ANAHEIM — Four-point swings aren’t quite what they used to be.
Old days: A game between the Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks meant bragging rights in the regular season in the Western Conference.
New times: A contest involving the Ducks and Blackhawks meant a result could impact the race to the bottom, also known as the Connor Bedard Derby. Of course, last place overall doesn’t automatically ensure the right to pick first in the draft – due to the draft lottery – but a team’s odds are meaningfully enhanced by finishing 32nd.
