The joke is over.
After the Anaheim Ducks struggled mightily to begin the 2015-16 season, dropping nine of their first 10 games, they've begun to resemble the team that came within a win of contesting for the Stanley Cup last season.
With a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the Ducks have victories in four of their last five games and look more poised for a playoff berth than a lottery pick.
| Stats | First 10 games | Last 10 games |
|---|---|---|
| Goals for | 10 | 23 |
| Goals against | 25 | 18 |
| Wins | 1 | 6 |
The turnaround shows patience is quite the virtue, as general manager Bob Murray was forced to publicly state the team would not make any rash decisions this season, even if fans surrounded the Honda Center with pitchforks.
Anaheim sits just four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with four games in hand.
The Ducks have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, and despite their poor start, they boast the league's best penalty kill and give up the third-fewest shots per game.
Anaheim still has some work to do, but the Ducks are here to prove that a poor start doesn't make or break a season.
