If It Wins Like A Duck | Defector

"But some of us have more of what I might call a medieval peasant mindset toward a sport that inherently features a whole lot of randomness, and it is becoming clearer with each victory that the Ducks are blessed by some power greater than "being good at hockey." Call it what you like-mojo, juju, puck luck, duck luck, the favor of the Canaanite goddess Astarte-the Ducks have it."

"Consider Tuesday's 4-3 shootout victory in Pittsburgh, a showdown of semi-aquatic birds. The Penguins took 47 shots to Anaheim's 28, had five power plays to the Ducks' one, enjoyed 80 percent of the game's high-danger scoring chances, and generally broke the Deserve To Win O'Meter. Yet it was the Ducks who came away with two points-duck, duck, deuce?-for they enjoy the inscrutable blessings of fate and physics."

"19:59.9 of the third period, to be precise, when the Ducks, down a goal, down a man but with their goalie pulled, skated in on a Pens defense that looked fairly prepared for the desperation attempt. But rookie Beckett Sennecke was allowed a shocking amount of room to maneuver on net (play the man, not the puck!) and attempted a short pass across the goalmouth that, had things gone according to Sennecke's plan, would have seen time expire."

Anaheim sits atop the standings early while many of its victories reflect fortunate randomness rather than consistent dominance. In a 4-3 shootout win at Pittsburgh the Penguins outshot Anaheim 47-28, earned five power plays to one, and generated roughly 80 percent of the game's high-danger scoring chances, yet lost. The Ducks tied the game with 0.1 seconds remaining when Beckett Sennecke's short pass across the goalmouth glanced off Erik Karlsson's hand and into the net. That tying goal occurred with Anaheim trailing, down a man, and with the goalie pulled, exemplifying recurring puck luck and improbable bounces.

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