tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43980987370229930472024-03-12T16:12:11.255-07:00The StillMighty BlogGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-35771277049839739232013-10-13T20:54:00.003-07:002013-10-13T21:04:22.068-07:00Ottawa Senators at Anaheim<p>It was a tremendous win for the "Mighty" Ducks of Anaheim, as they honored their history with a win against Ottawa, with a score of 4-1 on Throwback Night in Anaheim.
</p>
<p>
Clad in classic eggplant and teal, the Ducks had a record breaking 56 shots on goal, sending Ottawa's starting goalie, Craig Anderson to the bench after just four minutes of play. Corey Perry scored his first of two goals just 27 seconds into the game, with line mates Getzy and Patrick Maroon providing the assists. Getzlaf notched his own tally at 4:06, sending Anderson to the bench.
</p>
<p>
Senator's backup goalie Robin Lehner went on to face 47 shots, allowing a second Perry goal at 3:18 and an unassisted wrist shot from Nick Bonino at 15:28 in the second stanza.
</p>
<p>
The lone Senator goal was scored by an ex-Duck, 2005 draft pick and fan favorite, Bobby Ryan.
</p>
<p>
Paramount to the Duck's success tonight was a relentless offense, taking an unprecedented 56 shots to set a franchise record. The ducks were also strong in the faceoff circle, taking 38 of the 62 dropped pucks.
</p>
<p>
On defense, the disciplined Ducks stayed out of the penalty box, only allowing one power play advantage to the Senators on an interference call on Jakob Silfverberg. The Penalty Kill Krew managed to keep the Senators scoreless on their two minute man advantage, partially thanks to the 18 blocked shots from the field.
</p>
<p>
The Ducks, on the other hand, were also shut down on each of the six power plays they were afforded. The special teams weren't looking so special tonight, which is something they'll need against more physical teams when it'll be necessary to capitalize on the man advantage if they want to keep up the wins.
</p>
<p>
The Ducks hope to increase their win streak to 5 straight games against Calgary at home on Wednesday. The tally tonight parallels their best season starts for 8 points in the first five games, matched by their starts in 2011-2012 (4-1-0) and their championship season in 2006-2007 (3-0-2).
</p>
<p>
Elsewhere in the NHL, the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3, with two goals by quiet journeyman Rob Klinkhammer, who is working to solidify his spot on the roster.
</p>
<p>
The Kings untested new goalie, Ben Scrivens had a shutout night in Florida, stumping the Panthers with a 3-0 win. Scrivens, in his second game with the black and silver, stopped 20 shots, helped greatly by his defense that was quick to clear any rebounds.
</p>
<p>
The New Jersey Devils are left winless after being shut out by Winnipeg tonight, with a final score of 0-3. The Jets, who had been struggling to win at home, took 35 shots and had 19 blocked shots to muscle their way to their third win of the season.
</p>
<p>
Until next time, Stay Mighty!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-74728443027664087762011-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:16:10.487-07:00Pacific Division PreviewThe sound of skates on ice and the ping of the puck hitting the post has finally returned to stadiums all over the US and Canada, after the season premier series in Europe ended Saturday. A (somewhat) new NHL franchise has been reestablished in <a href="http://jets.nhl.com/">Winnipeg</a>, creating a mad rush for retro jerseys. The addition is requiring some teams to play musical chairs to even out the divisions in years to come. In the Pacific Division, it’s looking like another competitive season for the southwest.<br /><br />The <a href="http://ducks.nhl.com/">Anaheim Ducks</a> are looking to best their poor showing in last year’s playoffs, after losing in the first round to Nashville in six games. Unfortunately, that’s not all they lost this summer.<br /><br />Todd Marchant announced his retirement in late June, but will stay with the franchise as the Director of Player Development. The hole he’s left in the center of the ice will be taken up by new acquisition <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YYR4Tj5YFI">Andrew Cogliano</a>, who will most likely add two-way smarts to the third line and speed to the penalty kill.<br /><br />Also on the outs is goalie Ray Emery, which had left fans wondering if the streaky Dan Ellis will be stable enough to handle the pressure of the number one position if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3yK94MzPQo">Jonas</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE9PgbxxctE">Hiller’s</a> vertigo returns. Hiller has reportedly been feeling better, according to all reports, but fans can breathe a little easier after the Ducks picked up Jeff Deslauriers. Based upon his .901 save percentage in Edmonton, he’ll play the third string, but his character and size make him an adequate backup in the big show if Hiller gets dizzy again.<br /><br />Fan’s wishes were granted on September 15, just days before training camp. Teemu “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsCODFAKo4M">One More</a>” Selanne announced his intent to keep playing for at least one more year. Since winning the cup in 2007, he’s flirted with the idea of retirement, but has always decided he’d rather be slapping hockey pucks than putting golf balls. The Ducks lured him with a season opener in his native Finland and the $4 million that’s left of the Duck’s internal payroll. The Ducks are right to be so invested – last season Selanne was number three on the team for goals with 31, and first for power play goals with 16.<br /><br /><a href="http://ducks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8468520">Kurtis Foster</a>, who should make an impact on the power play, was also acquired from Edmonton. Foster gained 14 of his 22 points on the power play last season. It’s a chance for Foster to add depth to the Duck’s volatile power play unit, and a big step up from Edmonton’s lackluster line. Another stand-out acquisition from the off-season is left wing Andrew Gordon, from the Washington Capitals. He was outstanding during the preseason, playing strong as part of the PK unit and scoring three goals.<br /><br />Going into the season, the Ducks will still be relying pretty heavily on their first line of<a href="http://ducks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470621"> Corey Perry</a>, the Hart Trophy winner last season after scoring a league-leading <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeOTlvE-lM">50 </a> goals, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btFBv2u8Nfc">Bobby Ryan</a> and <a href="http://ducks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470612"> Ryan Getzlaf </a>. Rated as one of the top lines in the NHL, the three were a little underwhelming in the preseason, but should pick up the pace in time for the home opener on Friday.<br /><br />Thirty miles up the 5 interstate freeway finds the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/kings.nhl.com">Los Angeles Kings</a> sharing a stadium with only two other sports franchises, instead of four since the <a href="http://www.daily49er.com/opinion/unfortunately-for-fans-nba-lockdown-won-t-be-resolved-anytime-soon-1.2650640">lockdown of the NBA.</a><br /><br />Drew Doughty’s re-signing has fans hopeful for a better performance in the post-season than their first-round loss to division rival San Jose last season. After missing the last seven games of the regular season and six playoff games on an injured ankle, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCcTM_fkuBE">Anze Kopitar</a> is back in his skates to put the pressure on high. Also returning is netminder <a href="http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8471734">Jonathan Quick</a>, who stood on his head to keep the Sharks <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HKxAgCusMQ">on their toes</a> in the playoffs.<br /><br />One of the biggest off-season news stories was Ryan Smyth’s trade to Edmonton for an injured Colin Fraser. The Kings have filed a grievance with the Oilers, stating that the Oilers claimed he was days away from being healthy at the time of the trade. When the Kings took a closer look, it was determined that Fraser will need foot surgery before he can even think about putting on his skates. Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi is having serious buyer’s remorse, claiming he “would have rather invested my money with <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/12/madoff-ponzi-hedge-pf-ii-in_rl_1212croesus_inl.html"> Bernie Madoff </a> than invest in Edmonton’s word,” according to the LA Times. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will have to make a ruling eventually, but it’s doubtful there will be any direct changes.<br /><br />What has changed will leave fans mourning the loss of center Michal Handzus in the faceoff circle, but a nice addition was center and former captain <a href="http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470617">Mike Richards</a> in exchange for Wayne Simmonds to the Philadelphia Flyers. Richards is an elite two-way center and a born leader. With Richards and Kopitar, the Kings are strong in the center.<br /><br />Richards is also a familiar face to coach Terry Murray, who coached him in Philadelphia. Richards is looking forward to playing for him again, and possibly notching 70-75 points this season, after getting 23 goals and 66 points in 81 games in 2010-2011.<br /><br />Richards also has a buddy in former teammate <a href="http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8467346">Simon Gagne</a> from Tampa Bay, who played with Richards in Philadelphia in 2008-2009. Gagne scored 34 goals that season, and could have a much bigger impact in California if he can stay healthy. Though he’s been plagued by several injuries, Gagne is a superb skater with solid defensive instincts that can be deadly on the penalty kill. If he spends a few days building his strength at nearby <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX3Lmaa40Ls&feature=related">Muscle Beach</a>, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.<br /><br />The Kings still lack a big enforcer to protect their top scorers, an issue they’ll have to work out before they get too deep in the season.<br /><br />Last season saw the Kings surrender to the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/sharks.nhl.com">San Jose Sharks</a> at the end of six games in the first round of the playoffs, a disappointing end for the Kings. San Jose was also left wanting more when they were knocked out in the third round in five devastating games to the Vancouver Canucks.