The Anaheim Ducks looked pretty flat against the Arizona Coyotes and Ryan Getzlaf had an odd excuse as to why his team was slow out of the gate. Apparently the small crowd in Arizona (11,578 people) led to a sluggish visiting Ducks squad.
Ducks Ryan Getzlaf said this: "Its hard when you come into a building that's dead. Nothing against the fans. It's hard to fill a big bldg."
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) November 26, 2015
Getzlaf admitted a player needs to be ready to go the instant you step out on the ice, but the Ducks ended up starting extremely slowly.
It’s pretty rare that a visiting player blames the home fans for a lack of energy. Big, loud crowds usually bring out the best in the home and visiting players, but shouldn’t an empty building and a quiet crowd bring out the worst in the home side? They’re the ones lacking support.
For what it’s worth, The Score did some research and found that the Ducks lost two other times against the Coyotes this season. Both of those losses took place in Anaheim in front of crowds of 15,172 and 13,864 – two crowds well below capacity. Maybe the Ducks can’t handle small crowds, regardless of venue?
The Ducks as a whole played rather poorly in the early going and Getzlaf was no exception.
Maybe it just wasn’t his night?
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/669736186336944128
It’s fine to be angry, but blaming it on the size of the crowd is a stretch.
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/669728157365309440
