They’re not your father’s Ducks! Or at least not your older brother’s Ducks, or something.
Tonight the Islanders host a Fairly Strong Ducks of Anaheim team that is first in its division at a very respectable 19-10-1. After years of “very tough negotiator” Pat Verbeek at the helm, it seems he just needed to hire a Hall of Fame coach — like Lou bringing in Barry Trotz — to put things right in the orange half of SoCal.
Anaheim has a league-best 11 comeback wins following their latest, featuring an equalizer with .01 seconds left in Pittsburgh (teehee). They’re doing it while still dressing ol’ friend Ross “the Boss” Johnston for 29 games — three off his single-season high in six full years with the Isles — as well as revived former Smurfs Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider. (In fact, in 2+ seasons with the Ducks, Johnston has already surpassed his GP total across seven seasons on Long Island.)
They also have a bunch of young punks doing sterling things, none of whom is Trever Zegras.
The Isles, of course, are in the tightly condensed East, where their 37 points would be enough for first in the Atlantic and put them two points off the conference lead, alas only third in the Metro.
