It's been several years since the Anaheim Ducks have last played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season. In fact, they have one of the lengthier current postseason droughts in the NHL, having last brought postseason hockey to Honda Center in southern California in the spring of 2017.
Things are far different in Anaheim these days, and there are more than a few familiar faces that Ducks fans would recognize from a key former rivalry against a Western Conference opponent along with several new young players who have integrated themselves into the lineup.
Thanks to their blazing hot start to the 2025-26 NHL campaign, the Ducks are putting the rest of the league on notice that they are no longer pushovers and need to fully be taken seriously.
Not only are the first overall in the Pacific Division after having finished no higher than sixth overall for each of the past seven seasons, but their current seven-game winning streak is their longest in the last five years.
What's been going right for them in the early goings of the season?
The Ducks have seen a major increase in scoring
The Ducks feature one of the best offensive attacks in the NHL right now, averaging a whopping 4.15 goals per game as of Nov. 9. That was a major contrast to their dismal total of 2.65 goals per game last season, which was good for 30th overall out of the 32 clubs.
Swedish-born forward Leo Carlsson, who was the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft one spot behind Connor Bedard, has officially arrived. He's announced his presence in a major way, having already tallied 10 goals with 15 assists for 25 points in just 15 games played, and is on pace for an astonishing 137 points.
“He’s a threat to score now,” said Ducks GM Pat Verbeek of Carlsson, via NHL.com. “Young players are funny. I mean, I went through it too. You’re really good, but you’re always [deferring] to older players. I think this year is kind of where he’s gotten a nice balance of himself and his teammates. I think that’s where he’s taken a step.”
His 25 points lead all Ducks players in scoring, and are just five points ahead of forward Cutter Gauthier, who has tallied 11 goals with nine assists and is on pace to easily best his total of 44 points last season, which was his first full campaign with Anaheim since his highly-publicized trade from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Ducks are also loving what veteran forward Chris Kreider, who was acquired over the offseason from the New York Rangers, is bringing to the team. Not only has Kreider provided steady leadership in the Ducks' dressing room comprised of multiple young players, but he's also scored nine goals in his first 11 games with the club, a 49-goal pace.
With a 23.7% efficiency, the Ducks' power-play unit is ranked within the top 10 in the NHL. One of the only areas of their game that needs shoring up is their penalty killing, which is currently ranked 22nd overall in the NHL with a 22.7% efficiency rate.
The Ducks have no shortage of young and exciting players in their lineup, and it's clearly paying off with their impressive record as we near the quarter mark of the season.
Head coach Joel Quenneville has brought championship swagger
After electing to not bring back coach Greg Cronin, Verbeek decided to take a chance on Quenneville, who had been reinstated by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and was free to begin seeking employment in coaching once again.
Quenneville brought considerable experience to Anaheim, having already coached both the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks for several seasons, the latter of which he guided to three separate Stanley Cup championships and another two appearances in the Western Conference Final on top of that.
According to Verbeek, Quenneville has the command and attention of the players, who have fully bought in to his system.
“Joel has got instant respect just with his resume, I think,” Verbeek said. “So, the guys were very eager to do well and wanting to win, and I think we’ve preached puck possession, and the guys have bought into that. We’ve scored goals, and now they’ve bought into it. The hardest thing for a team is to buy in and to believe, and I think our team has kind of done that.”
While the Ducks would like to lower their collective goals-against average, they see it as an opportunity to increase their growth.
“I still see a lot of room for growth with our defensive game, with understanding and managing games better,” Verbeek said. “I’ve gone through it, not only playing it but watching it. You just know certain things you can do and certain things you can’t do, and so that’s probably the next thing.”
The Ducks will put their winning streak to the test on Tuesday evening when they face the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, followed by a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.
