Ducks and Pucks

Anaheim Ducks NHL Tweetup!

2009-07-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

As the 2009-2010 season approaches, Suz Broughton and I have been talking about hosting an Anaheim Ducks NHL Tweetup! This will be a great opportunity for Ducks fans as well as all of those Twitter buddies we've all been accumulating over the past year to meet and talk Ducks Hockey!

The scheduled date for the first meet up is August 26, 2009 at 6:30pm (location and details to follow).

So please, leave a comment if you'd be interested in attending. You can send me a message @SKeleven or DM me on Twitter as well!

Head over to the official Facebook Anaheim Ducks Twitter Group page to RSVP!

It's never too soon to start cheering on our team!

GO DUCKS!!!

When "I told you so" hurts so much...

2009-07-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

And just like that...

I told you so.

Francois Beauchemin has signed with the Anaheim Ducks of Toronto. Brian Burke has struck again!

Quick question for the man (Burke)..."are there no other players in the league that fit your standards or what?! MUST you take ALL of Anaheim's players/coaching staff with you?!"

Defensively, the real Anaheim is starting to look a little scary. Let's all hope that James Wisniewski's arbitration goes well, huh?!

So just like with Pronger, there are a few things I'm going to miss about Beauchemin...but mostly, I'm going to miss how much I thought he was like Scott Niedermayer. I've always felt that Beauch was like the poor mans Scotty, and I really think that Anaheim is going to hurt without his presence. The Ducks definitely struggled on the blueline this past season and when Beauch did return to the lineup, I think many fans realized how valuable he was.

Most of all, I'm going to miss the mis-pronunciation of his name. I don't think I've ever had a good handle on it myself, but hearing VS. announcers and other play by play guys calling him BeaucheMAN during the 2007 run for the cup will always be my favorite.

So, long live BeaucheBOY in our hearts...au revoir BeaucheMAN.

One thing is for sure. Brian Burke is really making some enemies in Anaheim.

----

So this kinda brings me to this next topic...one that I thought I would blog about, then decided to pass on. But now, it might be fitting.

I'm kinda disappointed.

I'm actually disappointed in Scott Niedermayer.

WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?! Another year of Scotty...that's fantastic!

Perhaps. But I'm disappointed in him. I thought he was better than that. Let me start off by saying this...

There are no other defensemen I want to see on my team. I love Scotty and I think he's an amazing player, one hell of a leader and does more for the Anaheim Ducks than I think fans realize. I think Scotty is easily a 6, 7, 8 million dollar defenseman...

And yet, I think he should have taken less, much less.

Look, we all know why he's coming back. This is MOST LIKELY going to be his final year and he's VERY interested in the Olympics. He's just made over 26 million in the last 4 years...and yet...he needs another 6? Ramon and Krystal don't agree with me. They think he deserves it. I agree with that. He's WORTHY of the 6 million. But why not be a team player? Give up a few million and allow the team to spend that money elsewhere (LIKE WITH BEAUCHEMIN!)?! Mini asks, "but if someone offered you 6 million, wouldn't you take it?" SURE I would...but if I wanted to win another cup and I knew that if I saved my team 2 million just for signing less...you bet I would. You bet that the team could mean more. If I was Scott Niedermayer, you know, the only player in hockey history to have won every major championship...the man who's done it all, been there, done that...MAYBE, just MAYBE I'd do what I could to get my teammates to that same place!

I love Scott Niedermayer, I'm glad he's returning to play another season and doing that with the Anaheim Ducks...but I wish he wouldn't have been so selfish, and gave a little back to the team... I can't imagine he NEEDS the money.

----

Like I said, this was just a thought I had after Scotty signed his recent 1 year deal for $6 million. I was initially very upset about how much money he signed for. I recalled Selanne taking less to stay with the team, and it just felt like this was a great opportunity for Scotty to do the same. Some say that he did take less to stay with the Ducks. But just think, maybe a little LESS...and we wouldn't be saying bye to Francois Beauchemin today. Just a thought.

GO DUCKS!!!

Nieder-lanne-ronger drama...the conclusion?

2009-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Get ready fans, these next few months are only going to get more and more interesting...with some tense days coming soon...very soon.

I only have one more thought on the Chris Pronger trade. A lot has been said of him recently (some good, more than his fair share of bad), fans who are sad to see him leave (me), those who are thrilled to see him go (your typical Pronger haters) and those who are looking at the whole picture (Ramon, UJ, many others...and slowly, but surely...me). I just want to make it clear, that while yes, his career has been somewhat controversial...I hope that ALL NHL fans around the league remember this one thing about him...

Fans don't boo nobodies.

So, please remember hockey fans...when you boo Pronger, it's because he's a real somebody...a force, a great defenseman...and someone out there (me) is a big fan. You are definitely lucky to have him on your roster for next season, Philly. Enjoy him.

-----

Okay, while the Chris Pronger era in Anaheim has officially come to a close, it's time to move on to next season with ~~new~~, ~~fresh~~, the same. As Joffrey Lupul prepares for his second run in Anaheim (minus all the "Mighty" stuff) and continues to think of ways to get number 15 back...the Ducks continue to roll out the carpet and welcome back the same 'ole faces...

Mr. Niedermayer (Scotty of course...you DO have to clarify these things sometimes). I am VERY happy to see that he is going to be returning to the Ducks next season, and I'm hoping at a cheaper price. However, with the recent loss of one GIANT defenseman, it's going to be vital that the Ducks are able to retain James Wisniewski AND/OR Francois Beauchemin (who I still predict will be playing for the Anaheim Ducks of Toronto next season...against my own personal wishes). As Ducks fans, we're all blessed to have a blueliner like Scott Niedermayer for a 5th season (WOW) and there is no doubting what he has brought to this franchise as a whole. By helping to put Anaheim into serious contention over the past few years (cup lifting and all), Scotty is exactly what the Ducks will need to make another run for the cup in 2010. Is it impossible to be done without him? No. Will it help? Hell yea.

Robbie? Well, that Niedermayer is sill a question mark.

Someone else who is likely to help make another serious run for the cup is Teemu Selanne. Returning once again this season for the second year on his current contract, Selanne will continue to threaten goalies once more. However, crucial to Selanne's success, will be the quality of his linemates. The Finnish Flash has shown no signs of slowing even with injuries sidelining him mid season. However, linemates who are able to get him the puck, fly with him through center ice, and take on the physical battles to give Selanne space and time will be crucial. Will Lupul be able to provide the speed, the physicality and the creativity required to play along side Selanne? Will the cheap Ryan Carter or Andrew Ebbett be slotted alongside the two? Bobby Effin Ryan? All of these questions will be answered once the season begins...or sooner depending on how the remainder of the off-season is handled.

Overall, the most important factor for the team this off-season is to address the need for second line scoring if they want to continue to be a Western Conference threat.

While it's great to see both Niedermayer and Selanne returning (and therefore quickly putting an end to the Nieder-lanne-ronger drama), there is SOOOOOO MUCH that needs to be done this off season for the Anaheim Ducks. Bob Murray has shown that he isn't afraid to move ANYONE. July 1st is just days away and fans are sure to see more names hit the headlines. I HOPE we see more names hit the headlines, because the fans want to see a successful year out of this franchise. We want WAY more than what we got out of the regular season, and definitely more in the post season!

Do your thing Murray, we'll all be watching, waiting, hoping...

GO DUCKS!!!

Surprise? No. Tears? Yes.

2009-06-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Chris Pronger.

Let the trades of the 2009-2010 season begin.

I'm definitely sad to see him go.

There is something to be said about having a defenseman like Chris Pronger on your team. He's big, he's powerful, he's a great man to have on your Power Play unit and your Penalty Kill...Chris Pronger, no matter what the fans think of him, is a great all around defenseman.

I'm going to miss him.

Chris Pronger has always been the man that other fans love to hate. I don't care what people think of him, dirty or whatever, he's going to be loved in Philly. They are going to realize that they've got a fantastic ice sprawling, physical, sharp shooting defenseman on their roster. Their fans are going to love him before they know it.

I KNOW Ducks fans are going to miss Chris Pronger.

I'm going to miss that upper cut after a speeding slap shot from the blueline. I'm going to miss the D-man with no fear, willing to lay all 6'6'' on the ice to block a shot. I'm going to miss the fact that his feet are 10 times too small for his body. I'm going to miss that crooked tooth! I'm going to miss the way he looks up when you call him "GQ". I'm going to miss his humorous interviews and his excessive use of the word "obviously". I'm going to miss that hideous mustard colored jacket that he wore when the Ducks were in Europe...

I'm going to miss Chris Pronger.

I wish you luck GQ, but not too much.

GO DUCKS!!!

Dear Commissioners...

2009-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mr. Commissioner...

Lend me an ear...all of you, for I have a bone to pick.

I've been hearing about Manny Ramirez in the news again lately (even more recently Sammy Sosa), and it makes my blood boil (and it's not just because I hate baseball).

To begin with, I have a real problem with an athletes salary, especially those making 20+ million dollars a year. However, I have an even bigger problem with athletes who have broken the law (I'm not talking about a speeding ticket, I'm talking serious law breaking...like killings, shootings, dog fights - you get the idea) and those who are under the influence of some illegal substance for their performance.

Athletes are role models, whether they like it or not.

