G59 New Jersey Devils vs Anaheim Ducks: Kick 'em while they're down

Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey, and everything else, with our writers and subscribers.

---

A few notes to get you set for tonight’s game as the New Jersey Devils play host to the Anaheim Ducks:

Feast on the weak

The Devils are the team that enters this game with a perception their goaltender can’t make a save. In reality, that is a larger issue with the Ducks; at least right now.

Over the last 10 games, Anaheim ranks 5th in expected goals against/60 across all situations. They’re not giving up many chances and yet pucks continue to fill their net on a nightly basis.

Anaheim has conceded 4.36 goals per 60 over the last 10, putting them ahead of only the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

As a team, the Ducks have had .858(!) goaltending during that span. I know what you’re thinking and, no, it’s not the backup Anthony Stolarz bringing the team down (although his numbers aren’t good either). It’s John Gibson.

Yep, that’s right. John Gibson has posted an .839 save percentage while appearing in seven of Anaheim’s last 10. He was expected to give up 15.31 goals based on the workload he saw.

How many did Gibson actually concede, you might ask?

The big 3-1. That’s right, 31 goals on just over 15 expected.

It’s a new low for Gibson, to be sure. But he has quietly struggled for quite some time. He owns a .893 save percentage since the calendar flipped and, as JFresh recently pointed out, has failed to live up to his reputation for quite some time.

JFresh @JFreshHockey

The answer is John Gibson, who is frequently brought up in "elite goalie" conversations but who has been below-average by any measure in each of the past three seasons, even accounting for the team defence in front of him. How long can a reputation earned from 2015 to 2019 last?

JFresh @JFreshHockey

There's a goalie who many people consider elite or on the verge of elite. But he's had a below-league-average save percentage AND a negative goals saved above expected in each of the past three seasons he's played. Who am I talking about?

This is all a long way of saying that if the Devils continue to generate chances in bulk – as they have for a while now – they should be able to find the net early and often.

While Gibson has the raw talent to steal a game on any given night, he is in one of the bigger ruts of his career and can be exploited.