Bruins 6, Ducks 0.
On paper, it was the Ducks' most lopsided defeat of the season.
In reality, it might have looked even worse.
The Ducks stayed with the Eastern Conference's best team for all of one period before collapsing in the second, when the Bruins scored four goals to send Jean-Sebastien Giguere to another early exit. Counterpart Tim Thomas picked up his fourth shutout of the season.
It would not be fair to use this as a measuring-stick game to determine whether the Ducks are closer to Stanley Cup contenders or trade-deadline sellers. Their forward corps was in shambles after Chris Kunitz participated in the morning skate, then found out he had been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ryan Whitney looked out of place at times in his first game as a Duck, which means a lot considering he played all of 24:19, second only to Chris Pronger.
Elsewhere, Rob Niedermayer skated with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in Kunitz's usual place. Steve Montador alternated between left wing and defense. Scott Niedermayer fought with Marc Savard. Bret Hedican gamely played 13 minutes on a bad back -- re-entering after briefly leaving when a second-period hit shook him up. Giguere lasted only 23 minutes, 37 seconds before being summoned to the bench. Sheldon Brookbank was ejected for being the third man in during an altercation between Mike Brown and Milan Lucic in the fateful middle period. Lost in the altercation was a 1-on-1 breakaway by Corey Perry that could have resulted in a goal. Oh well.
Knowing nothing else -- maybe just that Boston was 20-4-4 at home and has a legitimate shot at the Presidents Trophy -- a 6-0 loss didn't seem so far-fetched.
If the Ducks hadn't blocked 15 shots, including a team-high three by Whitney, the result could have been worse. Giguere did not look particularly bad on any of the three goals he allowed, though he was beat five-hole from the right faceoff circle by a Chuck Kobasew shot that would be the last one he faced. He finished with five saves on eight shots; Hiller stoped 16 of 19.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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