Ducks turn to Carlyle, Gibson to rediscover winning ways
Old is new again in Orange County.
Hired as Anaheim's new head coach earlier this offseason, Randy Carlyle returns to Anaheim and the franchise that he led to its first ever Stanley Cup victory in 2007.
"I’ve followed this team closely for the last couple of years and am familiar with the core group," Carlyle told AnaheimDucks.com at the time of his hiring. "I believe this team can win immediately and I can’t wait to get started."
Carlyle returns a sense of accountability to the club, one that has lost four straight Game 7s on home ice, including last year's poor showing in the first round against Nashville.
"He will hold people in the organization accountable," Ducks general manager Bob Murray told NHL.com. "And that's just not on the ice during games; he'll do it in practice, he'll do it in the weight room, he'll hold everybody accountable."
In goal, the team turns to young netminder John Gibson after the departure of Frederik Andersen, who was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in June.
Gibson has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Ducks after making his NHL debut in 2013-14, when he played in only three games, winning all three.
The 23-year-old played a career-high 40 games last season, posting a 21-13-3 record, alongside a 2.07 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
In the postseason, Gibson got the call but dropped the first two games, allowing six goals in the process, leading to former bench boss Bruce Boudreau shifting back to Andersen.
Gibson and Andersen shared last season's William M. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the team that allows the fewest goals, so shedding a goalie with as much talent as Andersen is a risk.
A risk the team hopes is negated by the addition of veteran goalie Jonathan Bernier.
Bernier is another familiar face for Carlyle, as the two were previously together in Toronto - and as Carlyle returns to Anaheim, Bernier is also making a homecoming of sorts as he returns to Southern California, having previously suited up for the Los Angeles Kings.
Seeing his fair share of struggles during his tenure with the Maple Leafs, the 28-year-old 'tender isn't concerned with his potential lack of playing time.
As Bernier told NHL.com, "You can't think about how many games you're going to play or whether Gibson is playing more games than me or not. I've been working hard this summer, and I'm ready to go for the upcoming season."