How the Ducks have built the NHL's next great Western power

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IRVINE, Calif. -- "My first few years, this place was a nightmare."

Any set of eyebrows that are within earshot of what Chris Kreider has just said are immediately raised, because this is his response to a question about what allowed the Anaheim Ducks to become more of a desired destination now than they had been in the recent past.

"I mean, the whole Cali trip was awful," Kreider said.

This is when Kreider becomes a storyteller and a comedian, sharing what it was like to play the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and the Ducks three times over the span of a four-day California misadventure.

The Kings were filled with "monsters" -- because all but three players on their…