(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)

It is remarkably alarming how quickly prosperity and luxury wash away to become much more loathsome adjectives – inadequacy, incompetency, ineptitude.  With a month left in the regular season, the Anaheim Ducks sit on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Entering the 2009-10 season, the Ducks looked to be a solid team on paper – not a frontline contender, but strong enough to be assured a playoff spot by almost every panelist and prognosticator attempting to divine the team’s fortunes.  Scoring was expected to increase thanks to some shrewd off-season dealings by Bob Murray, the heir apparent to Brian Burke’s GM throne after the latter took his show to Toronto last season.  The one glaring sore spot was an unfamiliar lack of superstars on the blueline, the ratio having been cut in half when Chris Pronger was traded to the Flyers.

Idealistic about the future after a surprising playoff run and with the team bearing the trademark resilience of one surviving well in a salary cap era, Murray had no reason to expect that the Ducks could not be fitted with the right parts and reinvent their style accordingly.  Once equally feared and loathed, the team underwent a profound and almost immediate fundamental shift in paradigm from the defensive to the offensive.  Its anchor and captain, Scott Niedermayer – comfortable and adept at both ends of the rink – no doubt helped facilitate the decision to retool on the fly.

The only potential area for concern (and one that perhaps should have raised a few more red flags) was coach Randy Carlyle, a retired Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, and his ability and willingness to tailor his existing coaching style to the new personnel.

What does any of this have to do with goaltending?  Like any machine, well-oiled or otherwise, the Ducks surprising success in 2008-09 hinged on the synergy of its individual components.  That is to say the team that had been performing below expectations finally started playing with a unity that made it more than the sum of its parts.  After a tumultuous season by Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the team finally handed over the reins of its goaltending job to Jonas Hiller, who supplanted the former in time to save the Ducks season.

Heading into camp last fall, however, the race was wide open and the Ducks were again entertaining a battle for top billing in net.  The ostensible hope was that the competition would breed success for at least one of the goaltenders, much as it had during the 2006-07 season when Giguere emphatically asserted his dominance in the Anaheim crease.  In a perfect world, the plan was for both goaltenders to play well, pushing each other to perform while simultaneously increasing their respective values on the trade market.

That is not what happened.

Things took a left turn

Things took a left turn somewhere along the way and the Ducks found themselves well down the road to goaltending perdition, so the story goes.  Hiller struggled mightily to display the immense promise teased to Ducks fans, and Giguere – without goaltending mentor and longtime friend Francois Allaire – did not rebound from his subpar 2008-09 season.

While the Ducks collectively faltered, the goaltending was not there to bail the team out.  The team did not galvanize around the realization that it was far better on paper than it had been performing on the ice, and the freefall down the Western Conference standings began.  On many occasions Carlyle’s stubborn persistence in abiding by his publicly-declared “win and you’re in” strategy backfired, as neither Hiller nor Giguere was given a chance to establish consistency.  There were tantalizing flashes of it, but every glimpse proved fleeting and Murray was left to ponder the imponderable: should he have traded a goaltender in the summer?

The short answer is a decidedly ambivalent maybe.  Murray’s lack of prescience precludes any expectation that he should have (or even could have) known that the competition between goalies would ultimately undermine his plan.  The practical upshot to dealing Hiller during the summer was that his value, then at an apex after his playoff success, could have brought in legitimately useful pieces to fill holes in the roster.  In dealing Giguere, Murray could have established incontrovertible confidence in Hiller that could have conceivably pushed him to familiar heights or better.  Murray can be forgiven for not wanting to roll the dice, because Hiller did not have a long-term contract in place and just as easily could have left Murray looking daft if he walked this year.

Establishing the rules of the game is only half the battle, and Murray seemingly forgot that the outcomes (beyond the possibility of Hiller jilting the Ducks and leaving them sans a starter) comprise the other half.  As general manager, it is solely his responsibility to ensure the team’s success through the decision-making process that determines personnel shifts.  Murray’s goal was to hold his hand close and play his cards when the best opportunity presented itself.  Instead, he ended up stalemating a zero-sum game that brought the Ducks no tangible return in exchange for a goalie two years removed from the Stanley Cup.

That’s not to say Murray made the wrong choice.  Hiller finally started to play to expectations, and in doing so sealed Giguere’s fate.  Though the evidence is relegated to an ultimately inconsequential footnote in the aftermath of the trade, it is not hard to see that once Carlyle realized the folly in swapping goaltenders with maddening consistency no matter the circumstance, Hiller was given an opportunity to succeed at every juncture Giguere was left to fail.

