Coming into a new season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup is something that a lot of teams relish. It can also be viewed as a bit of a burden, though, as expectations are way higher than what other teams have to face. The Anaheim Ducks seem to be withering under that spotlight, and will try to get things rolling when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
If the Ducks want to win against the Colorado Avalanche (1-2-0) they had better find a way to start scoring goals. Colorado is playing a fast and loose brand of hockey that has seen their 3 games so far deliver an average of 9 goals per game. This is a team that is offensively gifted, but which tends to leave he holes at the back just waiting to be filled by the other team. This will be the first road game of the season for Colorado, so it will be interesting to see if they adjust their attacking style a little when playing away from home. They have too many weapons up front not to go for it, though, so I think they are still going to come out with all guns blazing, no matter where they play. The key to a win here will be if they can get the Ducks to play undisciplined. The Avs power play is hitting at a 50% clip, so staying out of the box is highly recommended.
Avalanche vs Ducks: NHL Odds and Game Preview
Date: Friday, October 16, 2015 Time: 10:00PM Venue: Honda Center Opening NHL Odds: Anaheim -115
The @AnaheimDucks go back to their old secret weapon… the knucklepuck. https://t.co/9xMdWlJF31
— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2015
Last year’s Western Conference Final was viewed by many as being the real Stanley Cup Final, as it was assumed that the winner would go on and win it all. That is exactly what happened, and it was the Anaheim Ducks (0-2-1) who ended up losing out after being ousted by the Chicago Blackhawks. Getting that close to glory made them an obvious favorite coming into this season, but they have been awfully underwhelming to start the season, picking up a single point in 3 games. Even more confounding has been the Ducks inability to put the puck in the net this year, with just one goal scored through those opening games. It’s not even as if they had a tough schedule to start the season, as 2 of the 3 teams they have faced are considered favorites to miss the playoffs altogether. The one bright spot has been their penalty kill, which has prevented them from getting totally blown out in every start.
If the Ducks want to win against the Colorado Avalanche (1-2-0) they had better find a way to start scoring goals. Colorado is playing a fast and loose brand of hockey that has seen their 3 games so far deliver an average of 9 goals per game. This is a team that is offensively gifted, but which tends to leave he holes at the back just waiting to be filled by the other team. This will be the first road game of the season for Colorado, so it will be interesting to see if they adjust their attacking style a little when playing away from home. They have too many weapons up front not to go for it, though, so I think they are still going to come out with all guns blazing, no matter where they play. The key to a win here will be if they can get the Ducks to play undisciplined. The Avs power play is hitting at a 50% clip, so staying out of the box is highly recommended.