All around the world, men, women, and children look up to their favorite sports stars as role models. These elite athletes are someone to aspire to, someone who has everything, can do anything, can be anything.
ROLE MODELS: Individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. The term has passed into general use to mean any "person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others." Wikipedia

Now, I may not necessarily want to be the next NHL superstar (I can't skate to save my life...so I've eliminated hockey as my future profession...it's ok - I've come to terms with it), but I admire the hell out of some of them, on and off the ice, for the things they do.

I'm finding that it's harder to say that about a lot of athletes these days.

It's a PRIVILEGE to be a professional athlete...NOT A RIGHT.

No one is guaranteed to play professional sports. It takes hard work, an immense amount of skill and talent, and a dedicated work ethic. There are SO MANY people in this world who would kill to be in Manny Ramirez's shoes, and yet, he has abused his talent and power. Here is no new piece of information...you're an instantaneous celebrity, whether you like it or not. You are someone that is inspiring to people all over the world. People who want to play like you, dress like you, wear your shoes, sport your jersey. These people emulate your cross over, your fancy stick work, your juke on the 50 yard line, they call their shot all the same. It is your job, whether you like it or not, to put forth your best, day in and day out, on and off the playing field.

So when you are suspended for taking steroids, caught killing dogs in your backyard, in jail for possession of deadly weapons...I would hope that same day...the Commissioner would send you this simple letter.

----
Dear (...insert ungrateful athlete name here...),

This league no longer requires your services. It is an honor, a privilege, and a very rare opportunity to play for the NHL/NBA/NFL/MLB...and should only be given to those who appreciate and value this HONOR most highly. You have violated the simple expectations set forth by this league to remain an honorable citizen of society. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.

Clean out your locker.

The Commissioner.
----
Maybe the MLB would be losing a fantastic talent if Manny Ramirez is let go permanently, but I believe there should be a no tolerance policy in all of sports. Just think, it might make athletes appreciate their time there, appreciate their fans more, appreciate the sanctity of the game. It might make competition fair, true, and real. A 50 game slap on the wrist isn't going to stop someone else from being just as stupid and pathetic...and an awful role model to men, women, and more importantly, CHILDREN everywhere.

If this is a trend of history, then that is a shame. I want to watch talented athletes with NATURAL ability impress me, show me that there is a reason they are getting paid MILLIONS to do what they do. I don't think there should be second chances in this scenario...we are talking about ADULTS who should know RIGHT FROM WRONG.

Hey professional sports! Grow some balls...expect more from the people representing you! Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Michael Vick (SO MANY MORE)...they're an embarrassment to you!

Those are MY seats!

2009-06-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Along with a few other people (like 12,000 or something) I am now officially a season seat holder! I'm very excited about it!

I got to pick my seats along with all of the other new seat holders at 5:30 (I saw a few Twitter pals there too...even though I didn't say hi- forgive me). UJ and I then continued to go back and forth between two sections...back and forth, back and forth...until finally settling on my new seats for next season! I am so excited to BE THERE!

So, minus the ice, that is my view for the 2009-2010 season...and I can't wait!

Is it time for training camp yet?!

Along with picking seats, Bob Murray gave everyone a little update on the off-season plans. There was not one shocking piece of information revealed.

Murray hasn't heard from Teemu Selanne because his word is based on Scott Niedermayer's decision. Scotty has promised to make his decision before Murray makes his way to the draft which is in only a few weeks. Everyone is injured (not really, but UJ was talking to me, so I missed some of the specifics) and should be healed by the time camp starts. They're expecting Francois Beauchemin to test the market (I'm predicting he ends up playing for the Anaheim Ducks of Toronto), they are planning on battling it out to keep James Wisniewski, and also planning on not getting themselves into a financial hole in order to keep Bobby Ryan next season when he's available to them for negotiations. Murray didn't give any indication regarding the goal tending situation and they are planning on finding a new goal tending coach to replace François Allaire.

All in all, it's going to be a crazy off-season...

GO DUCKS!!!

What about the goal-tending?!

2009-06-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Funny story...I literally had the previous post almost 100% done...and then I heard the Mike Brown news. I rushed to finish it up...and then realized that I forgot to post my position on the goal-tending situation! (Thanks tu madre!)

So here it is...

With the recent contract for François Allaire and the now "Anaheim Ducks of Toronto", there have been many questions about what might happen next with JS Giguere and Jonas Hiller. This past season, the Ducks saw an interesting change in the goal tending power as Hiller finished off the regular season allowing the Ducks to make the playoffs when many doubted they could. Hiller also held strong for the Ducks through two difficult rounds in the playoffs by embarrassing the Presidents trophy San Jose Sharks and posing an unexpected challenge for the damn Detroit Red Wings.

I'd like to think that both goal tenders are staying put for the time being. In all honesty, I don't know much about any of the guys waiting in the wings and I don't know that anyone is prepared to take a back up spot. However, Jiggy has made it clear that he has no intention of being someones backup, and to be honest...he's being paid WAY too much for that to be the case. On the other hand, Hiller has proven that he does not deserve to be sitting on the bench either.

I think the Ducks are going to allow these two to battle it out in camp and during the early parts of the season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a move if Jiggy continues to struggle. I don't think Randy Carlyle is ready to give up on Jiggy just yet, and also I think he has tons of confidence in Hiller after his performance over the last few months of the season, ultimately making his decision very difficult.

Who do I want to be my 1A? Jonas Hiller.

Unfortunately, I think the Ducks may have seen the best of Jiggy. I don't think he's a bad goaltender, and he may be as good as he was in the 2007 playoffs, but I can't imagine him getting any better at this point.

As for Hiller, he's been improving exponentially over the past 2 seasons. While much of this credit is likely thanks to Allaire, it is very possible we will see Hiller continue to improve and better his game over the next season and many more to come as he gains experience in net.

Simply...I see Hiller on his way up, and Jiggy on his way down.

No matter who's A and who's B...I don't know that I would complain.

GO DUCKS!!!

Let the offseason begin!

2009-06-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's time for the off-season to get underway already. Sometime this week (either Tuesday or Friday) the 2008-2009 NHL season will officially come to a close and it will be time to begin preparation for the 2009-2010 NHL season and a chance for 30 teams to begin chasing the ultimate championship once again.

The Ducks are just one of many teams who have a lot of holes to fill, and I know as fans, we're all ready to begin embracing a new/fresh/motivated/skilled/determined/passionate team.

With that being said, there are many roster spots available and, as has been the case for the past 2 off-seasons, questions loom on what will happen with some of the big name veterans. Lets take a look at who's staying, who's "available" and then start talking about the Nieder-lanne-ronger drama (note the ronger is new to this summers scenario).

Let's start with who's staying, and we'll use the same "line-up" that we saw during the final weeks of the the Ducks season.

Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry:

The nice thing about this trio is that they're all still very young, and all getting better. I know we haven't seen tip top Ryan Getzlaf yet, as his numbers are getting better with each new season, and with a better Getzy comes a better Corey Perry. Perry's numbers were near what they were last season, however, this year he didn't suffer a 6 week set back. I think a major reason for a mediocre season from Perry is due to the surge of Bobby Ryan. We all know that kid is only going to get better with time, but if his rookie season in the NHL is any indication, this top line is going to be HOT next season. Very likely, one of the top lines in the league. That's...AWESOME!

Ryan Carter - Andrew Ebbett - Teemu Selanne

I left this line together for two reasons...1.) they're all under contract for next season, and 2.) with more time together, they could be a great, speedy second line. We did see sparks of greatness from this trio during the playoffs, particularly against San Jose when it seemed that Ryan Carter and Teemu Selanne were connecting with one another. However, this line definitely needs to find another speedy winger (I personally like keeping Carter at center for this line and allowing Ebbett to maybe be the energy elsewhere). I think this line might be too small. Carter has more size than Ebbett, and he has the speed, but the Ducks are going to find it necessary to gain consistent second line scoring next season, as the likelihood that EVERY team will be throwing their top defense at the Ryan-Getzlaf-Perry line will very likely stump them from time to time. Therefore, it will be crucial to see this line click. However, at a $3.125 million hit against the cap next season...this could be a successfully cheap 2nd line.

Now it gets tricky...

There are only 3 4 forwards under contract for next season: Petteri Nokelainen, Drew Miller, George Parros and Mike Brown. Parros recently signed an extension for the next 3 season, and both Nokelainen and Miller have 1 year remaining before becoming Restricted Free Agents. Today, Mike Brown* officially signed on for 2 years at approximately $.537 hit on cap.

*Personally, I love Mike Brown. He quickly became a favorite when he joined the team earlier this year and showed the same fire that Ducks fans were used to getting from Chris Kunitz. He's young at 23 years of age, and will definitely continue to be key for the Ducks on the PK. Nice work Brownie...welcome back!

So where does that leave the 3rd and 4th lines? Here's a list of the remaining forwards from the 08/09 season who are free agents of some sort and their hit on the cap last season...

Todd Marchant $2.66
Rob Niedermayer $2.0
Erik Christensen (RFA) $.750
Troy Bodie (RFA)$.500

From this list I hope to see Todd Marchant come back. He had a breakout second half of the season when Samuel Pahlsson was ill and ultimately traded away. The combination of fire from both he and the newly re-signed Mike Brown make for one hell of a PK...and with the Ducks reputation of taking too many penalties likely to haunt them for quite a while, they'll need all the PK stopping power they can get.

On the defensive end, the Ducks still have under contract:

Chris Pronger, Ryan Whitney, Brendan Mikkelson and Sheldon Brookbank.