<br /><br />In a bizarre team-up with the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wild.nhl.com">Minnesota Wild</a>, the Sharks have made key decisions in trading away some of their top players, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fJsSz7jXQU">Dany Heately</a>, prized prospect Charlie Coyle and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKqZVY4Pmrk&feature=fvst">Devin Setoguchi</a>. In return, the Sharks landed Martin Havlat and Brent Burns, respectively, and also acquired James Sheppard in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2013.<br /><br />While <a href="http://sharks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8467899">Martin Havlat</a> was somewhat underwhelming in Minnesota, he’ll have a supporting cast in San Jose with players like Joe Thornton and Ryan Clowe that ought to let his star really shine. His speed will also be an asset in scoring highlight-worthy goals. He’ll have to watch out for heavy hits though, as he’s prone to more injuries than a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcCw9RHI5mc">diving Italian soccer player</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://sharks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470613">Brent Burns</a>’s contract came at a steep price, $28.8 million over the next five years, which equates to just over $5 million each year. That’s the equivalent of 1,577,218 gallons of gas. San Jose is hoping he’ll be worth it. Burns has proved himself to be a superb defenseman, though he started out as a right winger. At 26, he’s got great size and a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-omn1W4H5g">high-octane speed</a> that should take some pressure off of Dan Boyle and make a volatile power play. In 80 games, he had had 17 goals, 46 points, 133 hits, and 106 blocked shots last season.<br /><br />The Shark’s third Minnesota deal landed center <a href="http://sharks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8473536">James Sheppard</a> in the Bay Area. Sheppard was the ninth overall pick in 2006 but has yet to live up to expectations. He missed all of last season after breaking his kneecap, (<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/olympics1998/history/timeline/timeline.htm">Tonya Harding</a> has denied any involvement in his off-ice accident) but has notched 11 goals and 38 assists in 224 career games. He’ll make an impact in the bottom six, which gives the Sharks some depth.<br /><br />The Sharks also signed the recently bought out defenseman <a href="http://sharks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8465005">Colin White</a> from New Jersey. White will be traveling from the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNU3ImiHJQM"> Shore</a> to the Bay to be yet another penalty killer and Stanley Cup winner to add to the Sharks roster. He’s a nice complement to the already-intimidating blue line that now includes Burns, and newcomer <a href="http://sharks.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8468213">James Vandermeer</a> from Edmonton.<br /><br />These were blockbuster trades, but they were necessary. The Sharks have been in the playoffs every season since the 2002-2003 season, but still do not have a Stanley Cup to show for it. Perhaps this will be the turning point for the franchise.<br /><br />A postseason appearance was all that the 2010-2011 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/stars.nhl.com">Dallas Stars</a> team could hope for, after a late-season push proved to be not enough to secure the 8<sup>th</sup> seeded spot. Their 95 point season trailed the division-leading Sharks by only ten points. They were the only team in the Pacific Division excluded from the playoffs, and had to watch from the sidelines as they have for the past four seasons.<br /><br />Much like San Jose, the franchise is begging for a change. It seems the team has recovered nicely from the loss of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1ovYu3vW0E">Marty Turco</a> in goal, relying on Kari Lehtonen and Andrew Raycroft to defend between the pipes. But the loss of Brad Richards might be more detrimental as they’re looking to fill the space left by the sharp-shooting center.<br /><br />Winger <a href="http://stars.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8467545">Michael Ryder</a> could be a major contributor to make Richards absence less noticeable. Coming off a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxFW25Gtfrk">Stanley Cup win</a> with Boston, Ryder had a solid season with 18 goals and 41 points in 79 games. He’ll need a strong center to set him up with a sniper shot, and the Stars think they found an answer in <a href="http://stars.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8462041">Radek Dvorak</a>. Dvorak will be a top-six winger with the Stars this year, after getting only seven goals and 22 points in 63 games last season. Inheriting the spotlight from Richards, players like Dvorak will have an outstanding opportunity to improve on that record.<br /><br />The versatile <a href="http://stars.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469759">Vernon Fiddler</a> will also have a chance to shine. Fiddler can play on the wing or center in the bottom six forwards, and plays with enough hockey smarts to be a defensive threat as well. Also looking to make an impact is the almost-healed Adam Pardy, an acquisition from the Flames. Pardy has the size and defensive know-how the Stars need to add depth to their blue line, but remains on the injured reserve list for the time being.<br /><br />It was a rough season last year, and perhaps toughest for coach Marc Crawford, who was relieved of his duties as head coach just two days after the Stars lost their last game to Minnesota, eliminating them from the playoffs. Crawford was faced with a tough conference, and Dallas was the only Pacific Division team that was left behind. He has been replaced with Glen Gulutzan, the former coach of the <a href="http://www.texasstarshockey.com/">AHL Texas Stars</a> who made it to the playoffs both seasons since its inaugural 2009-2010 season, and even advanced to the Calder Cup final that first year. Under his direction, the Stars hope to not only make it to the playoffs, but become a contender for the cup they haven’t won since 1999.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.coyotes.nhl.com">Phoenix </a>has also been struggling for a Cup win, and the changes they made this summer could give them a chance to make another playoff appearance. The 'Yotes first off-season move was to fill the spot left by the sometimes spectacular, but mostly solid <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOqOWGjDuRQ">Ilya Bryzgalov</a>.<br /><br />Mike Smith’s saving grace came at the right time. <a href="http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469608">Smith</a> was traded to Phoenix from Tampa Bay where he was denied a chance to start and was shuffled down to the minors after Tampa acquired starter Dan Ellis and veteran Dwayne Roloson. Smith will have competition for the number one spot from <a href="http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8467391">Jason LaBarbera</a>, who served as Bryzgalov’s backup last season, but Smith will remain in the big show either way.<br /><br />It was a big day in Phoenix when the ‘Yotes captured defenseman <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v29LJj3QTBE">Keith Yandle</a>. Yandle scored 11 goals and ranked third among defensemen with 59 points in 82 games last season. His game has improved considerably over the past few years, and he’s got the offensive instincts that will become crucial in a power play situation. He’ll be the top defenseman in Phoenix, where he can continue to improve.<br /><br />The Coyotes were seeking some true grit for their third line, and <a href="http://coyotes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8468485">Raffi Torres </a>came for the reward. Torres is tough in the corners, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iko57O8CmeM">hard-hitting</a> and, most importantly, can score goals. He’s not afraid to crash the net and by doing so, earned himself 14 goals and 29 points in 80 games with Vancouver last year.<br /><br />The team’s defense-oriented system will be necessary as they will not be able to rely solely on Smith and LaBarbera. The franchise re-signed key players like Lauri Korpikoski and Radim Vrbata that work well in that system to shut down their own zone.<br /><br />With four out of five teams making a postseason appearance, the Pacific Division has produced more championship contenders than an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sports/olympics/27gymnasts.html?pagewanted=all">underage Chinese gymnastics team</a>. Unfortunately, only three Stanley Cup championships have been awarded in the Pacific Division since its inception in 1993. However, that might change this upcoming season. At the end of the 2010-2011 season, there was only a ten point difference between San Jose’s division champion team, and the Stars team that was shunned from the playoffs. This division keeps getting tougher, it’s only a matter of time until <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSd8CqBEbcY">Stanley</a> comes calling again.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-71477742651257943952011-09-21T22:31:00.000-07:002011-09-21T23:15:38.208-07:00Back in BlackThe San Jose Sharks dominated in Anaheim at the Honda Center tonight, as the Ducks struggled to work out the kinks in their second pre-season game, with a score of 6-1. <div><br /></div><div>The lone goal went to an off-season acquisition, 25-year-old right wing Andrew "Flash" Gordon, who seemed to always be on the ice during the critical moments for Anaheim. After a dull 18 minutes, Gordon caught San Jose's goalie, Thomas Greiss, out of position. Though he stood out among his teammates as a fast skater and smart player for tonight's game, the lineup might not have the space to keep him in the Big Show.<br /><div><br /></div><div>For those who are guaranteed a spot, tonight was the first night for the Duck's A-line to stretch their legs, but their performance was underwhelming. Perry, Getzlaf, Ryan and Beauchemin each notched a -2 for tonight's game. </div><div><br /></div><div>The obvious issues this team needs to work on are taking too few shots and too many penalties. Half of San Jose's goals were scored on power plays, which became more frequent as the game wore on. In the second stanza, the Ducks gave up two penalties and allowed 13 shots, ultimately giving the Sharks the chance to score three goals. </div><div><br /></div><div>A little forecheck would prevent teams like San Jose from passing the puck so easily in the Anaheim defensive zone. Senseless penalties are always the Achilles Heel for the Ducks, it seems this year is no different.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are plenty more issues to consider. The Ducks are still a big question mark in the net and whether Hiller will be ready to play as he says he is. Perhaps more concerning was the performance of the Duck's best line. The first line of Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan went a combined -6 against the B-Team for the Sharks tonight. San Jose played none of their stars and delivered quite the beating to the Ducks. </div><div><br /></div><div>The real test will be on Friday, when the Ducks travel to San Jose to face Boyle, Clowe, Marleau, Pavelski, Thornton and new acquisition Havlat, for the first time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Mighty.