Disappointing but not entirely unexpected. I suspect this will be valuable experience as they move forward and mature, but overall, the Ducks were the better team in the moments that mattered in this series and probably deserved to move on.
Some thoughts:
- Eberle I'm done with - will likely have to eat some salary for 2 years but he is what he is at this point, that being a point producer on a bottom feeder but not a contributor to a winning team
- McDavid - good but not great in the playoffs - these 13 games showed he has some work to do on fighting through the level of scrutiny and attention the playoffs bring. Anaheim having a guy like Kesler posed a big challenge - hopefully he adapts and I suspect he will
- Talbot - he may not be a top 5 goalie yet but probably safe to say he's in the top 10 and climbing. Such a luxury to have that guy back there night in and night out
Anyway, it was a fun ride while it lasted. For the first time in I don't even want to admit how long, "Wait until next year" doesn't ring completely hollow. If you guys get an upgrade in net it should be a fun year in Alberta.
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