from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

Whether or not the San Jose Sharks ever find their way to a Stanley Cup, the changes have begun there. Round 1 never panned out in Northern California, and now we’ll see if the Sharks can have success after a retool (More on San Jose later).

The next team at risk of San Jose-type failure is the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have more points than any other NHL club over the past three seasons, and were on top of the National Hockey League’s overall standings heading into play Saturday.

They did win a Cup in 2007, but that was eight years ago. Talk to people around hockey, and the Ducks don’t scare Western playoff foes as much as the other team in the Greater Los Angeles area — even though the Kings barely had a playoff spot nailed down heading into the weekend.

Word is, head coach Bruce Boudreau is well aware that he needs to get at least to a Conference Final, or he’ll be replaced. That’s what happens when you lose back-to-back Game 7s at home the past two springs, to Detroit and L.A., as Anaheim has done.

To that end, the major addition to the mix this season has been Ryan Kesler, who knows why Anaheim went after him.

“It’s what I play for,” he said of the playoffs.

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