'They Believe in What They're Doing': Ducks Growth on Display as 4 Nations Break Begins

They say progress comes in small steps, sometimes in a hurry and other times not. It can appear in many forms, a strengthened process, a renewed commitment or simply better results. Irish author C.S. Lewis described it as "getting nearer to the place you want to be."

And lately, the Ducks are getting a whole lot closer to where they want to be.

Anaheim hits the 4 Nations Face-Off break with wins in six of its last seven games, including four straight victories on home ice. That run pushed the Ducks to .500 on the season at 24-24-6, nine points back of a Western Conference playoff spot.

"We've demonstrated that we're capable of beating any team in the league," head coach Greg Cronin said. "I think we're in a good spot...We're hunting down that eighth spot. This gives us an opportunity."

Armed with the third-youngest roster in the NHL, Anaheim has gone toe-to-toe with some of the league's best over the past two months, earning wins over Dallas, Los Angeles, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Edmonton and New Jersey. For Cronin, that's hard evidence of growth for his young team.

"We're connected on what we're trying to do," he said, pointing to a 5-2 record against the league's four division leaders. "Players understand what their role is to make a play successful in the game. It allows them to play faster...I think the connectivity is transferable through all three zones. We're just starting to do it, so [the players] are starting to feel confident and a belief in executing it."

Added veteran forward Ryan Strome, "We've been more consistent. Other than that tough road trip we had, we haven't really had any slides. I think that's the biggest thing, we've been able to rectify a bad game quicker than the last couple years where we go on long droughts."

That .500 mark has the Ducks on pace for a 23-point improvement in the standings, and much of it has come from the exciting development of that rising young core.

Lately, it's been Mason McTavish leading the charge with seven goals in his last eight games and the NHL's Second Star of the Week honors in late January.

"He's a special talent," Strome said. "I know how hard he works. The start to the season wasn't what he wanted statistically but he was doing all the right things and he was staying hard to play against defensively, winning faceoffs, staying confident and working hard in practice.

"We all know the sky is the limit with him. I think right now you're just seeing the confidence. When you're confident and you're able to score like he is, the puck seems to be finding him right now. That's a good combination. And the thing I like about him is his attitude hasn't changed...It's nice to see him get rewarded."

Meanwhile, second-year pro Jackson Lacombe is tied for ninth among all NHL defensemen in goals and co-leading among 24-and-under blueliners.

Between the pipes, Lukas Dostal continues to establish himself as one of the league's best young netminders, posting a 10-6-2 record over the last two months.

"There are a lot of ups and downs, and those guys have done a great job of sticking with it," Strome said. "I think our group is pretty mentally tough and I think we're physically built for it. Now we've got to go through it as a group and feel those games, feel that emotion and see how we do with it."

Said Cronin, "It starts from your back end out, whether it's [Drew Helleson, Olen Zellweger, Jackson Lacombe or Pavel Mintyukov]. The teams that are right in the thick in the playoff race get a lot of offense from their defense. It's the new NHL, your defensemen have to get up into the play. I think it's another sign of our confidence that our D are getting up in the play. It's a reflection of their maturity as a group."

And beyond the impressive offensive stats, Cronin noted he's also seen growth off the puck from many of the team's young players, particularly so from one who quietly continues to transform his game.

"The [young] guy I'm most impressed with is [Trevor] Zegras," Cronin said. "He continues to battle. He continues to focus on the linear part of the game. His pace up and down the ice is going to allow him to be a forechecker and not just a perimeter player. He's going to the net front. He's working defensively and he's playing with pace.

I think when Z is playing at that pace, [he and Leo Carlsson] together have such high offensive IQ. They're able to make unique plays."

Zegras' return from a lower-body injury has sparked Anaheim's offense, allowing Cronin to spread out his offensive weapons and form three formidable scoring lines.

"[The balanced scoring] is probably the reason why we've won six of the last seven," Strome said. "One game it's [Isac Lundestrom's] line. Another game it was Leo, Z and [Alex Killorn]. McTavish has been on a heater with Fabbri and Gauthier. Every game has been different. We talk about the next step for the team, it doesn't matter what line gets it done every night. That's going to be a key.

"When everyone starts to appreciate everyone's role on the team, you get contributions from everyone in your lineup. I think that's how you grow as a group and I think we've done that."

That growth has set the stage for an exciting stretch run in Orange County, offering Anaheim's future leaders valuable experience in consequential late-season games.

"The last 25 to 30 games are going to be tough," Strome ackowledged. "We've got big goals for the last stretch of the season here. It's nice to have a break and reflect on our hard work. The guys that put in a really good effort. Our guys come to the rink every day, have fun, work hard, and it's nice to see some of the results start to show a little bit and start to move the needle."

Added Cronin, "They're starting to see results and they're believing in it. Belief is a huge part of anything you do in life. And I think they believe in what they're doing."