With that in mind, there are a few GREAT defensive players who are missing from the list. Scott Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin and James Wisniewski are all available (Wisniewski is a RFA) as is Bret Hedican who's pretty much said he's planning on retiring (good call buddy).

So...who stays who goes? That's what we're all dying to know and we're all hoping to find out over the next few weeks.

A lot of the Ducks' future is once again riding on Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne's decisions for next season. While, yes, Selanne is under contract already for next season ($2.00), Bob Murray is waiting his decision on whether or not he will be playing another year. The cause and effect this season is huge. With so much talk on the defensive end, re-signing Scott Niedermayer may be a priority. Meanwhile, that could mean that Chris Pronger gets traded.

When it comes down to it, I'd really like to see the effort put forth in signing Todd Marchant, ~~Mike Brown~~, Scott Niedermayer and James Wisniewski. With tight cap space and Pronger's high salary for next season ($6.25), it might be reasonable to trade him away for multiple younger players and/or an ideally skilled 2nd line center.

Players I'd be comfortable seeing slip away? Rob Niedermayer. The Niedermayer brothers have already stated that playing together in the future is no longer necessary, but yet it might still come into play when it comes to signing the two of them. With much talk of them going to play closer to their hometown of Vancouver, also the site of the 2010 Olympics (which I think Scott Niedermayer is HIGHLY interested in participating in), I wouldn't be surprised to see either or both of them end up there. However, I'd also like to believe that they both love it here in Southern California (who doesn't) and might take that into consideration when re-signing.

I can't imagine the Ducks are too interested in re-signing Erik Christensen. I'm not sure he was comfortable enough here to make an impact and I'm beginning to wonder if he's mentally able right now.

On the defensive end, I would love it if there was space to keep Francois Beauchemin on board. I know there is talk of his interest in testing the market and I think that's only fair. I consider him the poor mans Scotty, and for good reason...he's VERY good and he showed that when he came back from what was essentially season ending surgery to give the Ducks a great push through the 2009 playoffs. In addition, James Wisniewski is a must in my book. My understanding is that Bob Murray feels the same and will be willing to give him what he deserves to stay and play for Anaheim. He's a fighter out there on the ice, and we all saw that during the Detroit matchup.

Overall, the trade deadline was a very positive thing for the Ducks as they were able to acquire some great talent and allow others to test the Anaheim waters and hopefully re-sign.

There is a lot to be done with this franchise in the off-season and I'm ready to see it happen NOW.

Very soon, HOPEFULLY, we should be hearing about all of the Nieder-lanne-ronger plans and that will help settle things down for the draft.

Stay tuned Ducks fans...it's going to be a thrilling off-season!

GO DUCKS!!!

I've got...

2009-06-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've decided to make a pick for the finals.

I personally would love it if they were just cancelled out right, but apparently, the NHL feels it's necessary to finish this season out with a winner...whatever.

With that in mind, I'll go ahead and make a pick (yea yea yea, I'm two games late...but that's really irrelevant since I'm not making a prediction, just picking who'd I'd like see win)...

One would think this is cut and dry seeing as how much I hate the Detroit Red Wings. Not so my friend.

My pick?

Pittsburgh...or Detroit.

I'll explain.

First of all, I have no second favorite team. No team in third, no fourth...basically, there is a 28 way tie for 29th and Detroit is 30th (yes, I hate them the most). It comes down to the lesser of the evils. This year, it's Pittsburgh.

I'd really like to see Pittsburgh take it this year for a couple of reasons. One, they've got Chris Kunitz. I'm okay with him winning a cup over there. Two, they're not Detroit - duh. Three, and this is probably the biggest reason...Sidney Crosby. Yea, I don't hate him like a majority of other NHL fans (who aren't Pens fans) do. I think it would be great for the NHL if their golden poster boy was seen raising a cup. I'd be okay with it and it might just help the NHL in the whole sports world. We can't deny that he's a great player, there is no question about that. In fact, we can't deny that he might just possibly be playing with a player who is as great as he is in Evgeni Malkin. Let's grant Gary Bettman and the NHL their ultimate fantasy, and let the kid win a cup.

So yea, I'd like to see the golden boy, his amazing teammate, an ex Duck, and anyone not wearing a Red Wings jersey win the cup this year.

----

I pick Detroit.

"But wait! You picked Pittsburgh and you JUST SAID you HATE Detroit, you HATE them more than anyone else! Why would you want them to win the cup?!"

Ah. Here's where logic gets kinda crazy. IF IF IF IF Detroit is going to walk out of the 2008-2009 season with their second straight cup (excuse me, I'm off to the bathroom to vomit at that thought), I hope they do it in 4...or 5 games. You see, that would give an insane amount of credit to one, Anaheim Ducks. The only team in the post season to make Detroit look vulnerable. The only team to push them to the brink and have threatened them legitimately. It would almost feel as though, had they knocked off Detroit like COULD have or SHOULD have...that maybe, just MAYBE, the Ducks could have lifted the cup this season. For a team who struggled so much during the season, this crazy line of logical thinking (I'm thinking if I use words like LOGICAL, my thought process will posses more merit than it likely does) makes me feel BETTER about where we stand at the end of this crazy season.

So when it comes down to it...I'd like to see Pittsburgh pull it out and do it for maybe "good" reasons, and I'd like to see Detroit SMOTHER the Pens for my more crazy, Ducks biased line of thinking.

Go Pittsbbb. Ggggggggggg Detr.....yea I can't do it.

Go figure.

GO DUCKS!!!

The category is...Wheel of Fortune

2009-05-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Today, while catching up on the Ducks web site I came across the new wallpapers and the following picture was my selection.

I chose it because it's my favorite moment from this past season. It's the moment that I fell in love with Bobby Effin Ryan and gave him the nickname "Effin" out of respect and honor...

I've seen this picture so many times, but this is the first time that I've noticed the man in the second row.

I wonder if he cheered or booed that goal?

Playoff Supersitions and OCD

2009-05-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's time to break out the "non game day" posts. It's too soon for these, but it's the best way to start moving on and begin looking forward to the 2009-2010 season. I have a few lined up for this off season, and this one in particular will likely be the oddest of the bunch.

In light of the Ducks' recent playoff madness (and even more recently, Sidney Crosby picking up the Prince of Whales trophy after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes for the Eastern Conference title), I was thinking about all the crazy superstitions I've employed this season, and...well, originally I thought I should share them. THEN, I started typing them all out and...wow...this could be VERY embarrassing.

Everyone has superstitions when it comes to the playoffs. From where you watch the game, to growing your own playoff beard, to my long list of MUST DO'S...there's usually something. In fact, even UJ - a new hockey fan, didn't trim his beard while the Ducks were battling it out. Welcome to the hockey club UJ!

My superstitious ways have caused me to inherit a serious case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I would meticulously do little things throughout the day that I felt would turn into a win. Yes, they're completely insane, have no bearings what-so-ever on whether the teams wins or loses, are completely irrelevant to hockey in general...but I'll be damned, they made me feel better.

Now, theses superstitions aren't just during the playoffs, but they definitely intensify once the month of April hits. More importantly, they change every season...so listing them here is not a "jinx".

There are many superstitions that I make others partake in. For one thing, I don't want to hear about how they are going to "win". Until they've won...there is no talking about it. In addition, "game day licorice", it worked in 2007- so I made my whole office participate this year (it was going well until Headphones Brady decided that he needed to implement his own rules on game day licorice...he was cut off after that).

There are so many little things that I do on my own. These are the OCD rituals that I don't speak of...until now.

Let me take you through my day, and please keep in mind...there is no rhyme or reason for ANY of these rituals...they manifest themselves in different forms season after season...and they are completely and utterly INSANE.

The night before a game, I wash my hair using my MOM's shampoo instead of my own.

In the morning, I curl my hair. Now this is where it gets tricky. I use 2 different clips to hold my hair into sections (this already sounds crazy). It is very important that when I remove the clip from my hair that I place clip on the handle of the basket with my left hand, then my right hand before putting it away (yes, it's THAT specific!).

In the morning I put my jewelry on in this order: bracelet (until it broke, then I began putting a link of that bracelet in my right pocket), Ducks charm necklace, watch, left earring, then right earring, then I place a single earring in my left pocket (I lost the other earring the weekend of the Home and Home series against San Jose in April). I put my makeup on in the car (usually when I exit the 91 at Lakewood Blvd - but the specific location was not important. Don't ask me why that was not as obsessive as the whole "hair clip" fiasco- whatever.).

I had three "Let's Go Ducks!" towels laid out in my room, each would get a tap before heading out for the day (this is just getting worse...).

Many of you may have seen Tweets from me after the Ducks would find themselves down in the game to "switch it up!". Changing seats is a must when things aren't going well. Likewise, staying in your current position is just as important when they are winning.

On home game days I would wear an orange shirt and of course the Ducks Nikes. Away game days I wear white shirts and the Ducks Vans. I have certain game day undergarments and specific jeans (I did A LOT of laundry during the playoffs).

I have 3 player jerseys. I wore Ryan Carter to his first game back after being a healthy scratch for far too many games (it was completely random that I chose his jersey that day). As long as the Ducks were winning at home (and I was in attendance) Carter was my jersey. After a loss however, that would get switched up to either Getzlaf or Selanne. I would then wear that player until I was in attendance for a loss. This is my regular season trend as well, it will always be.

