Whatever system the Ducks play — and they’re making a major philosophical shift from heavy hockey to a high-tempo game with quick puck movement — it will work only if players embrace it wholeheartedly as a group. If anything good can come from the ruins of their first-round playoff flameout against the San Jose Sharks last season it’s that they recognized the need for change and the value of unity, and that one without the other won’t get them anywhere.
“We fell flat and it was a combination of things,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said of the team’s swift exit after a strong finish to the regular season.