With a two day break, the Ducks were able to relax in Banff, Alberta, a resort town nearby Calgary. They refocused, refueled and surely iced down their sore bodies.
But the Ducks know their bodies need to be even more sore for the remainder of the playoffs. Why? Because they would love to play much more physically then they have in the playoffs thus far.
“I think we haven’t been hitting much this series,” Patrick Maroon said. “In Game 4, we’ll get back to doing what we did in the first series. Everyone knows they’re a fast team. They’re pretty skilled. We’re not going to go out of our way to hit them because you know what, they can go right past us."
So while they need to hit more, they also need to be smart about it.
Hitting is apparently pretty important when it comes to playoff hockey. Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski recently wrote about the Washington Capitals and their absurd hit totals during this year's playoffs. He also found that teams that have lead the playoffs in hits have qualified for the last four Stanley Cups (and have won two of them)
Playoff team hit totals
| Team | Total Hits (Games Played) |
| Washington Capitals | 459 (11) |
| Montreal Canadiens | 334 (10) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 318 (11) |
| New York Islanders | 317 (7) |
| New York Rangers | 298 (9) |
| Ottawa Senators | 287 (6) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 282 (10) |
| Minnesota Wild | 271 (10) |
| Nashville Predators | 266 (6) |
| Anaheim Ducks | 260 (7) |
Now, obviously the Ducks haven't played as many games as other teams, but the totals need to be much higher, especially considering the Ducks are one of the biggest teams in the league. The Ducks need to step it up physically....but they also need to be smart about it.
(h/t OC Register)
Photo Credit: Candice Ward/USA Today Sports