I have a scarf that I made a few seasons ago. I always bring it, and rarely ever wear it. I fold it in half, then in half again, and place it on my lap, with my neatly folded orange towel. Both are in easy position to grab when I jumped to my feet and cheer for a goal...waving my towel and scarf crazily over my head.

I always parked my car at work in the same aisle, I always typed "GO DUCKS!!!" with 3 exclamation points, made a countdown til puck drop and I never listened to "Bro Hymm" during the playoffs.

I attended game 4 against Detroit with Suz Broughton, and when we got there, I informed her to do exactly as she had done during the last game she attended (I knew they had won that particular game). I, however, forgot to have the mandatory Zebra Corn and my red Gatorade that I normally have (I suppose I'll have to take the blame for that one). She knew how superstitious I was when I told her to change nothing, and seemed even more concerned that we might not be able to go to a game together again because they lost game 4 (Don't worry Suz, we've got 41 games next season to attend together if we'd like...I had TOO much fun with you to pass that up!).

I'm embarrassed to say...I think I'm leaving tons of little things out.

Looks like I'll have to find a whole new list of superstitions for next year, since these clearly didn't work...and I'm sure they'll all be just as insane.

The important thing here is that as hockey fans, and sports fans in general, it's so much fun to embrace the superstition. No matter how crazy your rituals are, or how OCD you become making sure they are played out perfectly, it's the fans way to put themselves in the game. I've been a superstitious sports fan for as long as I can remember (ah, pacing in front of the TV in perfect stride while watching the Lakers defeat Portland in Game 7 during their playoff run in 2000- something I'll never forget.) and I'll continue to be a superstitious sports fan, until I'm officially declared Obsessive Compulsive.

I know I'm not the only one.

Sometimes, like Sidney Crosby showed the hockey world last night, it's a good idea to switch up those little superstitions...maybe it'll make a difference for them this season. However, here's hoping that he's stayed far away from the Stanley Cup...that's not a superstition to be messed with!

GO DUCKS!!! (<-- 3 exclamation points!)

Don't be upset...be PROUD!

2009-05-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

I've received a number phone calls from concerned friends who are apparently afraid that I might take my life after the Ducks were eliminated from the playoffs.

Yikes, maybe it's time I got a life outside of hockey?

Nah!!!!

Here's what I've told them all...

I'm not upset. That's right. I'm NOT upset. I can't be.

The Ducks weren't supposed to make the post season (not with the way the beginning of the season started and continued for nearly 70 games), there was no way in hell they were going to get past the San Jose Sharks...and the idea that they would lose in the final 3 minutes of game 7 against Detroit was out right preposterous. And yet, they did all of that.

I'm not upset.

I'm not upset that we've learned Jonas Hiller is one hell of a goal tender, who's likely only going to get better.

I'm not upset that Francois Beauchemin missed 60+ games allowing space for Bobby Effin Ryan to make his case...and even more so, I'm thrilled to see that Beauch came back stronger than ever. Re-sign him please.

I'm not upset that this season, Bobby Effin Ryan made a name for HIMSELF...without the need to mention that OTHER guy.

I'm not upset that Ryan Getzlaf, the superstar that he is, and Corey Perry, are only getting better and leading this team at such a young age.

I'm not upset to have experienced another year of Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer, who for all purposes are still amazing players. Weather or not they return next season, I am honored to have witnessed their greatness.

I'm not upset that while yes, we lost a lot of great players during the trade deadline, we gained some wonderful players who made the push to the playoffs worth every bit of heartache. I have a lot of respect for what James Wisniewski, Petteri Nokelainen, Mike Brown, and Sheldon Brookbank brought to a struggling Anaheim Ducks team.

I'm not upset to have learned that GM Bob Murray has the balls, courage, and a great view for this team. It will be exciting what he does with this franchise in the off-season.

I'm not upset that after 95 games, I lost my voice numerous times cheering/screaming for this team I love.

I'm not upset that the Ducks have a fabulous core group of young guys, primed and ready to step up and do their jobs.

I'm definitely not upset about eliminating San Jose in the first round and I'm okay with still having a million and a half reasons to hate Detroit.

What am I upset about?

That I have to wait 120+ days until I get to see them take the ice once again.

So if you're feeling down and depressed about the Ducks elimination...don't be. As fans, we have nothing to be upset about. We're still miles better than the Kings, we're obviously better than Sharks, we aren't facing the uncertainty of our future like the Coyotes are, and that team that knocked us out last year? They didn't even see the post season!

Just remember what these Ducks have done for Southern California hockey...

...and don't be upset...be PROUD to be a fan of the Anaheim Ducks!

Damn, I love this game.

GO DUCKS!!!

Unlike any other

2009-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

"Hockey is like a disease, you can't really shake it."
- Ken Wregget

I don't have a lot to say right now, and I'll be working on a full post for later...but I do want to say this.

I am SO PROUD to be an Anaheim Ducks fan. I am SO PROUD to cheer on this team, to wear their colors, to have their logo plastered on my car. I am SO PROUD to be surrounded by a wonderfully faithful hockey fan base.

I love my Anaheim Ducks...

NOW...FOREVER...ALWAYS!!!

There will be tons to cover here in the next few weeks, and I will be working on this blog faithfully throughout the summer. Hockey is more than just 8 months a year for me!

Very soon I will have a post season blog up (I'm hoping for tomorrow). In addition, I have a few topics lined up for the off season including; Playoffs and my development of superstitious OCD and My love/hate relationship with fighting, to name a few. Also, we'll be covering Duck Dudes during the off season as well as trade watches and of course keeping tabs on the final 2 rounds in these playoffs.

Once again, I want to thank the Anaheim Ducks for always giving me a reason to lose my voice. It was another wonderful season...and I'm already counting down to training camp!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 7.2

2009-05-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

"You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a 100 percent effort that you gave--win or lose."
-Gordie Howe

For today...

"Just do it."
-Nike

GO DUCKS!!!

The shake will wait!

2009-05-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

And the Ducks live to see another day (and so do I for that matter).

This was by far the best game the Ducks have played against Detroit thus far.

More importantly...this is the type of games the Ducks MUST play against Detroit.

What I love...

Puck movement. It was pleasantly nice for a change. Too fancy at times (Ryan Getzlaf...not everyone is you...please calm it down just a bit), but effective enough. The Ducks have a chip and chase method going on against Detroit and only when they are able to maintain control while playing this style will they be successful. Tonight, they were. In addition, they were able to get in Detroit's face, just enough, to disturb their puck movement. Making Detroit pay in the neutral zone is one of the few strong defensive plays the Ducks have at their disposal. When they are playing this well, it slows down Detroit's offense majorly. Huge plus for the Ducks.

What I'm hating...

Their inability to clear the zone. I talked about this a lot when the Ducks were facing San Jose. They seem to be great at clearing the puck from the front of the net, and yet, they struggle from getting it free from the zone completely. UGH! Fortunately for the Ducks, they are still employing the services of the ever wonderful Scott Niedermayer, who, even when fighting, always seems to gain the upper hand. I don't know what it is about that man...but I'm always at ease when he's on the ice.

Who I'm loving...

The Ryan's. I guess because they always seem to have the big plays, but tonight they were all credited with something huge. Ryan Whitney had a huge sprawling save a-la-Pronger style, and while the guy always seems to shy from the physical, if he wants to use his body to block shots, I'm all for it. Ryan Carter had a huge hit early in the game, and on the same shift did a fabulous job at boxing out at the front of the net for Teemu Selanne to get a few good shots on goal. Bobby Effin Ryan, who seems to be turning the corner finally. He didn't have a great game, but it was far improved from previous showings in this series. He had a big assist tonight and played much more physical than we've seen from him lately. Finally, Ryan Getzlaf...who I always feel can be a deal breaker for the Ducks. It was 4 months into the season that the Ducks finally won a game where Getzlaf didn't have at least 1 point (February 2 against Buffalo). That basically means when Getzlaf isn't contributing...the Ducks are going to have a hard time finding the wins they so desperately need. So Getz...do us all a favor...AND SHOOT THE PUCK MORE! Thanks, all our love...faithful Ducks fans!

Who I'm hating...

Detroit (that never changes).

What must continue...

Jonas Hiller has got to continue to be the man that he is. Always seeming so confident in between the pipes, and I love having him out there. He's still seeing way more than his fair share of shots on goal, but the important part is that he's SEEING them. Great thanks goes to the defense once again for that one. Let's face it though...without a solid goal tender like Hiller, there is no post season to speak of.

What must end...

The Ducks have got to stop taking lame penalties. Andrew Ebbett's retaliation penalty is unacceptable and can potentially cost the Ducks this series. In addition...too many men?! Pathetic! TWICE?!?! ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! There is NO WAY the Ducks will continue to be successful against Detroit by giving them so many power play opportunities!

Most Importantly...

The Ducks need to do it...ONE MORE TIME!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 6.2

2009-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

"A diamond is a chunk of coal that made good under pressure."

-Henry Kissinger

The Ducks need to write a different story today, one they can be proud of...one with a desirable ending.

Win, or go home.

GO DUCKS!!!

Your 8th seed is showing

2009-05-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

I have nothing.

They gave me nothing.

I'm actually beginning to wonder if they know what month we are in. Do they realize that this is May? This is not December. (Please don't play like this is December - we saw what you were doing in December...it was ugly.) Do they know that it's more than winning and losing? Are they not aware that if you lose, you go home?

The worst part? ~~They lost to a better team.~~ They lost to a team who played better, who wanted more.