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-75633850858471690382011-02-07T14:59:00.001-08:002011-02-07T15:19:48.173-08:00Ducks sign Emery, Getzy's back.Many of us remember chanting "EEEEEEMMMEEEEEEERRRRRYYYY" at the Stanley Cup finals in '07. After stellar performances to get his team in the final, the poor guy couldn't get out of his own way. In game 5, he actually scored a goal on himself, adding to the Ducks 6-2 win. <div><br /></div><div>Ray Emery was just signed to a one year, two way contract for the Ducks organization this morning, with the intent of sending him down into the AHL to play in Syracuse. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although he's been recently plagued with injuries, most recently undergoing a hip surgery, Emery has had some consistent good play. He currently has a SV% of .907 and has appeared in 163 games with a record of 87- 51-15. </div><div><br /></div><div>If he can clear waivers by 9 p.m. tomorrow, Emery will become a part of the Duck's proud organization. There's some uncertainty with all of the goalie drama in New York after Nabokov refused to play for the Islanders, but because Emery is coming off an injury and the contract is for one year, there's very little fear that he'll get snatched up off waivers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hiller has lately been battling health issues. Thankfully, the backup Curtis McElhinney is proving himself useful in replacing Hiller when necessary. </div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, Ryan Getzlaf is expected to return on Wednesday after more than four weeks off for a facial fracture. The Ducks have been doing pretty well without him, it will be interesting to see how the team reacts to having him back. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let's Go Ducks.</div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-23848834735566872242011-01-12T22:54:00.000-08:002011-03-26T11:43:14.510-07:00Black and Blue- St. Louis at DucksThe hat trick that had eluded Bobby Ryan the last few games finally came together tonight against the St. Louis Blues, leading the Ducks to a 7-4 win at the Honda Center.<br /><br />The game started out with a quick goal at 3:31 by Ryan on a powerplay after Blues player Philip McRae was called for tripping. It would be the first of three goals for Ryan and the first of many penalties of the night.<br /><br />Jason Blake scored the second goal of the night just four minutes later, off a shot that was redirected off a Blues players' skate. It was an unusual goal, but it tallied for Blake's ninth goal of the season.<br /><br />Ducks player Andreas Lilja earned a penalty for holding McRae down to the ice, but the Ducks quickly killed the penalty at 9:21 and then responded with Ryan's second goal of the night at 18:17. Ryan's redirect off a Corey Perry shot put him one goal away from a hat trick.<br /><br /><br />Jonas Hiller (the Shark Killer) held the Blues scoreless for the first period and for the beginning of the second, giving him a scoreless streak of 178:34 minutes. His past two games have been shut outs against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks. St. Louis broke the streak and got on the scoreboard at 3:44 of the second period, off a breakaway goal by David Backes. Barely three minutes later, Backes scored again, right past Hiller's stick side.<br /><br />At the end of the second period, the game had a one-goal difference at 3-2, and each team had earned two penalties each on minor offenses. In the third stanza, all hell broke loose.<br /><br />Just 0:30 seconds into the third period, Ryan found the back of the net for his third career hat trick and second of the season. Of the club's last four hat tricks, three have belonged to Ryan and one to Perry.<br /><br />Perry scored the next goal at 6:17, catching Blues netminder Ty Conklin behind the net to retrieve the puck. Perry got ahold of the puck from Conklin, and swung it into the net, putting the game away for the Ducks with a score of 5-2.<br /><br />Blues right winger, BJ Crombeen earned a penalty at 13:00, giving Lubomir Visnovski a chance to get in on the scoring action. Visnovski found the back of the net just 0:20 seconds into the powerplay.<br /><br />While the Blues have typically been a very physical opponent for the Ducks, there hadn't been too many opportunities for either team to throw down. The sixth goal for the Ducks triggered a violent reaction from the Blues, as Barret Jackman tossed his gloves and petitioned George Parros and His Mustache to a brawl. Jackman got one hit in that drove Parros to the ice, but Parros popped back up to retaliate and made Jackman regret his decision to throw down.<br /><br />Both earned a couple of penalty minutes for the show, but just as play resumed, Ducks player Maxim LaPierre and Crombeen add to the yardsale and threw down the gloves to fight. After the fight was broken up, LaPierre pointed to the scoreboard as he's led away to the sin bin, with a grin from ear to ear.<br /><br />Rarely seen in the NHL is a team fight, but the 12,499 fans saw all ten men on the ice get into fisticuffs, earning a slew of penalties. Luca Sbisba and Joffery Lupul each earned penalties, and two Blues players, Eric Brewer and Brad Winchester were also escorted to the penalty box at 15:16.<br /><br />With each penalty box packed to capacity and the announcer out of breath from reading the long list of penalties, Brandon McMillan added to the excitement by scoring a goal just one minute after the last fight, causing the goal foghorn to interrupt the list of penalties and a loud cheer to erupt from the stands. St. Louis retaliated with a goal by Ryan Reaves at 16:20, leaving the score at 7-3.<br /><br />One last fight between Matt Beleskey and Blues player Vladimir Sobotka gave both teams penalties, but St. Louis earned a powerplay goal from it by Brad Boyes, settling the final score at 7-4.<br /><br />The game left the boys black and blue, but energized. This is the third straight win for the Ducks, extending their home statistics to 16-7-1. The six game homestand they just completed had a 5-1-0 record.<br /><br />Until the third period of tonight's game, the PK unit has stopped 18 consecutive powerplays over a seven game span. Against teams like San Jose, that proved to be critical in earning the Ducks the win.<br /><br />It was a great game, and the Ducks are looking ahead to Phoenix on Saturday. Let's Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-5475347869522871252011-01-05T23:17:00.000-08:002011-01-05T23:41:50.786-08:00Ducks killed by PredatorsThe Ducks fell to the Nashville Predators tonight at the Honda Center, 4-1. A contested goal by Predator right winger Jerred Smithson in the first five minutes of the game gave them the momentum and a stellar performance by Predator netminder, Pekka Rinne kept them in front of the Ducks.<br /><br />The first goal managed to slip under Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller at 5:10 in the first period. Smithson fired the puck at Hiller, who covered the puck. Intially ruled as no-goal, after a review by the referees, it was determined that the puck did cross the line, and a point was awarded to the Predators.<br /><br />Another Nashville goal in the second period by Patric Hornqvist at 3:56 further dampened the spirit of the Ducks. It wasn't until the first and only Ducks goal just past the middle of the third stanza that the Ducks started showing signs of life. A pass from Dan Sexton to Saku Koivu in the slot finds the back of the net to put the Ducks on the scoreboard at 11:46.<br /><br />A desperate Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pulled Hiller from the net in the last two minutes of the game, but the Ducks couldnt capitalize with the extra player. Nashville found the back of the empty net twice more before the buzzer could put the Ducks out of their misery.<br /><br />Rinne had 40 saves to keep Nashville ahead of the struggling Ducks. Jonas Hiller saved 20 of the 22 shots Nashville took. <br /><br />The Ducks next face Columbus at the Honda Center on Friday. Hopefully they come back with more energy to take down the Blue Jackets.<br /><br />Let's go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-3456541965587820832010-09-21T18:18:00.001-07:002010-09-21T18:33:48.435-07:00Ducks vs Phoenix (Preseason Game #1)After a long, grueling summer of no hockey, its finally time for the Ducks to suit up against their Pacific Division rival, the Phoenix Coyotes, at the Honda Center.<div><br /></div><div>Since it's a pre-season game, a lot of the veterans wont be seeing ice time tonight, but instead will get to face the fans at various stands around the stadium. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was a long summer for Bobby Ryan, one of the veterans who will be playing tonight. Negotiations for the terms of his contract took up most of the summer, and was resolved shortly before training camp started. Ryan sought a shorter contract, while the Ducks management wanted a longer commitment, as other veterans' contracts were expiring soon. Thankfully for the Ducks, Ryan agreed to a 5 year contract, which was rumored to add up to over 25 million dollars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tonight's game will be the first time the Ducks will take the ice against another team, as they've been in training camp since Saturday. After several in-team scrimmages, the Ducks are eager to take on an old foe. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Ducks will also be facing the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, at another home game. Hopefully the Ducks will be able to use this experience to solidify their lineups. Because of the shifts in team members over the summer, including the loss of Niedermeyer and the signing of Emerson Etem and Cam Fowler, coach Randy Carlyle is looking at a new strategy for the lineups. The Ducks have always favored having two scoring lines and one checking line and an energy line, but is now considering altering the lines to feature three scoring lines instead, due to the large number of high scorers on the roster. Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Dan Sexton and of course, Teemu Selanne are all expected to contribute lots of points to the team's effort. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's the start of a new season. Forgetting the disappointing start to last season, and the heartbreaking ending that came too soon, the Ducks look forward to a successful (and long) season. It's been too long since fans have gotten to rock the orange and black, too long since we've seen Wildwing rappel down from the rafters of the Pond, too long since we've gotten to cheer the Flash, Getzy, Hiller, George Parros (and his Mustache), Bobby and all our favorite players. Finally, we get to quack with our Ducks. Finally it's hockey season.