The most damning indictment in the case is Giguere’s last start as a member of the Ducks, a pathetic showing against the Washington Capitals: a road game played on the second of two nights against the best team in the Eastern Conference.  Why Giguere was given that start and not the arguably easier one the night before in Atlanta is up for interpretation, but looking back, it appears to be the final step in vindicating Murray’s decision to pull the trigger.

For better or for worse

For better or for worse, Jonas Hiller is the Ducks’ new starting goaltender.  His is a future that is bright and, not yet 28, it is entirely plausible that the best is still to come.  It is unfortunate that his coronation has come at a grievous cost to many Ducks fans.  The loss of Jean-Sebastien Giguere is as much a loss off the ice as it is on it.  Regularly lauded for his class and his active participation in community events, Giguere was the de-facto face of the Ducks franchise once Paul Kariya left.  As the last member of both Ducks playoff runs, Giguere represented an integral piece of Ducks history (both Mighty and not) and Anaheim fans should be –if they are not already – sad to see him leave under such circumstances.

It must be stated, however, that the circumstances were dictated by Giguere and his (well-earned) no-trade clause.  Fortunately, he and Murray were able to reach an accord that worked out for both sides and allowed Giguere to leave the Ducks in an reasonably amicable manner.  He has found shelter in Toronto under the watchful eye of Brian Burke, who out of either unwavering faith or maternal instinct harbors ex-Ducks personnel.  In that sense, Murray has effectively succeeded in finding resolution to a situation his lack of action originally devolved from a win-win to a zero-sum game.

What’s left now for the Ducks is to hope that Hiller is the real deal.  To be certain, there is very little to indicate Hiller cannot thrive under a heavy workload in Anaheim, and for a team envisaged with an offensive imperative, that is great news.  With a little luck and persistent consistency from Hiller, Bob Murray (or whoever is at the helm of Ducks management in the future) will not have to revisit the same conundrum when Hiller’s contract nears expiration.

Unless, of course, the Ducks find the next Jonas Hiller toiling in obscurity somewhere in Europe between now and then.

Let me begin by begging your forgiveness for that awful pun, but let’s face facts: it was only a matter of time before that word got put to good use on this blog.  The answer to that question in the context of the word “quacked” meaning “screwed” is not quite so simple.

Perhaps it’s too presumptuous and untoward to write off the Ducks’ season with a month remaining on the schedule.  The numbers don’t paint the prettiest picture, but the simple fact is that the team is but a stone’s throw away from the playoffs – with just enough time to make up lost ground.

To be blunt, even counting the improved play of the team since January, the Ducks are still facing an uphill battle to qualify for the postseason.  The principal obstacle in that battle remains the glut of teams vying for a dearth of playoff positions.  The Ducks sit near the bottom of the conference, but are only five points away from the eighth-seeded Detroit Red Wings.  Just eight points separate the Ducks from the Nashville Predators in the seventh slot, and it appears the grasp on those bottom two seeds – no matter who is holding them on any given day – is tenuous at best, especially in the fiercely competitive Western Conference.

The chasm at the top of the conference is much more apparent.  After the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, there is a 10 point tumble to the third place (based on points) Phoenix Coyotes.  Disregarding the fact that neither the Ducks nor any other team has a legitimate chance to catch the top two, Anaheim has in its way the other three teams in its division: Phoenix, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Dallas Stars.  Leapfrogging at least Dallas seems inevitable if the Ducks have aspirations of playing hockey into the latter stages of April and beyond, and the race to catch the Coyotes and Kings is not yet lost.

Luckily, this is not entirely unfamiliar territory for the team.  The Ducks got off to a similarly sluggish start in 2005-06 and rebounded well enough to make a charge to the Western Conference finals.  The key then was consistency and the ability to ride momentum long enough to maintain a level of play where the team was competitive on a nightly basis, no matter the opponent.  The similarities continue when examining the makeup of that team: one reliant more on its offensive game, moving the puck fast and effectively.  The problem that dogged the team early this season was a persistent denial of its makeup as an iconoclast of Brian Burke’s former rugged, defense-first teams – a problem because the personnel required to employ such a style was not present (Chris Pronger having left the biggest void).

There also exists a certain parallelism to last year’s team that general manager Bob Murray re-tooled at the trade deadline.  Murray has once again banked on some last minute acquisitions (notably Lubomir Visnovsky) to provide a spark and hopefully propel the team into the playoffs.  Credit must be given to coach Randy Carlyle for that unexpected success, as he was able to successfully integrate the new players into a system that had the entire team firing on all cylinders.