Detroit wasn't that team through the first 3 games. I almost wish they were. Maybe if they had been, the Ducks would know that you can't sit back and wait for them to mess up!

I want to analyze the game, but there is nothing to say.

They played bad. They were lazy and unmotivated and they didn't give enough. Their goal tender did more than enough to keep them in the game, and they were unable to return the favor.

I expected more.

"Not the typical 8th seed."? Show me.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 5.2

2009-05-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
-Confucius

MUST WIN.

GO DUCKS!!!

And you played into it...

2009-05-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

FIRST! I had SO MUCH FUN with Suz Broughton! She and I had a lot of laughs, great sliders from Ruby's, fun with the fans around us, tons of warm up picture time (although we didn't take ONE picture together - how lame is that?!), and she even twisted my arm into buying 3 more Ducks shirts (at least that's what I'm telling my empty wallet). I can't thank her husband, Larry, enough for being unable to attend. What a good man! Suz is quite the fan, and she's made some suggestions for off season blogs (I'll debate on whether or not I want to share some of the stories however). Even more impressive...she's got her OWN game day shoes (that's a blog for another day that I WILL be sharing)! Thanks again Broughtons...you rock! I can't wait until the next game!

Here's a great shot that Suz took of Mr. Ryan Carter for me...

Alright...onto game 4.2....

I've ignored the eerie similarities that everyone has been referencing regarding this playoff match up between the Ducks and the Red Wings...until now.

Of all the eerie similarities...heading back to Detroit tied 2-2, just as in the 2007 WCF, is the one I was hoping wouldn't be repeated.

I usually go home after the game and re-watch the recording - highlights, goals, penalties, questionable moments during the game - to get a recap and a reassess my emotions from the win/loss. I was unable to do that last night and therefore won't be nearly as opinionated about last night's match up as I'd like to be.

I knew that this game was going to be in Detroit's favor from the get go. Whether anyone will admit it or not, there was going to be a bit of a make up in Detroit's favor after game 3 ended the way it did. Unfortunately, the Ducks obviously felt that this was going to be the case as well...and they played into it. They allowed Detroit to walk all over them and did very little to fight back.

I'm not going to complain about the crowd last night. I always laugh at how the ~~Yankee~~ Detroit fans are so proud of themselves for their presence in an opponents arena. We're talking about a successful original 6 team franchise...they have bandwagon fans everywhere. Don't be so surprised when they are in your building.

Overall, the Ducks were playing the lazy brand of hockey we've seen from them all too often this season. A huge contrast in last night's game, compared to Tuesday's game in particular, was the Ducks' inability to shut down the neutral zone effectively. When it comes down to it, the Ducks have seen two very different opponents here in the post season. San Jose, in my opinion, plays a very similar style to the Ducks. A shorter, chip and retrieve type of game with a physical aspect similar to the way Anaheim plays the puck. Detroit plays a much smoother passing game, with an attempt to control the puck from one end of the ice to the other. If the Ducks are unable to put a stop to these successful offensive transitions...trouble...

Unfortunately for Jonas Hiller, he was bound to have an off night. I don't know that I can blame him completely as it seemed the defense was very off of their game last night as well. In fact, everyone seemed to be chasing Detroit, chasing the puck, chasing their own bodies since they were clearly not moving their feet...and they paid for it. Hiller's soft 5-hole goals were going to catch up to him eventually, and I'm really surprised Detroit has yet to exploit the fact that when they take shots directly in front of the crease, Hiller is quite soft. It was nice to see JS Giguere get some time in net, but I'll be honest, I hope that we see Hiller in net on Sunday.

There has been a lot of talk about the Ducks being insanely out shot over the past 10 post season games. Quality over quantity in my opinion. The Ducks may not be talking as many shots as their opponent, but I'd be interested in a stat showing timed puck possession. I would bet that those numbers are probably more reflective of why the Ducks have had success. They may not be taking as many shots as their opponents, but they're making them count. In the end, the scoreboard is all that matters anyway.

This is killing me, but I really hope that I don't have to change his name from Bobby Effin Ryan to Effin Bobby Ryan (I usually save that for when Ryan Getzlaf does things to piss me off). I'm still sticking to my "he's hurt" assumption, but it's definitely clear that something is bothering him. I don't think it's simply the pressure of the playoffs, I think it's the pressure from EVERYWHERE ELSE that is potentially getting to him. I think in particular it's the pressure from the 2 or 3 guys in Red Wings jerseys who immediately attach themselves to him once he touches the puck. I still believe he'll find a way to break through. Maybe he shouldn't have been so damn amazing during the regular season causing a mini post season slump to make him stand out like a sore Thronton thumb. Hang in there fans...he's still the Effin we all know and love.

Also, what happened to Getzlaf last night? He disappeared during the third (much like Effin did in game 5 against San Jose and hasn't been the same since) and I noticed immediately, but haven't seen anything other than "he's sick". I'm not buying it. Anyone have another thought?

Finally, I'd just like to mention how much I loved Francois Beauchemin's fight last night. Again, I'm not a fan of the fighting, but that felt right last night. It was a great fight...and yet again someone was surprised to find out Beauchaboy is a lefty! LOVE IT!

In the end, I hope that last night's game didn't put doubt into the team's head. They're going to need to be the better team on Sunday. They need to do it for their moms...for Ryan Getzlaf's 24th birthday...and for the pure reason that this is the post season, there is no room for error.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 4.2

2009-05-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

"Get used to this phrase: how could both referees have missed that?"

-Mike Brophy

I expect A LOT of that tonight.

I am really excited about tonight's game! Wait, scratch that...I'm ALWAYS excited about the game, but I am a little extra excited about my company tonight! Suz Broughton and I will be cheering it up and probably beer-ing it up...orange towels in hand and tons of Detroit hating (she's really good at that if you follow her on Twitter)!

There is no question that Detroit (and their fans) are looking for revenge. There is also very little question on whether or not they are going to get some EXTRA calls in their favor tonight. Unfortunately, it's just the way the puck bounces, and tonight, I don't think it will be in the Ducks' favor.

That being said, they're going to have to play extra hard if they want the win. First and foremost, Bobby Effin Ryan is going to have to show that he can play through a slump and get his groove back. In addition, the Ducks need Ryan Getzlaf to play like he wants to win. The second line will need to step it up again and make something happen, and to say that the Ducks will need some assistance from the third and fourth line is just a given.

It's always possible...now just go out there and make it happen!

I hope the Honda Center is ear shatteringly loud again tonight...Suz and I will definitely be doing our part!

DO IT FOR WISNIEWSKI!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Saved by the whistle!

2009-05-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

Whew! That was a close one last night. Probably should have been closer than it was...but the fact of the matter is that the Ducks got the "W".

At this point, I don't think it matters how this series turns out, the Red Wings and their fans aren't going to be happy. They'll be looking at what they consider to be a questionable hit in game 1 and now a goal that shouldn't have been called off and continue to call the Ducks "lucky". When it comes down to it, the Ducks got a call in their favor for a change. Plain and simple. Was it pay back for a kicked in goal during game 2? Was it to rectify an elbow to the already injured James Wisniewski? It doesn't matter. What everyone needs to remember is that questionable calls are going to happen in every game. Sure, it's easier to be okay with a questionable call when it goes in your teams favor, and I'm not trying to excuse it. Every team has suffered a fate from the whistle, and this time it was a positive for the Ducks.

"He didn't make a mistake. In hindsight, if he had a slow-motion camera to review it, he may not have (blown the whistle). He did what all officials are instructed to do. Blow the whistle when they don't see the puck. And he didn't see the puck." - E.J. McGuire, series manager and spokesman for officials. Anaheim Ducks Official Web Site

We all know humans are going to make mistakes. When it comes down to it, referee Brad Watson was simply doing his job. Referees aren't always good at their job, but it's part of the job description to be hated by fans across the league. He's currently getting top billing as employee of the month from me!

Way more important than screwing over the Red Wings (which I love more than you can imagine) is the status of James Wisniewski. I didn't see the play as it happened, but did notice immediately that he was hurt after the elbow to his face. While watching the replay of the game at home, it was obvious that he took a shot to the chest and was in considerable pain from that. To add further injury to injury, he then received an elbow to the face from Tomas Holmstrom. Scott Niedermayer was the only man sent to the box on that play for a hooking call, and Detroit scored on the following PP opportunity. It's okay though, the Ducks got that call back when the whistle sounded in their favor at the end of the game. Reports from the Anaheim Ducks Official Web Site is that Wisniewski has suffered a lung contusion and was kept over night for monitoring. He is apparently doing well however, and I know I'm just one of thousands of fans who hopes he is doing well. I'm sure it's too much to ask that we see him tomorrow night, as I have no idea how long this type of injury may last, but hopefully sooner than later. He's become a HUGE reason the Ducks have had their recent success, and I'm a big fan of the Wiz. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Another daunting message from last night was revealed in MANY tweets I received via Twitter regarding Effin. Those messages were all the same..."Where's Bobby Effin Ryan?". Even the constantly angry guy sitting behind me (he complained about EVERYTHING) couldn't help but voice his frustrations every time the kid couldn't maintain control of the puck. Is it possible Ducks fans were spoiled by his regular season brilliance? Is he folding under the pressure? Is he too good to be true? I say, "nah!" to all of those things. It's quite possible that he's just hit a dry spell. It's also very possible that Detroit knows better than to give Effin an ounce of breathing room, knowing very well what he is capable of. I say, give the kid some time. Get off his back for a bit and let him be a rookie. This is his first time in the post season and I'm sure the nerves are there and the pressure is definitely there...give him a day or so off of the criticism block and let him play his game. The goals and the points will come.