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's Go Ducks!</div>Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-9775013588709538522010-06-22T15:42:00.000-07:002010-06-22T15:54:07.524-07:00No More NiedermaniaScott Niedermayer, former defenseman for the Ducks, announced his retirement today. Niedermayer has been with the Ducks since 2005, and was the team captain and Conn Smythe winner when the Ducks won the cup in 2007.<br /><br />Niedermayer is the only hockey player to ever have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship, a World Cup, a Memorial Cup and World Junior Title. <br /><br />For the first 12 years of his career, Niedermayer played on the New Jersey Devils, where he won three Stanley Cups, in 1995, 2000 and 2003. His fourth came in 2007 with the Ducks. <br /><br />But more importantly than his winning record, Niedermayer has been an integral part of the Duck family. We wish him the best, and to have a happy retirement.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-78774257403193554032010-02-21T16:29:00.001-08:002010-02-21T18:56:15.656-08:00USA-Canada: Game Log<span style="font-style: italic;">Pregame:</span> Commentators remarking on how young and inexperienced Team USA is compared to Canada. They said the same thing about the 1980 US Olympic Team vs the Soviet Union.<br /><br />4:45pm- Puck drops and we begin.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1st Period</span><br /><br />19:46- quick shot by Team USA but Canada goalie Martin Brodeur covers it.<br /><br />19:19- A shot from the blue line by Brian Rafalski is accidentally redirected by Sidney Crosby and Team USA scores! 1-0 to the red white and blue.<br /><br />18:17- Goalie interference call on Ryan Getzlaf gives Team USA a powerplay.<br /><br />14:17- Canada kills it.<br /><br />11:07- Eric Staal gets the puck on the blue line and fires it past Miller for Canada's first goal. Tied at 1-1.<br /><br />10:45- Rafalski gets his second of the game to put USA back on top. 2-1 USA<br /><br />13:53- penalty to Joe Pavelski on Team USA for hi-sticking.<br /><br />12:34- couple shots but nothing's going in for Canada.<br /><br />11:53- PK for Team USA<br /><br />7:33- Shots coming from all over, but Team USA's defense staying strong. Miller's had more than a few sweet stops.<br /><br />6:05- Majority of shots coming from blue line. Marleau takes a shot as he skates through the neutral zone that hits Team USA's goalie Ryan Miller in the chest.<br /><br />4:32- Miller looking absolutely fantastic this period. Almost as good as Jonas Hiller. :)<br /><br />3:34- USA's consistent at clearing the zone, but the puck is rarely being played past Canada's blue line. It's about time Team USA went on the offensive.<br /><br />2:10- Shots favoring Canada at 17 to just 6 from Team USA.<br /><br />0:0- End of first, and while Team USA is winning with 2 goals to Canada's 1, they're being outshot 18-6. Hopefully USA gains some control on the game and gets more shots off in the 2nd stanza.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2nd Period<br /><br /></span>20:00- Here we go in the 2nd, Team USA wins the face-off.<br /><br />19:38- Team USA fires off a shot that's quickly acquired by Brodeur, but players stop for a friendly chit-chat in front of the goal. Zebras break up the scrum.<br /><br />16:28- Canada's Jonathan Toews gets the puck in front of the crease and passes it in front of Miller to a waiting Dany Heatley who fires it in to tie the game. 2-2.<br /><br />15:34- Chants of "Miller" fill the Hockey Place stadium.<br /><br />14:17- Patrick Kane carries the puck through the neutral zone, weaving through Canada's defensemen and fires wide on Brodeur.<br /><br />13:56- Fans are tossing a beach ball in the crowd that is coming dangerously close to the ice. Never seen that at a hockey game before...<br /><br />11:09- Team USA still having trouble keeping the puck out of their zone. Bobby Ryan finally breaks through and passes it to Kane who puts a shot on Brodeur.<br /><br />9:35- Puck stops after Marleau doesnt clear the crease fast enough, blocking Miller's ability to play. USA wins the face-off.<br /><br />8:20- Hi-stick violation stops the play just as Canada clears their zone after USA gets a brief chance to get some shots on Brodeur.<br /><br />7:59- USA wins the face-off in front of Canada's goal crease, and gets three quick shots on Brodeur. Close, but no cigar, with some fantastic goalkeeping by Brodeur.<br /><br />3:58 Eric Staal and Corey Perry collide and Chris Pronger dog-piles on them as all three are looking for the puck. Play stops as all three struggle to clear their heads.<br /><br />3:14 Brodeur is caught way out of position as he scrambles to cover the loose puck in front of the net. He moves too far out of the crease and Team USA's Chris Drury puts the puck in the net behind him. 3-2 for Team USA!<br /><br />1:38- Three separate breakaways leave players and fans out of breath as USA gets a breakaway that leads to a Canada opportunity that is in turn denied and sent back for a USA breakaway that is finally covered.<br /><br />0:53- A hit by Eric Staal earns him a penalty and Team USA is given a powerplay opportunity.<br /><br />0:0- 39-19 shots favoring Canada still. Players shove each other after the buzzer. USA will have a man advantage at the start of the 3rd. USA's still winning 3-2.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3rd Period</span><br /><br />20:00- 3rd period starts with a USA powerplay.<br /><br />18:53- Canada kills the man advantage, but USA keeps firing away at the goal.<br /><br />18:16 Sidney Crosby swings his stick at a USA player's head and USA goes on another powerplay!<br /><br />16:16- Canada kills yet another powerplay.<br /><br />13:55- Delayed penalty to Canada gives Team USA their third powerplay in just 7 minutes. Corey Perry earned the slashing call.<br /><br />12:51- HAT TRICK TO RAFALSKI! Team USA goes ahead by 2 as Brian Rafalski shoots a one-timer from the blue line to earn a powerplay goal and his third for tonight. 4-2 to Team USA.<br /><br />10:00- Canada gears up for a rush as we're halfway done with the last period, score of 4-2 to Team USA.<br /><br />9:11- Powerplay goes to Canada as Patrick Kane gets his stick stuck between the legs of a Canada player. Team USA hoping to hold them off. This could be the play of the game, if Canada gets some momentum back. Lot of pressure resting on Miller right now.<br /><br />8:16- Puck is tossed out of play as Team USA struggles to clear it.<br /><br />8:06- I was expecting a good game but this has gotten really intense. Totally sitting on the edge of my seat right now.<br /><br />7:10- Powerplay is killed! Crosby dives for an open puck in front of the goal, but Miller covers it. Play stops as Miller and Crosby untangle themselves from one another in front of the goal.<br /><br />5:12- Offsides call brings the puck back to Team USA's zone, and seconds after the face-off, a tripping call on Erik Johnson gives Canada a powerplay opportunity. Good luck, Miller.<br /><br />4:08- Careful passing by Canada finally opens up a shot opportunity but Miller jumps on it.<br /><br />4:04- Puck cleared.<br /><br />3:47- Three rapid shots has Miller sprawled in front of the net as he struggles to block rebound after rebound. Although he looks like he's standing on his head at one point, he's successful at stopping the puck. Just incredible.<br /><br />3:09- Rick Nash redirects a pass directly to Sidney Crosby who's camped out in front of the goal. He shoves the puck in for a powerplay goal to put themselves within one goal of Team USA.<br /><br />2:34- Timeout. I can't sit still.<br /><br />1:30- Shot after shot after shot on Miller and he's blocked them all.<br /><br />1:10- Puck is cleared and Canada regains control as Brodeur heads to the bench for an extra attacker for Canada.<br /><br />0:44- Ryan Kesler dives for the puck with one hand on his stick and sends the puck into the empy net! 5-3 for Team USA!<br /><br />0:16- Dogpile in front of the net and sticks are just jabbing at the puck. Marleau and Jack Johnson shove each other but no one throws down.<br /><br />0:0- Team USA wins. :)Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-61715679108926145832010-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:002010-02-21T18:28:46.098-08:00USA vs CanadaIn the greatest match-up day for Olympic hockey, Team USA faces Canada for bragging rights and a shot for gold.<br /><br />While it is not a medal round, the loser of this game will likely have to play an extra game to move into the final rounds. But this game is so much more than just seeding. In a rivalry that spawned when there were only 6 teams in the NHL, 4 of them being US teams, and has amplified with the Suter-Gretzky rivalry and various competitions with mixed results, this may be the most important game either one of these teams play in this Olympics.<br /><br />Every expert agrees that this game will be close, most predicting that the end score will be within two goals of each other. But the winner of the game is still contested.<br /><br />USA must win this game in regulation if they hope to get the bye. While both teams have won both games they've played, Canada is a point behind from the shootout win they had against Switzerland. If Team USA wins the game in regulation, they'll earn the bye that puts them in the final seed. If it goes into a shootout, Canada will tie the points and win the bye because they've scored more goals in their last two games.<br /><br />This game is just one of three iconic match-ups. Russia has already defeated the Czech Republic in a physical game, with an end score of 4-2. Later tonight, rivals Sweden and Finland will face off for bragging rights. But first, the game that matters.... USA and Canada.<br /><br />I'll do my best to present the game this live blog, but I hope you have the opportunity to watch this game live, as it promises to be incredible.<br /><br />Lets go...<br />USA! USA! USA!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-33611170028440674252010-02-16T22:41:00.000-08:002010-02-17T12:24:58.933-08:00Ducks Watch Day 1, Part 2Canada faced off Norway earlier today, and with 3 of the Duck's top scorers on the roster, it's no surprise they came out on top.<br /><br />8 goals on top.<br /><br />Ducks players Ryan <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Getzlaf</span> and Corey Perry both contributed a goal to Team Canada's 8-0 shutout against Norway. Scott <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Niedermeyer</span> came out of the game with an assist.