A long layoff isn’t always the right prescription for a struggling team to find its game, but the Ducks found the right energy, emotion and offense.
Injected with an early scrum and Ryan Getzlaf’s second goal this season, the Ducks got a 4-2 win Sunday against Philadelphia in their first game since the NHL’s mandated three-day Christmas break.
Here’s what we learned:
Emotion is a good thing for them
So many times this season the Ducks have come out flat and couldn’t match the opponent’s jump. That wasn’t a problem because defenseman Clayton Stoner prompted a fight with Brandon Manning after Stoner’s big hit on Scott Laughton, and a big scrum ensued a few minutes later to ignite the start.