On that same note, it's a great thing the Ducks have players like Ryan Getzlaf to rely on. He didn't have a big night last night on the scoreboard, but I was watching him closely- and wow, is he underrated. It's so much of the little things that Getzlaf brings to the game that are remarkable. The way he handles the puck is unbelievable in it's own right, but how he controls a play, and moves around the ice is fascinating to watch. In addition, he's very smart with the puck up against the boards. I watched that closely last night and to see the way he uses not only his stick, but his feet, his legs, and his body to make space for puck control...thats a talent that can't be taught- it's natural. I give Getzlaf a lot of crap from time to time, and I'm realizing just now that it's because I'm really understanding why Brian Burke constantly remarked that he can "be as good as he wants to be". It's amazing at how good he is when it appears he isn't even trying...and when he is trying, the guy is quite possibly unstoppable.

Another highlight of the night was the beautiful little backhander by Teemu Selanne to put the Ducks on the board. Most impressive on that play was the great feed from Ryan Carter. I'm not one to pat myself on the back...but I will say this:

I've been calling for the Ebbett-Carter-Selanne line for months! MONTHS!!! I'm glad to see that it's paying off for the Ducks. Maybe more importantly, I'm glad to see the inspiration for Carter to stay in the lineup means he's got 4 points in his last 5 games. The Ducks need scoring from anyone - and with Detroit working so hard to keep the Ryan-Getzlaf-Perry line down, second line scoring is huge. So is converting on breakaways...maybe Selanne should have a little sit down with Drew Miller and give him a few tips on how to be successful going one-on-one. Couldn't hurt.

One more thing...the Honda Center was insanely loud last night. My friends and I were having difficulty talking to each other from time to time. I don't know if it was the combination of too many Red Wings fans in the building, or just the fact that these playoff games bring out the emotions in everyone, but it was great to hear all of the fans doing their part. We're going to need to bring this continued support as I feel the refs are going to be making up for the late "no goal" in game 4's match up.

It's great to be up 2-1 in this series, but this thing is FAR from over!

See you there tomorrow night, it'll be a doosie!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 3.2

2009-05-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

"When you're riding, only the race in which you're riding is important."

-Bill Shoemaker

One game at a time.

These next two will be at home for the Ducks...

One game at a time.

There is no looking ahead at any point in these playoffs. Tonight, the Ducks are going to have to take each period, each shift, one at a time. Game 2 was exhausting I'm sure, but the good news is that BOTH teams are tired.

We're going to need to see a lot from our big guys tonight, most importantly Bobby Effin Ryan. Randy Carlyle made an example out of him in game 2, and I have a feeling the kid won't take lightly to that. GOOD! With the way the other lines performed in game 2, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a very similar line-up tonight.

And again tonight, as with every home game this post season...the fans MUST bring their "A" game!

GO DUCKS!!!

All day hockey event?! I'LL TAKE IT!

2009-05-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU TODD MARCHANT!

I don't know that this blog post requires more than that.

What a long exhausting game for players and fans. I, for one, love knowing that after 100 minutes of hockey, Detroit fans left dejected.

This game didn't need to go into overtime. I think the Ducks know that. The painfully lame slashing penalty by the reckless Ryan Getzlaf and Detroit is on an early power play. Then, a ridiculous call by the "Situation Room"...

Hockey Operations used video review to determine if Detroit player Stuart used a distinct kicking motion (the fact that the puck bounced off Anaheim defenseman Wisniewski before going in the net is not a factor - Rule 49.2 states "A kicked puck that deflects off the body of any player of either team shall be ruled no goal"). The decision of Hockey Ops was that Stuart did not use a distinct kicking motion - Good goal. NHL.com

I have to question that one. I would have voted kicking. Doesn't matter now...all is said and done.

Jonas Hiller was looking rusty in the early moments of the game (I call them early when you play 5+ periods of hockey). More of those soft 5 hole goals and lofty short side opportunities are goals that Hiller can't afford to give up. He definitely found a way to shine through the final 2 periods of overtime as that klepto-glove of his was as lethal as ever. Saving 59 of the 62 shots he faced, I'm beginning to wonder if he knows exactly what's on the line in these playoff games. He always seems so calm and put together...I really wonder if he realizes that this is more than just a "really long game". Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining one bit.

In the end, the important factor was, as always, scoring. Scoring from the typical guys, Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Pronger, as well as the not so common guys, Ryan Carter and Todd Marchant. I really think the not so common guys were the deciding factor in the game. Seeing Carter step up and get a big goal off of a beautiful end board bank by Scott Niedermayer. Josh Green, who for all purposes came out of nowhere (both on the roster and in the game), was just inches from winning the game. Mike Brown, who yet again, had a huge night drawing 2 penalties and showed no signs of effect from his ejection on Friday. Drew Miller and his two break away opportunities and of course, Marchants game winner. It's these guys, the ones who's names aren't mentioned in the headlines...the guys who don't score 60+ points in a season...who are not likely to be the focus of the opponents checking line...THESE GUYS, they're going to win you tight games after 40 minutes of overtime of the playoffs.

More on the Ryan's for just a moment. It really seemed to me that they all played a part in today's game. Some good, some bad. Unfortunately, the bad went to both Ryan Whitney and Bobby Ryan. I still think that there might be something going on with Effin that we as fans aren't aware of, and I think it's put a hindrance on his intensity. He seems a jump behind everyone and it caused Randy Carlyle to move him to the second line and replace him with Carter. I can't say that I like that as a permanent position as I think Carter is a better option on the Selanne line as is Ryan for the Getzlaf-Perry line. But, sometimes the team needs a different look and a spark. It was a good call by Carlyle. In addition, both Getzlaf and Carter were big factors in the game as the both found the net to keep the Ducks in the game. Ryan Whitney on the other hand looks a bit scrambled from time to time. I'd like to see him get more aggressive.

In terms of Scott Niedermayer...I'd like to know what happened to him. I don't think that this was what I'd call a typical Scotty game. He was out of position, out skated and taking sloppy (yes, lame) penalties. I'd like to think that this was just a one time thing, but I felt like he wasn't himself during the first game of this series either. But it happens from time to time...shake it off Scotty!

Overall, the Ducks showed a lot of heart on the ice. They somehow found the energy that Marchant referenced, moments before scoring the game winner, to keep going strong over 100 minutes of hockey. They're going to be tired on Tuesday, but the good news is that Detroit will be tired too. One of the positives from the game is this...they really made Detroit look vulnerable from time to time...and they're coming home 1-1.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 2.2

2009-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
-Malcolm X

The Ducks need Mike Brown.

Brown has become an instrumental part of the Ducks success on the Penalty Kill since he was acquired. His speed and ability to be "the pest" on defense causes teams to turn over the puck and frustrate them while trying to enter the zone. The Ducks were without his services in game 1...and hopefully, if we have to see a PK unit, he'll continue to impress.

The defense must be stronger.

While Detroit claims they don't play the physical game, they are much smarter and stronger about getting to the front of the net than the Sharks were. They are going to do everything in their power to get pucks to Jonas Hiller, and the defense needs to be stronger down low to prevent that from happening.

Jonas Hiller is going to be tested...anyway.

Detroit knows that Hiller drops to his knees. They are trying to exploit that and are doing it well. He's very aware that they are looking for the top of the net and they are a very skilled team capable of making sharp shots. While he's trying to focus his efforts on an all around game, he's letting the easy things get by 5 hole. Hiller needs to play like Hiller...and not let another teams' offense dictate HIS game.

Scoring is a must.

This is not the time to be cute on the ice. Jiri Hudler learned that lesson in game 1. Smart plays and solid passes are always crucial but most importantly, the Ducks have got to find ways to get the puck and MEN to the net. The rebounds are there. Go get them.

Penalties are going to be the factor.

Come on. We all know that Detroit is going to get the benefit of every doubt. The Ducks MUST capitalize on every opportunity they get on the power play. Teemu Selanne, for one, must be sharp. He had a hat trick against Detroit earlier this season thanks to power plays and knows how to pick the right spot. Scoring on those opportunities might make the difference.

In addition, penalty kills are going to be just as important. Having BOTH Mike Brown and Todd Marchant out on the ice for the PK will be a great option for the Ducks in game 2. A luxury they were without for game 1.

And of course...staying out of the box will be the ultimate kill.

GO DUCKS!!!

Detroit, Media/Versus, & the NHL = 1; Ducks = 0

2009-05-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

--UPDATED!--

This is going to be an even tougher battle than I thought. I somehow forgot that the Ducks would be up against Detroit, the entire Media, and the NHL as a whole. Damn.

Plain and simple, the Ducks are going to have to play like angels if they want a chance in this series. There will be no room for sloppy play, because the entire NHL will be there to ensure the Ducks spend what is beyond their fair share of time in the penalty box.

So lets get right to it.

The Mike Brown hit.