<br /><br />Of course, Team Canada's roster is thick with talent, comprised of the some of the top NHL players in the league. The showstopper came in the form of a hat trick to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jarome</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iginla</span>, from Calgary. But he wasn't alone in racking up the points. Sharks player <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dany</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Heatley</span> scored 2 goals to put Canada ahead, and Penguin's star Sidney Crosby had three assists to put Team Canada ahead. Goals from both Rick Nash from the Washington Capitals and Mike Richards from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Philidelphia</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span> gave Team Canada the outrageous 8 goals.<br /><br />Team Canada laid 42 shots on two of Norway's goalies, while Canada's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">netminder</span> Roberto <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Luongo</span> from Vancouver earned a shutout.<br /><br />Update: Hey all! Dingbat here. While I was rushing to get my last post in about the Canada game, I overlooked <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iginla's</span> hat trick, and only credited him with two goals.<br /><br />I beg your forgiveness. Surely it's not that hard to read a stats sheet and see <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Iginla's</span> name next to three separate goals, but here's proof that maybe I am not infallible. I also must ask for your patience, as it will be near impossible for me to update this blog immediately after each game. While I wish I had nothing better to do than this blog, I do have to answer to the demands of my responsibilities that take priority over this hobby. I thank you for your continued support.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-86530347691289394142010-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:002010-02-16T14:09:01.635-08:00Ducks Watch, Day 1!Hello and welcome to Duck Watch, your coverage for all of the Ducks playing for their respective teams in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics!<br /><br />Today's opening match features two of the Duck's stars, Bobby Ryan and Jonas Hiller, in addition to Ryan Whitney and Luca Sbisa, as Switzerland faces the USA Hockey team in the preliminary round.<br /><br />Team USA is expected to win this round, and they've already made a start towards that goal.<br /><br />Currently, it's the start of the second stanza and Team USA is leading with one goal from Ducks superstar Bobby Ryan. Ryan scored in the first period on the other fan favorite, Jonas Hiller, who is netminding for Switzerland.<br /><br />Update: Team USA is now up by 3 goals to none, with a goal by David Backles of the Sabres five minutes into the second period, and a powerplay goal by Tampa Bay Lightning player Ryan Malone just three minutes later, after a hooking call to the Swiss.<br /><br /><br />Update: 12:30 in the third period, Swiss go on their first powerplay after a hooking call on Joe Pavelski.<br /><br />Update: USA with a successful PK, go right back to being shorthanded as Ryan Suter is sent to the sin bin for roughing. Swiss dont repeat their first mistake, Roman Wick scores the first tally for Switzerland, 9:45 in the third.<br /><br />Update: Final score, 3-1 to Team USA! Next game is Thursday, vs Norway.<br /><br />USA USA USA!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-9647927603392027262010-02-08T22:39:00.000-08:002010-02-08T23:23:16.974-08:00Perry Kills KingsThe Ducks continued their 10 home-game win streak and broke the King's 9 game win streak, with a score of 4-2 at the Honda Center.<br /><br />After losing in Los Angeles last Thursday, the Ducks were eager for a little revenge, and tonight's game showed their intensity. <br /><br />The Kings put up the first point off a backhanded goal by Oscar Moller at 12 minutes in. Moller twisted the puck behind his back to beat Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller. Hiller, who was signed onto a four year extension in January, has had four wins in his last five starts, and has stopped 169 of 179 shots.<br /><br />It would be the only time the Kings would lead in the game, and it was a short-lived victory. Teemu Selanne found the back of the net, off a Corey Perry rebound, on the Duck's first powerplay, a five-on-three opportunity, after a delay of game and bench minor call for the Kings, just five minutes after the Kings put up their first point. <br /><br />Just before the end of the first period, Teemu Selanne and Dustin Brown exchanged words after Brown's stick is broken by a hit from Teemu. Somehow, Ducks player Matt Beleskey and Kings player Wayne Simmonds were both given a 2 minute roughing call, going into the second period with each team a man down.<br /><br />Ryan Getzlaf opened up the scoring in the second stanza three minutes in. Corey Perry beat Davis Drewski to the boards and sends the puck backwards to the wide-open Getzlaf who fired it in past King's goalie Jonathan Quick. <br /><br />The Kings gave the Ducks another opportunity to score after a slashing call on Kings defenseman Matt Greene just one minute later. Saku Koivu got a backhanded rebound just as the penalty expired to put the Ducks up 3-1, 6:24 into the second period.<br /><br />The Ducks earned a penalty two minutes after their goal, as Ryan Carter gets sent to the sin bin for boarding. The Ducks were able to kill the penalty, though there were a few close shots. Kings right winger Brad Richardson was called for tripping just seconds after the Duck's penalty ended, but the Ducks weren't able to capitalize on the opportunity. <br /><br />The Kings got their next chance to score on a powerplay after Ryan Whitney was called for tripping. One second after the penalty expired, Kings star Anze Kopitar got the puck past the pipes to put the Kings within one of the Ducks, 3-2.<br /><br />But Corey Perry wasn't happy that the lead he worked so hard to earn was about to be thrown away. Picking up the puck at the red line and weaving through Kings players, he puts one past Kings netminder Quick for a 4-2 lead. <br /><br />While there was no scoring in the third period, it wasn't completely devoid of action. The Kings had half of their shots (18) in the last period, compared to the 7 that the Ducks were able to manage. The defensive prowess of Jonas Hiller kept the Kings at bay, stopping 35 of 37 shots throughout the game. The only penalty of the third period was to Ryan Whitney for holding, but the PK unit was able to shut down the Kings. <br /><br />Tonight's game marked the 10th win for the Ducks at home, and have won four of the last five games. Teemu Selanne scored his 597th goal tonight as well, and is looking for #600 sometime after the Olympics.<br /><br />The Ducks next face the Edmonton Oilers at home on Wednesday. <br /><br />Lets Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-74393851713621969382009-12-29T22:19:00.000-08:002009-12-29T23:28:10.765-08:00Bobby Wipes Out WildThe Ducks defeated the Minnesota Wild at the Honda Center on Tuesday, with a score of 4-2. Bobby Ryan scored two goals and an assist to give the Ducks their first win since returning from their three game road trip.<br /><br />With many of the Duck's lead scorers out with injuries, Bobby Ryan stepped up his game to give the Ducks a crucial win. Teemu Selanne, Jeoffry Lupul and Ryan Getzlaf were all missing from tonight's roster for various injuries. But you'd never know the Ducks were playing with less that their full potential.<br /><br />Ryan was quick to score the first goal of the game at 7:08 into the first period. After picking the puck off a Wild defenseman, he darted down the ice and shot the puck upstairs to give the Ducks the lead. Minnesota responded with a goal of their own a mere 8 minutes later, as the puck trickled in over Jonas Hiller's right shoulder.<br /><br />But Ryan wasn't happy that his lead was lost so quickly. Racing down the ice, he shoots the puck across the goal crease to Dan Sexton, who finds the back of the net over the sprawled Minnesota goalie, Josh Harding. Within barely a minute, the Ducks had lost their lead and regained it off key plays by Bobby Ryan.<br /><br />The second period opened with a penalty kill by the Ducks after Nick Boynton was sent to the sin bin for tripping. Midway through the second, more penalties were handed out to each team as fisticuffs broke out. The first matchup was Boynton against a much bigger Derek Boogaard from Minnesota at 11:53. Each player recieved five for fighting, and an extra ten minute misconduct to Boogaard for throwing punches after the fight had been broken up.<br /><br />Still fuming, the Ducks engaged in another fight immediately after the puck dropped, this time between Troy Bodie and John Scott of the Wild. Both players threw down their gloves and went at it, Scott tossing the referee out of the way to get to Bodie. Both players recieved 2 minute unsportsmanlike conducts and 10 minute misconducts each. <br /><br />Late in the second stanza, the Ducks were offered a huge opportunity as consecutive penalties gave them a two man advantage. Mere seconds after the first penalty expired, Ryan found the net again for his second of the night, smacking the puck in off a pass from Saku Koivu.<br /><br />The third period was quiet until the midway through, when the Ducks went on a powerplay after a tripping call on the Wild. They didn't capitalize on the opportunity, and instead were served with their own penalty for high sticking on rookie Matt Beleskey. Minnesota scored, leaving the Ducks with just a one goal lead for the last 7 minutes of the game.<br /><br />A desperate Minnesota team pulled their goalie in hopes of tying the game and sending it into overtime, but the Ducks would have none of that. Todd Marchant caught the puck and sent it gently down the ice into the empty net for a shorthanded goal that gave them the solid win in the last 10 seconds left.<br /><br />The Ducks have struggled this season to get a win streak, and the injuries that has plagued this team has not helped. However, it helps to have players like Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu and Jonas Hiller, who had 29 saves, to pick up the pieces of the broken team to get a win when it was crucial. With his two goals and one assist tonight, Ryan earned his 100th career NHL point, and is also tied at 19 for most points for a USA born player.<br /><br />The Ducks next face a very competetive Dallas Stars team at home on Thursday at 5:00pm. Hopefully they start the New Year with a win!<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-85662460517910935692009-10-01T15:36:00.001-07:002009-10-01T16:12:50.454-07:00Ah, Finally!The puck drops tonight for opening faceoff of the 2009-2010 season! The first game of the year will be between the Montreal Canadiens vs the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7pm ET (4:00 pm if you're on the west coast!). Also starting at 7pm ET, the Washington Capitals, home of the Great 8 Alexander Ovechkin, will play the Boston Bruins, who were the Eastern Conference champions last season.