Patience seems to be paying off for the Anaheim Ducks.
Coming off an appearance in the Western Conference finals in which they pushed the Chicago Blackhawks to Game 7, Bruce Boudreau's squad kicked off 2015-16 by going 1-7-2 in October, failing to score a single goal in five of those games.
Cue speculation that the head coach was in danger of losing his job, as is often the case when a team with high expectations sputters out of the gate.
But general manager Bob Murray remained patient, and decided to afford Boudreau the opportunity to turn things around.
That he has done.
#NHLDucks were one point above NHL basement on Dec. 24. They're three points out of first in Pacific on Feb. 16. 17-4-2 has done it.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) February 17, 2016
By Jan. 1, the Ducks' record had improved to 15-15-6, and following Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim - who's gone 10-1-1 over the past 12 games - moved to within three points of the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings.
A turning point seems to have been a trade that saw Carl Hagelin shipped off to Pittsburgh in exchange for David Perron. In 13 games with the Ducks, the winger has recorded six goals and seven assists, while the team as a whole has scored 52 goals, good for an average of four per night.
What's scary for the rest of the West is that the Ducks may have another level to hit, especially if more offense can be added to the roster prior to the trade deadline. Despite the recent outburst, Anaheim's five-on-five shooting percentage remains a league-worst 6.17, according to Puckalytics.
If that number continues to rise to an average level while the Ducks get solid goaltending out of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson, Anaheim could very well go from worst to first within the scope of a single season.
