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Frederik Andersen keeps Ducks net stable in playoffs

Josh Cooper

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen has seemed almost too calm this playoff.

His emotions seem to never outwardly get the best of him. Let in a bad goal? Relax and stop the next puck. Make a big save? Get ready for another blast from another player. Hear people doubt his ability to backstop a Stanley Cup contender? Just work harder to prove them wrong. There has been nothing rotten so far in the playoffs for the 25-year-old native of Denmark.

“I try not to pay attention too much, but it’s always something I use as a fire and work harder,” Andersen said of his doubters.

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau had to settle on Andersen at the end of the season because John Gibson, Anaheim’s 1a., who sort of played behind Andersen most points and ahead of him at others, got hurt going into the playoffs.

Though you never want to see a player injured this strangely enabled Boudreau to not tinker with his goaltenders before the postseason started.

It was Andersen who began the first-round against Winnipeg. And he has given Boudreau little reason to make a switch. So far he has a 1.96 goals against average and .925 save percentage. He has gone 8-1. Game 1 for Anaheim against Chicago in the Western Conference Final is Sunday at Honda Center.

“Freddie has been great. I’ve had no trouble with his game at all,” a strangely non-wordy Boudreau said when asked about Andersen.

For Boudreau, figuring out goaltenders has proved tough over the years – mostly because he’s never really had a clear-cut No. 1 in either Washington or Anaheim. He’s always had two netminders who were strangely close to equal. There were no real ‘bad’ decisions, but whatever he chose never seemed to go in his favor.

In Washington he had Semyon Varlamov, Jose Theodore and Michal Neuvirth.

Last season he had Andersen and Jonas Hiller. He also added Gibson to the mix. This season he’s dealt with Andersen and Gibson. Maybe you can count 2013 with Hiller and Viktor Fasth.

And there’s still some level of worry. If Andersen has a stinker against the Blackhawks, will Boudreau go to Gibson? It’s not a bad option for the Ducks, but it does create an issue with a position that requires intense mental and physical preparation. What do we call it when a coach messes around with his starting goaltender? Sing it Foreigner!

Fortunately for Anaheim, it hasn't needed to deal with such a problem yet. Andersen has generally stayed steady enough to not force Boudreau to make a choice.

“Of course, it has been going good so far,” Andersen said. “I want to keep him happy and keep the team winning and the confidence in me is always nice.“

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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