<br /><br />Incidentally, this season will mark the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the National Hockey Association, the precursor to the NHL, on December 2, 2009. Just two days after the creation of the Association, the Montreal Canadiens, as well as the Montreal Wanderers as well as teams from Renfrew, Haileybury and Cobalt. Only the Canadiens survived the 100 years of change, to become the only continuously operating team to predate the NHL. Their first win, on January 5 of 1910, was the start of a long and successful franchise, with 24 Stanley Cup Championships to its name, earning their first one back in 1916.<br /><br />Noteably, the first Sharks game of the season is tonight, against the Colorado Avalanche, and fans are anxious to see how the replacement for Jonathan Cheechoo, Dan Heatley, does. Cheechoo was traded to Ottowa in exchange for Heatley, who admittedly has a more consistent goal scoring average (45 goals per season over the last four seasons). Also in the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks face off tonight at 7 pm PST.<br /><br />Opening night for the Ducks won't be until Saturday, when they face off against the Sharks at the Honda Center at 7:05pm. There's been a rivalry simmering over the summer between these teams after the Ducks knocked the Sharks out in the first round of the playoffs in six games last season, after the Sharks won the President's Trophy. It'll be a great matchup to watch as the Ducks defend the victory that put the Sharks out of the playoffs. <br /><br />In Ducks news, 19 year old Luca Sbisa has officially been put on the roster for Saturday's game. Other defensemen that will appear Saturday night are: Scott Niedermeyer, Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, Nick Boynton, Steve Eminger and Sheldon Brookbank. <br /><br />Right wing Joffrey Lupul was back on the ice Wednesday after recovering from some back pain, and is looking forward to playing on Saturday.<br /><br />Petteri Nokelianen is recovering from a groin injury, and is still unsure if he'll be on the ice Saturdy.<br /><br />Everyone's excited for the Ducks return to the Pond, and to defend the victory they fought so hard for over the Sharks.<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-64864880378736971932009-09-17T23:09:00.000-07:002009-09-17T23:43:53.145-07:00Fisticuffs with the CanucksWhile the Ducks couldn't generate much of successful offense, they had no problem sparking several fights as they fell 3-0 to Vancouver in the second preseason game at the Honda Center.<br /><br />A few more veterans saw ice time tonight, but the team struggled to work together to put the puck in the net. Among the starting skaters were veterans Ryan Whitney, Corey Perry, Andrew Ebbett and JS Giguere. Giguere played for the first half of the game, and stopped 14 of 16 shots. He was replaced by newbie Justin Pogge immediately following the second goal midway through the second period. Pogge stopped all but one of 19 attempts on net.<br /><br />The Duck's score remained zero, but they got their punches in. The Ducks had collectively four five-minute major penalties for fighting, one 10 minute misconduct, as well as penalties for a holding minor, a slashing minor and a cross checking minor. Corey Perry was the standout fighter tonight, earning a fighting major midway through the first and a game misconduct at the end of the game. Matt McCue also earned two five minute majors for fighting. George Parros and His Mustache were surprisingly quiet tonight, only going to the sin bin once for slashing. James Wisnewski earned the remaining fighting penalty.<br /><br />The Vancouver list of offenses dwarfed the Duck's comparitively, but even in a physical game giving up penalties can be detrimental. The Canuck's second goal was scored on the powerplay earned after Scott Niedermeyer was called for holding.<br /><br />A shutout hurts, even in the preseason. But this is the time for the team to iron out their difficulties, and for new talent to get a chance to develop. The shootout win the previous night was exciting, and the optimism for the team isn't diminished in any way by tonight's loss. This is a chance to fix the kinks, and get ready for an incredible season.<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-59937113537737333732009-09-16T22:24:00.000-07:002009-09-16T22:53:35.099-07:00Someone Should Tell Bobby it's PreseasonOn second thought, nevermind, this is too much fun!<br /><br />Bobby Ryan, last year's rookie standout, showed up for the first game of the preseason determined to prove it wasn't just a fluke. Scoring the only two Ducks goals in regulation, he seems more than ready for the season opener.<br /><br />Phoenix opened up the scoring in tonight's game at the Honda Center with a powerplay goal in the last few seconds of the first period. Ducks player Steve Eminger was sent to the sin bin for interference, and Phoenix capitalized on the opportunity less than a minute later with a goal.<br /><br />In the net for the first 30 minutes of the game was Jonas Hiller, yet another outstanding returning player this year, who stopped 18 of 19 shots during his reign between the posts tonight. He was replaced by rookie Timo Pielmeier for the remainder of the game to allow the rookie to see some ice during the preseason. Pielmeier didn't disappoint, stopping 27 of 28 shots in the 35 minutes he was on ice.<br /><br />But Bobby Ryan was the star of tonight's game, after tying the game in the first 3 minutes of the second period, he scored again in the first two minutes of the third to put the Ducks ahead. Dan Sexton supplied the assist on both goals. Phoenix caught up halfway through the third on a tipped-in shot, tying the game and ultimately sending it into overtime. While the shootout was quiet on both fronts, Bobby Ryan was not quite finished with his performance and scored the first goal of the shootout. The Coyotes were unable to answer Bobby Ryan's goal, and Joffrey Lupul put another shot between the posts to win the shootout.<br /><br />The Ducks had seven penalties, including five minor penalties, and two five minute majors for fisticuffs. The Ducks have always struggled with giving up power plays and consequently have a strong defense. Tonight, however, they allowed a startling 47 shots from the Coyotes. While the talents of goaltenders like Jonas Hiller and JS Giguere are easy to rely on, the Ducks have to stay strong defensively. However, the 30 shots they managed to fire off on Coyote goalie Jason LaBarbera isn't bad. A few more and this game probably wouldn't have needed a shootout to be decided.<br /><br />It's going to be a good season!<br /><br /><br /><br />LETS GO DUCKS!!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-52122760379407055402009-09-15T18:19:00.000-07:002009-09-15T19:04:17.721-07:002009-2010 Preseason Game #1 Tomorrow!The first preseason game against the Phoenix Coyotes starts tomorrow at 7. The only group more excited than the fans for the start of the season is the team.<br /><br />Training camp started last Sunday, after a 122-day break since the Ducks lost to Detroit in the last game of the Western Conference Championships. And the first preseason game will be tomorrow evening at the Honda Center against Phoenix.<br /><br />Over the break, the Ducks have made some key changes to the roster. A few veterans were re-signed, but there's been a few new faces added on. Some noteable newbies include:<br /><br />Saku Koivu- a forward from Finland<br />Luca Sbisa- the 19 year old acquisition from Philidelphia after the draft.<br />Joffrey Lupul- re-Ducked after a 3 year career in Philidelphia<br />Evgeny Artyukhin- A Moscow transplant and a name I will struggle to get used to<br />Justin Pogge- goaltender from the Maple Leaves that will have tough competition against the Duck's veteran netminders.<br />Nick Boynton- a defenseman from the Florida Panthers<br /><br />This season promises to be a good one, and I vow to do the best I can to update this blog after every game that I can. Some of my readers may be aware that I have recently moved away from the Anaheim area, and therefore will have difficulty seeing most of the games. While being at the games is no longer a luxury I can afford, I will do the best I can with substitute measures, such as listening to the Ducks live streaming radio broadcast or visiting sportsbars that will play the games. Be assured, I have no intention of letting this blog go, as it's been way too much fun to have, however I may need some slack here and there.<br /><br />To all of you who are able to see the game live, know that you are lucky and that I am jealous! Enjoy the season everyone!<br /><br />LETS GO DUCKS!!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-30860964727880173152009-07-29T17:10:00.000-07:002009-07-29T18:30:46.951-07:00In Deep WaterThere's been a lot of commotion in the swimming world of late. It was almost exactly one year ago that Michael Phelps made history as the winningest Olympian after earning 8 gold medals in the sport of swimming in the Beijing Olympics. During his campaign, the world witnessed some pretty incredible races, including Phelp's individual head-to-head with his Serbian competitor, out-touching him by .01 of a second to capture his 7th gold, and the jaw-dropping 400 free relay, when teammate Jason Lezak blew the French team's body-length lead out of the water for Phelp's 2nd gold.<br /><br /><br /><br />But with the triumph has come some turbulent waters. The commencement of the World Swimming Championships has brought attention to some troubling matters that causes the governing body of swimming, FINA, some concern. Over the course of the last 4 days, an astonishing 22 world records have been shattered. While breaking records is normally something to celebrate, such a large number over the course of less than a week is suspicious. Similarly, 25 world records were broken just under a year ago at the week-long Beijing Games. Are the athletes getting that much faster? Or is there perhaps another explanation?<br /><br /><br /><br />Could it be the $600 polyurethane suit that corsets the torso into a streamline, reduces drag by 10% more than other leading high-tech suits, increases buoyancy, and uses special fabric to repel water away from the swimmer?<br /><br /><br /><br />FINA has been under a lot of pressure from the swimming community to have some regulation on the suits the athletes are allowed to wear in competition. As recently as yesterday, FINA came to the agreement to ban all suits that reached below the kneecap for men and women, and banned any suits that went above the waist for men. All suits are also to be made of "textiles" although FINA hasn't commented on what qualifies as a "textile" yet.