Ducks put up a fight, but Capitals leave Anaheim having impressed Boudreau
It was the perfect test.
The Anaheim Ducks had won a record 11 in a row. They'd flown (sorry) to the top of the Pacific Division. And they welcomed the NHL-best Washington Capitals to town on Monday.
The teams played an entertaining and tightly contested game at five-on-five.
| Ducks | Statistic | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Shots For | 22 |
| 49 | Corsi For | 37 |
| 20 | Scoring Chances For | 20 |
| 5 | High-Danger Scoring Chances For | 12 |
| 11 | Offensive Zone Starts | 12 |
| 41 | Hits | 30 |
And though it took a shootout for the Capitals to end the Ducks' run, Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau was impressed by what he saw from the presumptive Stanley Cup favorites, who now have 102 points.
"I don't think skill for skill we can match those guys in the middle of the ice," Boudreau said, according to Agence France-Presse's Greg Heakes.
That's probably not what you want to hear as a player, but Boudreau knows it takes a lot more than skill to win a Stanley Cup.
He also lamented his team's inability to score on a four-on-one rush, which would have given the Ducks the win.
"You got to make hay with those golden opportunities," Boudreau said.
"It's tough to keep winning," he added, according to The Orange County Register's Jeff Miller. "But our execution wasn't what I thought it should be tonight. Maybe they had a lot to do with that. They're a good hockey club."
If you thought an 11-game winning streak, and points in 14 straight, would satisfy Boudreau, you're wrong.
"It's great that we got a point and all that, but I just think we're winning right now but we're not playing as good as we can. We've got to get back to that."