Unfortunately for the Ducks and Carlyle, that was last year, and some of the criticism for this year’s lackluster start should fall on him.  His steadfast refusal to make any major changes in his game plan and his unfaltering loyalty to underperforming players makes the team an easy target too frequently.  There is little doubt that the team’s early struggles brought the goaltending situation to a head that culminated in the departure of the longest-tenured Ducks player, Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The silver lining for the team now showing through is the markedly improved play of its new number one goaltender, Jonas Hiller.  In the absence of Giguere (and the long shadow cast by the whole situation), he has returned to the level of play that carried the team to within a game of the third round last season.  His strong showing at the Olympics for Switzerland vindicated Murray’s decision and undoubtedly opened a few eyes around the league.

But familiar territory or not, with a half-dozen other teams in contention, memories of past glory are not enough.  The Red Wings are finally getting healthy, and the Flames (currently in ninth) are perhaps the only team to have shifted more personnel than the Ducks.  In Nashville, the Predators continue to win, and with Olympians Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on defense, they will not likely fall by the wayside.

And so it falls on Anaheim to make its own luck.  Chief in that quest will be getting the most out of all players on a consistent basis.  The offense – with Teemu Selanne finally regaining his health and plenty of Olympic gold, silver and bronze to go around – should not have a hard time putting pucks in the net as long as Carlyle does not get impatient and butcher any chemistry he finds.  In net, Hiller’s task will be crucial but unextraordinary: maintain the level of play he has shown since January, and do it consistently.  It is on defense where the biggest challenge lies.  Given the recent restructuring, it is certainly understandable if things do not mesh immediately.  If the team hopes to go anywhere, however, the new players will have to achieve a level of stability and dependability that is characteristic of playoff teams.

It seems that the imperative is clear: mesh now or pay later.

Kyle Chipchura, former captain of the Canadian junior team.

First, they’ve exchanged a fourth round pick in the 2011 NHL draft to the Canadiens for Kyle Chipchura. Described as a heart and soul player, and a leader by GM Bob Murray, Chipchura looks to be a valuable addition to the Ducks team. Chipchura struggled somewhat under the pressure of playing for the Canadiens, he’s looking to start fresh down in Anaheim.

Brendan Mikkelson, in a pre-season game.

Next, the Ducks have re-assigned Brendan Mikkelson to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Mikkelson, whose played 22 NHL games thus far, has been struggling lately, and Murray regarded the move as a way for Brendan to regain his confidence. The Ducks have recalled Brett Festerling to take his place. Festerling, whose played over 40 NHL games already in his career, will hopefully be able to add some kind of spark to the Ducks’ struggling defense.

Erik Christensen, featured on the right.

Last, but not least, Erik Christensen will be traveling from coast to coast after being claimed by the New York Rangers. Since he was not brought up in re-entry waivers, the Ducks will not be responsible for his salary. Christensen, age 25, will likely be getting a fresh start with the Rangers. Ever since his impressive 30 point stint in 2006-2007 with the Penguins, Christensen has yet to eclipse that mark, and has yet to play over 60 games in one season on the same team.

In a scene that replays itself with such disquieting regularity that it must feel like Groundhog Day in Anaheim, for the third time since 2003, playoff hockey has seen the emergence of another young Ducks netminder.

On the eve of the 2009-10 NHL regular season, the Ducks find themselves in the familiar and enviable (but deceivingly so) position of having two quality goaltenders, each capable of starting at the pro level.  With careful regard to the context, both past and present, it must be underscored before any legitimate assessment can be made of each netminder’s worth – both to the team and as a commodity on the trading block – that Randy Carlyle is approaching the potential platoon situation with ambivalence and a non-committal attitude, at least for now.

From Adam Brady’s Official Ducks Blog:

More from Carlyle, on who starts in net opening night: “We have a very difficult decision to make before Saturday and we’re making that very shortly. There are some pros for Jonas Hiller to start and there are some cons. We have a 1A and 1B situation.”

The prospect of running with Jonas Hiller has to be tantalizing to the Ducks on a number of levels.  He is younger than former front man Jean-Sebastien Giguere, is arguably more athletic, and makes less money.  The prevailing politics of ageism in professional sports are not shamefully hidden, but championed as the younger, stronger, and more skilled athletes move to push the old guard out the door – and those politics, fair or not, govern decisions like these that teams across the league(s) make on a daily basis.

But they say hell hath no fury like a professional athlete scorned (or something like that).  If anything, last season’s disappointment could serve as a driving force for “Jiggy” this year.  Such an occurrence would not be the least bit surprising, given his well-known competitive streak and refusal to accept less than his best.