<br /><br />This new ruling has been a long time coming, and, when implemented, will force swimmers to rely on talent and training alone, rather than technological advances in swimwear. In age group meets, one of the lower-levels of competition, the USA Swimming rulebook approve of<br /><br />"swimsuit models ... made of full textile material such as<br />lycra or nylon [and] are also acceptable as long as they have no sleeves and that double layers are stuck together....<br /><br />1. For female swimmers, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulders or<br />past the pelvis, and<br />2. For male swimmers, the swim suit shall not extend above the navel or below the knees."<br /><br /><a href="http://http//www.usaswimming.org/USASWeb/_Rainbow/Documents/a65f46ee-e565-4462-901e-36aa31c57db5/Revised%20FINA%20Suit%20List%20Memo%20-%20corrected.pdf">-Taken from the USA Swimming Rules and Regulations website </a><br /><br />One of the most basic levels of competitive swimming currently has more regulation than the most elite, a fact that FINA hopes to change with the new rules. While some hoped that the new rules would be implemented by January 1st, 2010, it's not likely. Now that manufacturers of swimsuits, companies like Speedo, TYR, and TruWest, have the new parameters to work with, they must be given time to develop new suits that follow the new regulations.<br /><br /><br /><br />However for others, it still isn't soon enough. Michael Phelp's coach Bob Bowman has been quoted saying he won't enter Phelps in any more meets until the new rules are in place. Impatience for implementing the new rules is understandable, but perhaps Bowman's petulant attitude is not the role model for swimmers.<br /><br /><br /><br />And what of Phelps, and all the other athletes that had the help of some polyurethane on their way to the record books? Will their names contain an asterisk as a form of apology for a lack of regulation, allowing the records to eventually become out of reach without the help of high-tech material? How much slower will the times be at the next World Championships? At the next Olympics?<br /><br />You may want to remember that incredible relay Phelps and his team pulled off. It may be awhile before you see splits like that again. That being said, it will be refreshing to see a new generation of swimmers relying on their own talent and training to win. In the competitive world of swimming, it's become an arms race lately, with every new suit that comes out for the lowest drag, the most water-repellent, and the fastest times. From the fastskin to the LZR to the newest Arena-X Glide, it's going to be a bit of a shock to go back to the standard 'textiles' between the knee and waist/shoulder.<br /><br />In local news, the University of California, Irvine has shut down their swimming program in response to budget cuts. The loss of that program will prove to be brutal as it is the only Division 1 swimming progam in Orange County. Alumni and the swimming community, including resident local team Aquazot Swim Club, are looking to sustain the program to buy time. Arizona State University faced a similar dilemma a few months back, and is so far sustaining the program seperately from the university.<br /><br />With all these waves, its tough to forsee what will happen in the coming months for the swimming community. Hopefully, it's good news.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-87333668812382551852009-06-27T15:12:00.000-07:002009-06-27T15:47:56.274-07:00Welcome (back) to the DucksAs the NHL Draft finished today, the Ducks are looking forward to new beginnings with some fresh additions to their team, and continued success with some of the veterans returning for the 2009-2010 season.<br /><br />One of the most exciting returns is veteran Teemu Selanne, playing his 18th season in the NHL and looking for his second Stanley Cup with the Ducks. Another returning player is defensemen Scott Niedermeyer, who had 14 goals and 45 assists last year in the regular season. <br /><br />But with the veterans comes a whole line of rookies. 18 year old defenseman Matthew Clark from the Ontario Hockey League was added to the roster today, as was 18 year old goaltender Igor Bobkov from Russia. 18 year old defensemen Sami Vatanen, 19 year old right wing Radoslav Illo, and 18 year old defensemen Scott Valentine were also drafted. <br /><br />Another acquisition was 18 year old center/right wing Kyle Palmiere of New Jersey. Palmiere has been ranked as the 20th best player among North American skaters, and helped lead the national Under-18 team to a bronze medal in the World Championships.<br /><br />Also new to the Ducks franchise is Peter Holland, from Caledon, Ontario. He was the Duck's first pick of the 2009 draft (15th overall), and has been playing in the Ontario Hockey League with Guelph.<br /><br />Sadly, Chris Pronger left the Ducks this season, after three years of hard work and one Stanley Cup Championship. In return for his trade, the Ducks acquired right wing Joffrey Lupul and defensemen Luca Sbisa from the Philidelphia Flyers. Lupul returns to the Ducks after six seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and Philidelphia Flyers. During that time, Lupul has proved to be a force to be reckoned with when he scored a personal-high 28 goals in the 2005-2006 season, and earned 50 points in the 79 games he appeared in during the 2008-2009 season. Sbisa will play his second season in the NHL with the Ducks after he was drafted last year to Philidelphia. He appeared in 39 games including one Stanley Cup Playoff game last season for the Flyers.<br /><br />We're all looking forward to a fantastic season for the Anaheim Ducks, and we're all very excited for new beginnings with experienced veterans. Maybe this year will be the year!<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-10650675809904710352009-05-14T19:08:00.000-07:002009-05-14T19:28:48.559-07:00The Duck Stops HereAfter an exciting game 7, the Ducks lost to a tough Detroit team, ending their 2008-2009 season.<br /><br />And what a season it was. Although they're no longer in the running for the cup, they've got nothing to be ashamed of. <br /><br />Bobby Ryan, ended up with a combined 36 goals in the regular and post season. His +20 rating is also a testement to his great season. <br /><br />Ryan Getzlaf had 29 goals in 2008-2009, and a rating of +8. <br /><br />Corey Perry posted 40 goals through the season, and had a +12 rating.<br /><br />Veteran Teemu Selanne had 31 combined goals in his 78 games this season.<br /><br />George Parros and His Mustache earned 144 minutes in the penalty box this season.<br /><br />Jonas Hiller, the goaltender with feline reflexes, had an astounding 1612 shots blocked throughout the season.<br /><br />JS Giguere had 1153 saves in his 2475 minutes of playing time.<br /><br />It's been a fantastic season, and we're all looking forward to the 2009-2010 season.<br /><br />I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this, your support is appreciated. Hopefully, I've fulfilled my purpose to your satisfaction, and you will continue to tune in as the Stanley Cup playoffs continues.<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks... in 2010!!Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-30654771596373525472009-05-12T23:11:00.000-07:002009-05-13T00:05:51.656-07:00It was Do or DieAnd the Ducks did. After losing their past two games against Detroit by a margin of three goals per game, and allowing a total of 10 goals to their 4, the Ducks showed that they belonged in this series, beating the Redwings 2-1 at the Honda Center tonight. <br /><br />The win was unquestionably credited to a strong penalty kill unit, an agressive defense, and the cat-like skills of goaltender Jonas Hiller. After struggling through the past two games, the Ducks looked as though they might need a fresh face between the pipes. But Hiller defended his goalcrease (and his position as starting goaltender) with such skill that he reminded everyone why he still deserved that spot. He had a total of 38 blocked shots, only allowing one powerplay goal to the Redwings in the last 3 minutes of the game, after defending the previous 37 attemps.<br /><br />After going scoreless in the first period, the Ducks opened up the scoring in the first three minutes of the second, on a powerplay for a Detroit delay of game penalty. As Detroit sought to clear the puck out of their zone, Niklas Kronwall flipped the puck out of play, giving the Ducks the opportunity they needed to get ahead. Ryan Getzlaf saw his chance as the puck glanced towards him off Detroit goaltender, Chris Osgood. Getzlaf stuffed the puck in the net to put the Ducks ahead by one. <br /><br />Their second tally came in the last three minutes of the second period, on a even-strength goal by Corey Perry. As Getzlaf looked for his second of the night with a wrist shot from the blue line, Perry stationed himself in front of the crease to catch any rebound chances. As the puck flew by, Perry got his stick on it to deflect it in the net to put the Ducks ahead by 2-0. <br /><br />The Ducks survived four penalties, including interference, cross chekcing, and two bench minors for too many men on the ice, but the tripping call on Andrew Ebbett gave the man advantage to Detroit that they capitalized on. Johan Franzen recieved a pass across the crease that he swatted in the net to beat Hiller. After 37 shots, the Redwings finally met success, but it wasn't enough to cover the triumph of the Ducks. <br /><br />As towels rained down on the ice to celebrate the win, a brawl erupted in the corner of the rink, resulting in 9 separate penalties to 6 players. Whether that will affect the next game remains to be seen, but the fisticuffs was a long time coming after a physical game with few penalties called. Aside from the 9 called at the end of regulation, a total of ten penaties were called, and only six were physical penalties. <br /><br />After this win, the Ducks have tied the series at 3 games apiece and will travel to Detroit, where they will play the final game of the series. If they win, they will have triumphed over the top two teams in the Western Conference in two consecutive series. Should they lose, and the 2008-2009 season will come to a close. As for Detroit, this will mark the first time they've had a seven game series since the Western Conference finals in 2002. <br /><br />The Ducks will have to match the energy and defensive performance they had tonight in order to be successful on the road against a fast and physical team like Detroit. Here's hoping I get a few more games to write about before their season is over.<br /><br />Lets Go DucksGinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-45661170734201341422009-05-07T23:06:00.000-07:002009-05-08T00:01:41.740-07:00Ducks Down But Not OutIn their first loss at home since April 21 against San Jose, the Ducks fell to the Detroit Redwings in game four of the Conference Semi-finals with a final score of 6-3. The three goal difference was the largest margin they have lost by in this postseason.