--UPDATED--

Here's a still image from the opposite angle. Thanks to Morbo over at BOC

I think he's going to get a suspension. There is no way you lay a hit like that against the precious and untouchable Red Wings and not get slapped with a suspension...it doesn't matter how guilty or innocent you are. Of course Mike Brown feels he's innocent;

“I just hit him with my shoulder,” Brown said. “My elbow wasn’t up. My stick wasn’t up. It was just a clean hit. I wasn’t meaning to do any harm or anything. I was just playing physical. His head was down. I think they called it because he was cut and on the ice, but I think that was probably because of his visor. He had just gotten rid of the puck. It wasn’t late or anything.” OC Register

And of course, Jiri Hudler thinks it was dirty;

"I didn't see him coming," Hudler said. "It happened really quick. I didn't have the puck for at least two seconds. It was kind of late, but there's nothing I can do right now. Obviously, it's a hit on the head. I don't want to be out of line, but I hope (the League) will get a look at it and do the right thing." From the Rink

And for a change, not every media personnel is kissing Detroit's ass. Bob McKenzie from TSN;

"It's really up to the National Hockey League to decide what is it that they want to do. I think the NHL is going to look at it and say it's a five-minute major, it happened midway through the first period, Mike Brown is out of this game, there was no severe injury to Hudler other than the blood, he came back and he's playing, and the Ducks had to play with 11 forwards the rest of the game. There may not be a suspension in this case."Puck Daddy

My opinion? I think that the 5 minute major AND the game misconduct are more than enough. Late hit? A bit. However, a "bit" is more than enough and I'll accept that. Hit to the head? NO. Malicious? NO. Where did the blood come from? HIS OWN VISOR! I honestly don't think he deserves a suspension for the hit. Will they try and make this an example? Probably, even though it's a poor case in my opinion. If the Ducks were on the other end would I want a suspension? In all honesty, even with my passionate dislike of the Red Wings, I'm going to say no. I'd like to think I have a good ability to step out of the box.

That's my opinion. I want yours too...

Moving right along...

The Ducks lost this game because they were lazy in the final moments of the game. As much as I love Corey Perry and Bobby Effin Ryan, I'm sorry, but they failed me tonight. What were you boys doing STANDING AROUND?! There is no way you are going to win any games against Detroit if you're busy hanging around waiting for them to make a mistake. It's not going to happen. Instead, they waited for you to make a costly mistake in your own defensive end, and made you pay for it with less than 1 minute to go in the game. Maybe Effin doesn't know what it's like to see a goal in Joe Louis Arena with less than a minute to play, but Perry should remember that it's those last minute ditch efforts that won him a cup 2 years ago.

The Ducks had their chances tonight. A few posts and shots gone wide...but again, I'll refer you to this thought: It's not how you play, it's whether you win or lose. Those posts and wide misses are part of this game. You have to find a way to make those opportunities bounce in your favor. There was a huge spark of intensity from Teemu Selanne and his second linemates tonight. The chances for those guys are there. Andrew Ebbett, playing as hard as ever, taking hit after hit and still finding a way to get to the puck. Erik Christensen was right on the doorstep a few times tonight, and with a bounce here or there, the puck is in the back of the net. These guys are going to have to be the havoc makers in this series. I know Selanne can do it, the Ducks are just going to need a few more guys to step it up.

The Ducks have the ability to wear teams down. We saw that happen from time to time throughout this match up tonight and we saw it happen numerous times against San Jose. If they can continue to move the puck well, SKATE HARD and play smart defensive hockey, they can frustrate these Red Wings. I don't think the Ducks played great tonight and in fact, I think we've seen them play BETTER here in the last few months. If you ask me...that's a great sign. I think this means that a better game is on the way, and if that was Detroit's best effort...well...

Anaheim fans have to remember one thing. This is definite bonus hockey for us. It looked like Anaheim wasn't going to have a chance in hell at making the playoffs back in January. Had they made it...there seemed no way to get past the first round. Well, they've done BOTH of those things. We're being treated to a special brand of bonus hockey and I think the team knows that. I don't think this roster is going to give up without a fight.

And I kinda think they don't like Detroit as much as the rest of us do.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 1.2

2009-05-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

"Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable."

-Zig Ziglar

This is going to be a battle...make no mistake about that. The Ducks are going to need to play with the continued fire and passion that they showed San Jose in the first round. There will be no time for rest once the puck drops today at 4pm.

We all know that the Ducks are up against a powerhouse. Their fan base alone (while yes, annoying) is going to play a huge factor in the first two games and hopefully this will help to fuel the fire behind the Ducks power.

One thing is for sure, the Ducks are going to need a lot of help from so many of their talented players to pull out victories. While yes Bobby Effin Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are going to be the big go to guys, the Ducks are going to need the presence of Teemu Selanne, Andrew Ebbett, Erik Christensen, Ryan Carter and so many of their other capable hands for scoring if they want to get this done.

On the other end, Jonas Hiller will have to once again be the wall that he was in the first round. We all know that he can't do it alone. The Ducks' defense which has proven itself to be amazing in it's own right will need to provide all of the support they can in order to keep the front of the net clear.

Most important factor of all...no damn penalties. I know this will be an IMPOSSIBLE task for the Ducks to complete...but the less opportunities they give up, the better. The penalty kill stars Todd Marchant and Mike Brown are going be as crucial as ever in stopping a dominating PP unit.
The Ducks have a chance tonight...they'll need to work hard and play like they want it more than the other guy.

GO DUCKS!!!

Moving right along...

2009-04-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

This will be my last statement about the San Jose Sharks and their first round loss to the Anaheim Ducks...I think.

This morning I was listening to XM 204 and they were talking about "what went wrong in San Jose?"

Here's what I think about that very stupid question:

Nothing went wrong in San Jose. Nothing. A team that finishes the regular season 53-18-11 = 117 points and wins the Presidents Trophy...you did nothing wrong. Unfortunately you met up with a red hot Anaheim Ducks team and you couldn't keep up. You paid for the Stanley Cup experienced roster in the previous off season and they helped to lead you through a regular season in an alarmingly fantastic manner. HOWEVER...your regular season pace was too slow for the post season. Now, you're claiming injuries. Every team claims their injuries when they've been eliminated...no room for excuses there. I still believe that Bobby Ryan was injured in game 5. You play through those injuries in the post season.

I really wish that people would stop pointing blame at what the Sharks did wrong. Instead maybe someone will finally say...a really good team lost to a much better team. End of story.

-----

Enough of that madness, the Sharks are gone and the Ducks are moving on.

Tomorrow the puck drops on what will be a highly intense series in the NHL. Detroit hates Anaheim for the numerous upsets they have been dealt by the Ducks in the past and everyone else hates Detroit for being Detroit.

I won't lie, they're at the bottom of my list when it comes to opponents in the NHL. For various reasons that lie outside of their being the Yankees of hockey...I have to say one of those reasons is their fan base. I would LOVE to have a fan prove me wrong, and while yes, I can't lump them all together...I've yet to meet a HUMBLE Red Wings fan. They apparently don't posses the bone in their body that will allow them to say...hey, we lost because we didn't play well. Or, yea...that team was better than ours. IF Detroit loses, the blame will always be on the opposing team or the refs.

So what does this mean to the Anaheim fan base? Look out. It doesn't matter what you say about the Ducks or the Red Wings, you're going to be wrong in their eyes. You can agree with them, and now you're not a good enough Ducks fan. You can disagree, and they'll be blaming YOU for the missed hooking call. You can be silent and sit back and watch and they'll attack you for having no passion or pride in your team. It's lose lose.

I suggest that the Anaheim fans do what they do best. Show up to games 3 and 4 and scream your ass off. Cheer like you've never cheered before. Wave your orange towel with pride. Suz Broughton and I will be doing just that during game 4...PROUDLY. I can't wait!

I don't care how many championships you've got. I don't care that your fumbles in game 5 are the reasons for OUR cup. I care about tomorrow at 4pm (PACIFIC) when we meet you again in a classic battle of The NHL's Untouchable Unicycle Wheel vs. The Always Underestimated Team that NO ONE Wants to Play.

Let the stress and the light-headedness begin!

GO DUCKS!!!

Seaons are nice, but the Playoffs are better

2009-04-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

"You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone. Not fit to f*@#!ing tread the ground that I am walking on!"
-Harder to Breathe; Maroon 5

I've been waiting to use that one for a while now. It feels good.

You know what else? Barry Melrose must look like a GENIUS right now! Basically the ONLY "expert" to have picked the Ducks to take the first round from the PRESIDENT TROPHY WINNING SAN JOSE SHARKS...the Ducks are convincingly victorious in my opinion.

I don't like to talk about the games...some of you may have noticed on Twitter. A typical response from me is..."Shhhhhhhhh!" Don't be offended, I just don't want to talk about it. Okay, catch me in November against Edmonton or something, and I MIGHT join in on some trash talk, but I don't touch the playoffs with a ten foot pole. However, I have NO PROBLEMS talking about the now eliminated San Jose Sharks. The joy that I feel right now, having seen the EIGHTH seeded Ducks REMOVE the PRESIDENTS TROPHY WINNING SAN JOSE SHARKS, that joy is indescribable.

Here is something I said to a few people...very few people...

On Saturday, the Ducks were awful...no kidding right? The first two periods were terrible and YET, they found a way to come back and tie it up. That, to me, was a HUGE motivational boost for this Ducks team. I think with that loss, while yes it sucked, still showed that they are able to beat this team and they might just be BETTER THAN SAN JOSE! Which is all they needed to know about themselves! With the amazing victory last night, I think they proved to the rest of NHL that the Ducks are that good.

It seems to me that San Jose is a great team. There is no doubt that they had the ability to go far this post season. It's just unfortunate for them that they were forced to face the team that "no one wants to play". So what's next for San Jose? Tee Time and a long restful summer with the Presidents Trophy! There isn't anything better than that right? Oh wait...Stanley...he's better...but they wouldn't know that feeling.

