The Anaheim Ducks identity last season was the big bad bruising team that was going to tenaciously hound your defense on the forecheck. That style is what got them to the western conference finals.
Through the first nine games of this season, we have seen that same forecheck for maybe six or seven periods, the consistency is not there.
Against the Blackhawks, the Ducks did an outstanding job at rushing Chicago’s defense into passes. Without Duncan Keith in Chicago’s lineup, the Ducks were able to dominate most of that game through tenacious forechecking which turned into extra possessions and it led to the Ducks outshooting the Hawks.