<br /><br />The first six goals of the game were scored by three players. Corey Perry had the first, just 42 seconds into the first period. The game was tied up ten minutes later with a Detroit goal by Johan Franzen. Franzen scored again 8 minutes later to put the Redwings ahead by one at the end of the first period. Perry retaliated again halfway through the second to tie the score once more. <br /><br />Detroit player Marian Hossa, who had a goal denied to him in the last contest, quickly put away two goals in three minutes to put the Redwings firmly ahead. His second goal came on a powerplay after Francois Beauchemin earned an interferrence on Detroit player Brett Lebda. The second period ended with a 4-2 score. <br /><br />The Redwings weren't finished. Three minutes into the third stanza, Detroit player Mikael Samuelsson fired another shot past Hiller, prompting his removal in favor of Giguere. Hiller had 33 shots and five allowed goals in his 42 minutes of play. Tonight was Giguere's first appearance since April 11th, and during his 17 minutes of playing time, he had 6 saves and one goal allowed.<br /><br />The Ducks were granted a powerplay after Detroit player Darren Helm was called for tripping. Scott Niedermeyer capitalized on this opportunity to score the Duck's third goal of the game. Detroit would score their final goal on an empty net as Giguere was pulled for an extra attacker in the last two minutes of the game, sealing the fate at a 6-3 loss for Anaheim.<br /><br />Remarkably, penalties for the Ducks were low, but they were poorly timed. Two of the penalties they recieved were during powerplays, thus eliminating the man advantage they had. Each team had a five minute major for fighting after Beauchemin dropped gloves with Tomas Kopecky. Beauchemin landed 8 shots to Kopecky's face before they dragged eachother to the ice. Kopecky landed nothing but the penalty.<br /><br />One of the critical keys of the game for the Ducks was successfully moving the puck up the ice against a fast Detroit team. In their morning skate, they drilled on passing patterns and moving the puck out of their zone in pressure situations. Detroit was prepared for these movements, as it became signature for the Ducks and were champion in shutting them down. Passes were interrupted and the Ducks had trouble moving the puck out of their zone, which became crippling to their offense.<br /><br />With this win, Detroit has tied the series with two wins apiece. The Ducks will play the Redwings again in Game 5 in Detroit on Sunday at 2:00 local time. Make sure you buy your mother something nice so she wont be upset that you're spending Mother's Day listening to the game. <br /><br />Elsewhere in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks are also deadlocked at two wins each, after Chicago's overtime win tonight. The winner of that series will advance to the finals to play the winner of the Ducks/Redwings series. <br /><br />Hopefully, we can count on the Ducks to be the team in attendance.<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-17842599563847675952009-05-05T23:14:00.000-07:002009-05-06T00:26:11.758-07:00Vamos Patos!The Ducks have a one game lead in their series against the Detroit Redwings after tonight's win, largely due to the fantastic goalkeeping of Jonas Hiller.<br /><br /><br /><br />Both teams were scoreless for the first half of the first period, when Teemu Selanne got a breakaway to backhand the puck in behind Detroit goalie, Chris Osgood to put the Ducks ahead by one. Scott Niedermeyer extended their lead midway through the second period on a powerplay goal.<br /><br /><br /><br />Detroit's only tally came later in the second off a powerplay rebound shot by Henrik Zetterberg. Scott Niedermeyer had earned the penalty a minute earlier for hooking.<br /><br /><br /><br />Both teams had plenty of powerplay opportunity, with 7 penalties awarded to the Ducks and 6 called on the Redwings. However, nothing was called on the elbow to James Wisnewski's face midway through the second. Tomas Holstrom committed the penalty immediately after Wisnewski took a puck to the chest. With the wind knocked out of him and blood spurting from his face, Wisnewski vomited and collapsed on the ice, requiring a stretcher to retrieve him and take him to UCI, where it was discovered he had a bruised lung. It is unknown whether or not he will return to the playoffs after such a devastating injury.<br /><br /><br /><br />The loss of Wisnewski seemed to take a toll on the Ducks. Less than a minute later, Detroit player Mikael Samuelsson's rebound bounces to Zetterberg who scores, cutting the Duck's lead in half.<br /><br /><br /><br />A one goal lead with over 30 minutes to play doesn't leave much room for mistakes. The Ducks lost control of the puck and for a few heart-stopping seconds it slid across the goal crease. One of the referees called the play dead, assuming the puck was under a sprawled-out Hiller. Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger simotaneously saw that it wasn't captured under Hiller and dove for it, sending the puck into the goal.<br /><br /><br /><br />The players were left to skate around as the referees discussed the potentially premature whistle that stopped the play before the puck was shoved through. When the referees called for the game to continue without giving Detroit the goal, the Ducks heaved sighs of relief and rightly so.<br /><br /><br /><br />Their last game had gone into triple overtime after a tying goal by Johan Franzen early in the second period. Both teams remained scoreless till Todd Marchant ended the game with a goal early in the third overtime (or the sixth period, depending on your perspective). Trivia: the longest hockey game ever had 6 overtime periods between Detroit and Montreal in 1936, total game time= 176 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br />After the non-goal, the Ducks struggled to keep control of their lead after Detroit pulled Osgood to give their offense an extra attacker. Hiller stopped 18 shots in the last period alone to keep the Ducks ahead for the win.<br /><br /><br /><br />Hiller had a total of 45 saves tonight. He's stopped 138 out of 145 shots in this series and has a total of 368 saves out of 375 attempts in this postseason. Without question, he's been the deciding factor in many of these postseason games.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Ducks next play Detroit in game four of the series on Thursday at the Honda Center at 7:30pm.<br /><br /><br /><br />Vamos Patos! (In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I've translated the typical sign-off into spanish. I'm feeling festive.)Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4398098737022993047.post-544912864506057232009-04-27T23:19:00.001-07:002009-05-06T00:25:09.720-07:00First Round is OverSharks Drown at the Pond<br /><br />In game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the San Jose Sharks lost to the Anaheim Ducks with a score of 4-1. With their win, the 8th-seed Ducks eliminated the top-seeded Sharks from the playoffs in the first round.<br /><br />From the start of the game, fans knew they were getting what they paid for. As soon as the puck dropped, San Jose Shark player Joe Thornton and Ryan Getzlaf dropped their gloves for a pre-game brawl following the intensity of the last game in San Jose and setting a standard for a physical game tonight. Both players were sent to the penalty box in the first two seconds of the game with a five-minute major apiece.<br /><br />The Ducks seemed to like the penalty box, as they spent most of the first period in it. 17 total minutes were served in the first period, including the five minute fighting major. Calls for roughing, elbowing, tripping, slashing and hooking all earned various Ducks players two-minute minor penalties, giving the Sharks the opportunity they needed for their first, and as it turned out, only goal. Just under a minute into a penalty by James Wisniewski for slashing, Sharks player Milan Michalek got a goal past Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller for the first goal of the game. Just two minutes later, Sharks player Patrick Marleau headed to the sin bin on a hooking call to give the Ducks a two minute powerplay, but Corey Perry only needed 14 seconds of the man advantage to score on Evgeni Nabokov.<br /><br />The Ducks earned their second and third goals halfway through the second period. Teemu Selanne earned his first goal of the playoffs on a powerplay goal after a hooking call on San Jose player Torrey Mitchell. Barely two minutes later, Francois Beauchemin would get his first goal since coming back from a torn ACL in November. As the Ducks pulled ahead, the intensity of the fights increased. The second period ended much the same way as the first period began, with a melee that earned Ryan Whitney and Ryan Getzlaf penalties for fighting and roughing, and Sharks players Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski penalties for boarding, fighting and roughing.<br /><br />Soon after the third period began, another fisticuffs broke out, again earning several players a trip to the penalty box. With the Sharks under pressure to tie the score back up, and the Ducks desperate to hold on to their two-goal lead, tension between the two teams causes gloves to drop and fists to fly at every possibility. The Ducks were determined to put the game away with a final goal by Ryan Getzlaf in the last three minutes of the game, with set-up assists by Drew Miller and Rob Niedermeyer.<br /><br />Both teams had 12 penalties each, adding up to 30 minutes of time spent in the sin bin. It was just a mark of how physical the matchup was.<br /><br />Jonas Hiller (the Shark killer!) had an outstanding 37 saves to keep the Ducks ahead for the win. Throughout the series, he's been the determining factor in all their wins with unbelievable saves. In the six-game series, Hiller stopped 211 of 221 shots. With a strong defensive line and a top-notch goalie, the Ducks overcame the top-seeded team in the NHL for the first round win in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.<br /><br />While the Sharks have earned the President's trophy for winning the most points in the league during the regular season, their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup ends tonight. Meanwhile, the Ducks have become the fifth team to upset the NHL's best regular season team in the first round since the 1967-1968 season. They've also become the eigth team that was seeded at #8 to eliminate a #1 ranked team in the first round since the 1993-1994 season.<br /><br />The Ducks will next face Detroit, on a date to be determined. While the upset of the #1 ranked team in 6 games is certainly something to celebrate, Detroit promises to be a much more difficult hurdle after sweeping Columbus in four games.<br /><br />It seems that our history for the 2008-2009 season is still being written.<br /><br />Lets Go Ducks.Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13406037438417450153noreply@blogger.com0