It is hard to fault Giguere for his erratic performance last year, its former stoic brilliance appearing only in fits and starts.  Dealing with the death of his father certainly made him a more sympathetic character to potential deriders, and Hiller’s emergence allowed the Ducks to be patient while Giguere sought to right the ship.  Unfortunately for both sides, that never happened – his trademark consistency was gone.

Perhaps more regrettable for Giguere was that the Ducks were better for it, advancing further than most had expected on the shoulders of his former backup.  Almost in spite of the awkwardness a situation like that often demands, both goalies remain insistent on their bond as teammates and supporters of each other, though Giguere has made it known he wants full-time minutes.

That’s where it gets tricky for both sides.  Without being redundantly expositional (given that most of this information is well-known), Giguere has a no-trade clause that the Ducks are unlikely to convince him to waive, unless he so chooses.  It is a matter of family for Giguere, whose son sees a local specialist due to a birth defect that affects his eyesight.  The nationwide scarcity of these specialists makes moving a difficult proposition for the Giguere household.  Only a select few destinations fall within an acceptable proximity to one of these doctors, and the list of potential trade partners for the Ducks shrinks to virtually nothing when overlaying a list of teams in need of starting goaltender with a $6 million price tag.

Another concern looming for Giguere and the Ducks is how he will rebound without longtime friend and mentor Francois Allaire.  Giguere often credits Allaire with rejuvenating his career when he was bouncing around in the AHL.  More importantly, it is likely the two men have developed a rapport with each other, one that won’t be easily replicated with new goaltending coach Pete Peeters.

Now more than ever it is crucial for Giguere to summon all the mental fortitude inside of him to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.  He is back in the position of having to fight for his job and earn his ice time.  He will be facing mounting pressure from the usual suspects – critics who cite his large pads as the reason for his success – and from the new critics who will be wondering aloud if he’s over the hill (32 is practically a dinosaur, if my earlier spiel about ageism is to be taken seriously).  Most importantly, he will have to prove to the fans and the team that he is an asset, not a liability.  That will be no easy task given his contract, but if the desire to disprove his doubters ends up driving him, a return to form would not be out of the question.

On Hiller’s side of the coin, the Swiss expat must feel as though he’s struck the jackpot.  Sure, he had to bide his time playing second-fiddle in Anaheim for the better part of the last two years, but when he had a chance to prove himself, he made the most of the opportunity.  Big time.

When Giguere was not delivering the kind of performances the Ducks needed down the stretch, Hiller stepped in and was virtually unbeatable, a trend that continued right on into the playoffs.  Some would argue that the holes in Hiller’s game were exposed toward the end of the second round series with the Red Wings, but fatigue undoubtedly played a role as most of the Ducks – not just the goalie – ran out of steam.

Fortuitously for Hiller, 2009-10 is a contract year (and perhaps the only better outcome would have been to have 2008-09 be that year, but time will tell).  This puts the Ducks in a conundrum, as they must now decide whether to parlay Hiller into assets via trade while his value is still high, or spend time trying to convince him to re-sign and attempt to deal Giguere.

In many ways, the Ducks have in Hiller what essentially amounts to a spitting image reflection of Giguere.  Aside from catching with opposite hands, both goalies play a classic Allaire butterfly and positional game.  Hiller is unquestionably the more athletic of the two, but lacks the playoff pedigree of his counterpart.

Bob Murray took the route of standing pat in the offseason and letting things play out, a move which could burn the Ducks (if either goalie plays poorly and diminishes their trade value, or if Hiller sets the league ablaze and then bolts) or benefit them immensely (both goalies playing well, effectively helping the team gain wins and increasing the trade value of each).

It is hard to imagine the Ducks once again staying the course, despite the benefits of having two NHL-caliber backstops.  The insurance against injury and poor play is unquestionably comfortable and a luxury, but one few teams can legitimately afford with the salary cap in place.  Better asset management (a frequent target for griping under the Burke regime) would behoove Murray, if only to save the team money and not expressly in the name of on-ice success.

Without getting too philosophical, it appears that, all going well, the Ducks cannot make a wrong choice:  keeping a former Conn Smythe winner coming into a contract year (Giguere in 2010-11) or re-upping with the best goaltender to come out of Switzerland since, er – David Aebischer (bad example, but the point stands).

No matter what decision the Ducks make, I know where I’ll be in the spring of 2012 – laying down a bet in Vegas on whatever playoff rookie is sitting at the end of the Ducks’ bench, waiting for his chance to shine.