ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) For all their talent and tenacity, the Anaheim Ducks just can’t reach their postseason goals. Whether it’s luck, tactics or some ineffable winning mentality, the Ducks haven’t acquired it yet.
One of the NHL’s most consistent winners fell short of the Stanley Cup Final yet again Monday, outlasted by the Nashville Predators in the six-game Western Conference finals. The Ducks have won five consecutive Pacific Division titles during a remarkable run of consistent excellence, but they’ve also won only five ensuing playoff rounds and never played for the Cup in that half-decade stretch.
”This is the worst feeling in hockey,” captain Ryan Getzlaf said in Nashville.