Anaheim Ducks encounter speed bump in loss to Dallas Stars
Listen to this articleFor the Anaheim Ducks, the playoffs with home ice advantage are a sure thing. With the second best record going into the post-season, they will have that advantage for at least two rounds.
Tonight they play the Dallas Stars, a team that is officially eliminated from the playoffs. They could be a very tough opponent for the Ducks, because the Stars have nothing to play for, other than pride and maybe diminishing Anaheim’s momentum going into the Stanley Cup Finals.
The long season has come to this for the Ducks, a place they found themselves in a year ago when the season ended. Their place in the playoffs is assured, but the danger for them would be to let up on their intensity at precisely the time they need it the most.
It was last year when the L.A. Kings dispatched the Ducks in a hard fought seven game series that most fans thought would have been a win for Anaheim. Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau will make sure his team can finish games this time around. It’s been eight years since the Ducks brought the Stanley Cup to Anaheim.
The Dallas Stars could be a speed bump on the road to the cup, if Dallas had they way tonight.
Even though the Anaheim Ducks have their Pacific Division champion banner and home ice advantage guaranteed for the playoffs, they are not assured they will make it past the first round. They want to have momentum, to be on a roll with a taste for winning. If they have the wrong mindset it could cost them a shot at the Stanley Cup.
Their game at home against the Dallas Stars should have been a win and a momentum builder. What it showed the Ducks is that they are still vulnerable and can be beaten by any team on any night.
The video report on the game is below. Please click “Subscribe” when you watch this video on YouTube.
(All photos by Claudia Gestro)
Claudia is of Peruvian and Italian descent, having been born in a small town, in the North of Peru, South America. She was raised by her grandmother from an early age, living in poverty until Claudia’s mother brought her to America. She landed in Miami, FL and started her new life, playing high school basketball and eventually becoming a United States citizen. Claudia completed her education at Florida International University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism and became a model to supplement her income. Since graduating from FIU Claudia has worked with many of the Spanish Language broadcasting companies, including Telemundo, Univision and most recently Spanish Language channels on SiriusXM satellite radio and PasTV Deportes in Venezuela.She encourages you to follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Her content appears here under a shared content agreement with her Spanish television clients.