronounces this or that, I tend to chuckle. What he says and does are very different. It was the same with Murray. Maybe I'm just generally skeptical, but this just seems like part of the job is to BS the fans and media.

Then we have different standards. There's a difference between taking someone at their word and holding them to it. I didn't and don't consent to a relationship, even a recreational one like this, where people blow smoke up my ass, because I'm not a mark. You can look down on people who don't also wink as naive but then you're part of the accountability vacuum, because if you can't ever be held to your plan, then you can't ever meaningfully underperform it. As HD illustrates:

I'm thinking that this year was a reality check for Verbeek. Last year, Verbeek didn't even take his time to get rid of Eakins because Verbeek was expecting to come out at .500 to start the season with the shit roster he gave us. This year with a far better roster, especially on defense, Verbeek is in love with Cronin's work despite currently possessing one less point than last year's team.

Instead of having to learn a lesson, your fans say ehh, he didn't mean that. After all, we weren't good, so how could he think we'd be good? That gives him the benefit of circular logic.

And just in general, I expect better of people. Even in these degenerate days I won't accept this sort of thing.

 

[HanSolo]

i wouldn't be surprised if some even bought tickets just to boo him

I'll let you know if I see any

 

[snowave]

I've had horses, and their shit is "almost" pleasant smelling (compared to cat and dog shit) with all the grass they eat.

oh, Go Ducks.

 

[dracom]

I wonder how many flyer fans are going to tune in

anything less than an elite game from him and they'll be yelling on the rooftops that he's a bust.

 

[JAHV]

Then we have different standards. There's a difference between taking someone at their word and holding them to it. I didn't and don't consent to a relationship, even a recreational one like this, where people blow smoke up my ass, because I'm not a mark. You can look down on people who don't also wink as naive but then you're part of the accountability vacuum, because if you can't ever be held to your plan, then you can't ever meaningfully underperform it. As HD illustrates:


Instead of having to learn a lesson, your fans say ehh, he didn't mean that. After all, we weren't good, so how could he think we'd be good? That gives him the benefit of circular logic.

And just in general, I expect better of people. Even in these degenerate days I won't accept this sort of thing.

I expect better of people who I actually depend on and/or have a relationship with. The only accountability Pat Verbeek owes to me is that he runs a good organization. "Good" is a pretty broad term that could mean a lot of things there, and I understand that it means different things to different people. To me, it means he runs an ethically sound organization that experiences success within the next several years.

The success in the long-term remains to be seen. Some think that success should have shown up in some way already. I give him a pass for now on the performance, but I hope to see progress towards it next season.

As for how he does it, I don't really care. Nor do I care how he communicates about it. So if, in public, he's obfuscating or equivocating or outright lying about his plans or methods or strategies, does that run afoul of my "ethically sound" criteria? It does not, and that might be where your standards are different. I consume plenty of hockey analysis from media who are paid for their communication skills; I generally do not pay attention to anything a GM or player says outside of extraordinary circumstances. I'm in this for entertainment, and most GMs and players are not entertaining when they're asked to communicate. I want Verbeek to follow the rules of the NHL (and the country), I want him to take care in whom he hires for positions of power, I want him to hold those people accountable, I want him to treat his employees well, and I want him to generally be a civil dude in his interactions with fans.

If Verbeek's going to say that he likes to over-ripen prospects and then doesn't actually over-ripen prospects, whatever. Just develop them well and I'll be happy.