In all sincerity, San Jose was a great team this season. They didn't just win the Presidents Trophy by luck, they were good enough to deserve it. They dominated at home and they dominated in most of the games they played. Unfortunately they were hot during the wrong time of the year. On the other end...the Ducks got hot at just the right time.

Next time? Nah, not if the Ducks have anything to say about it.

Mini has given up seafood for this victory. Every year she gives up something for each round pertaining to the team the Ducks are playing. She no longer votes for Senators and for a year refused to have Little Caesars pizza. Last year she gave up Famous Star burgers...but that one didn't work out too well. So this year...she's not allowed to have seafood until THE NEXT SEASONS PLAYOFFS BEGIN! It'll be a tough year for her, but the hockey gods have called for it, and now she must pay. I love her for it! :)

Highlight of the night? Yea, there are the obvious...Teemu Selanne finally breaking though; Jonas Hiller the Shark Killer was amazing YET again (probably the MVP for the Ducks in the first round); Francois Beauchemin, the poor mans Scotty, who is insanely underrated; Scott Niedermayer himself, amazing as always; Ryan Getzlaf who is GOLD when he shoots the puck and provided a huge dominating physical presence last night. But my highlight? Mini says, with 14:00 minutes left in the 3rd period..."When are they (San Jose) going to pull him (Nabokov)?" I LOVE YOU MINI! It was classic- and man, I love her thinking! :)

Okay, something else that I have chosen to keep hidden from this first round. On Thursday morning I woke up stressing as always about the playoff game that night. For some reason, as I was waking from my restful slumber, I kept thinking we were playing DETROIT that night! I don't know why I kept thinking about Detroit, but for some reason I kept thinking we had a huge game against them that Thursday evening. When the Ducks managed to take care of business on Thursday night, I was feeling pretty good about my subconscious premonitions.

This playoff run is just getting started, but in terms of small victories...taking down the Presidents Trophy San Jose Sharks...that just feels DAMN GOOD doesn't it?!

I'll gladly eat my words any day of the week! Which is exactly why I don't talk about games beforehand. I'd rather not gloat that a team is going to win and eat THOSE words...I'd rather be a little more humble about it to begin with. Which brings me to this. The final match up against the Chicago Blackhawks (I know, you're thinking...we haven't played them in months...what is she talking about?...I'm getting to it), I did a little Q & A with the Committed Indian over at Second City Hockey. The final question was if I thought the Ducks would make the playoffs and if I thought it would be worth it. Here's that Q & A:

Are you guys gonna make the playoffs? Is there any point?

That's the million dollar question in Ducks land right now. Honestly, with how tight everything is in the West, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. The problem is we're all still waiting for this team to catch fire. With so few games left (especially for the Ducks), that fire better be now. Is there any point? Probably not. The Ducks have had serious issues with first place AND last place teams this season. I can't foresee them upsetting any of the top teams in the West.

I LOVE eating those words!

-----

Small exhale, as I begin to hold my breath for...ugh, do we have to talk about it already? Detroit.

Total side note. We have a friend who decided to tune in and watch some of the game. He sent my friend a text, "Who is that Miller? He's awesome!" we all laughed that he MUST have meant HILLER, but that it was a typo...sure enough about 20 minutes later he sent back..."OOPS, I meant HILLER, not MILLER." ...yea, okay, it was funny.

I saw this one the other day...and it made me think of both the Ducks and the Sharks in this first round. I wanted to make sure it was true though before I posted it...

"Losing streaks are funny. If you lose at the beginning, you get off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you're in a slump. If you lose at the end, you're choking."
-Gene Mauch

GO DUCKS!!! OH! And Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Ducks in a Row...game 6

2009-04-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

"In every adversity there lies the seed of an equivalent advantage. In every defeat is a lesson showing you how to win the victory next time."
-Robert Collier

Here is hoping that the Ducks have evaluated Saturday night's loss, reflected, learned from it, and will now move on.

There is no time like tonight to try and finish this thing off. Notice I said TRY!!! Nothing about this game is guaranteed. Nothing about tonight is certain.

Both the fans and this Ducks team need to remember that.

The fans are going to need to bring 110% of their loyalties and dedication to this team tonight. Without the fans support and encouragement this game is going to be a tough battle.

On the same note, the guys are going to need to bring 150% of themselves. They are facing a team who is up against elimination- and we all saw what kind of determination they brought to the table on Saturday night. The Ducks must be faster, smarter, stronger.

This game is not impossible, but it is imperative...I, for one, do not want to see this series go to a game 7!

The Ducks are going to require the services of their top two lines tonight. Once again Bobby Effin Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are going to need to dominate on all ends of the ice. In addition, it's equally necessary to see the second line step up. Teemu Selanne has been absent lately, and now would be as good a time as any to show up!

And once again, we will need to see Jonas Hiller as the human wall.

I'm already nervous and I'm already shaking in my Nike's (literally, I'm wearing the Ducks Nike's today).

There is no time like today...

GO DUCKS!!!

It's not how you play the game...

2009-04-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

It's whether you WIN OR LOSE!!!

Remember when you were five and your parents would tell you that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's all how you play the game? That doesn't apply when you're making 5 million a year and you're playing for a professional hockey team in the NHL trying to win a Stanley Cup. That motto is irrelevant.

I don't care how you play, I don't care if you close you're eyes for the entire game...in the end, I care if you WIN OR LOSE. Tonight, you lost.

That's really all the post season comes down to.

Remember game 5 against Detroit in 2007? The Ducks, for all purposes, played AWFUL. They were terrible. They did NOT deserve to win that game...but a late goal by Scott Niedermayer with less than a minute to go sends the Ducks into overtime. Teemu Selanne roofs the OT winner...if you ask me...the Ducks win the cup with that one victory. That's right...a VICTORY. That's what the post season is all about. It doesn't matter that for 59 minutes the Ducks played like crap, what matters is that they found a way to win and they DID. It's all about the scoreboard at the end of 60+ minutes...not who had more SOG, not who made fancier passes, bigger hits, more penalties...it's all about the scoreboard. Moral victories and motivational moments mean NOTHING in the post season. There is no time to take that and grow on it...you have to play in the now and win this game...no matter how ugly it looks getting there.

Last night, the Ducks had the opportunity to turn that in their favor, and they failed. Because when it comes down to it, the scoreboard has the final say, the final word. The Ducks were on the wrong end of that word.

I had been thinking about this idea for the last few weeks. For all purposes, the Ducks have been the team who have found ways to get the win. When they managed to tie the game thanks to Ryan Carter and Corey Perry, I was thrilled. To see the way the game had been going up to that point, there was no way the Ducks deserved to win the game. But like I said...

It's not how you play the game...it's whether you WIN OR LOSE.

Plain and simple...the Ducks lost. It wont matter what they did well, or what they did poorly. They lost. It wont matter that the first two periods they played like crap, it wont matter that they turned it on in the third, and it doesn't matter that they had chances in the OT session. They lost.

We ALL know that these Ducks are better than what they showed the hockey world last night. In the same sense, we ALL know that the Sharks are just as good as they were last night, maybe better. But here's the kicker. This is all at square one again. That's right. We've heard it time and again from Randy Carlyle...10 minutes, then it's time to move on. MOVE ON. There is still a game 6 and even better it's in front of the Ducks' home crowd. Going back to San Jose is NOT an option!

The only thing I can even make positive about last night was one Jonas Hiller. There is NO WAY the Ducks would be where they are in this series without his services. I've seen a lot of people calling him lucky lately. That's crap. I hate that word, 'lucky'. To me, there is nothing about hockey that is lucky. This is a game of inches. This is a game of posts, bounces, wide shots, deflections and fanned passes. Nothing about any of that is 'luck'. Someone who faces 48 SOG is not lucky to see only 3 get past...he's good. He's damn good. He shouldn't be the only factor in a Ducks victory/loss and it was the only saving factor for the Ducks last night. They provided very little support on the defensive end, and for all purposes did nothing to help on the offensive end. Here's why...

This Ducks team has a tendency to get lazy and when they do, they STOP MOVING THEIR FEET! There is no way you can get to lose pucks, play physical hockey and move the puck well when you're NOT MOVING YOUR FEET! MOVE YOUR FEET! We saw what that did for the Ducks on Thursday...THEY saw what it did for their team on Thursday...WHY WOULD THEY STOP DOING THAT NOW?! Oh right, they got comfortable. That's crap! There is no time to be relaxed when you're playing against the best team in the league. I don't care if you're up in this series, if you can't close this one out...there is no point because you'll be done, you're gone!

As it is, I have a very hard time watching playoff hockey. Don't get me wrong, I love it...but I am always overly tense/anxious/nervous/panicked/sweating/freaking/shouting/stressing...and games like the one the Ducks played last night...they make all of those things a million times worse.

I am VERY aware that these Sharks are lethal. I am VERY aware that there is a chance they will come back in this series and make the Ducks pay for lazy play, soft penalties and ridiculously lame efforts. I hope everyone else is aware of this as well.

More importantly, there are 20+ guys on that Ducks roster who should be DAMN aware of this fact.

You don't have the time or space to play cute/lazy hockey. You worked your ass off for this post season, now go out there and remind the fans that you actually give a damn about doing something with it.

Yea, I'm pissed.

BUT I WILL ALWAYS SAY...

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 5

2009-04-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

So what do the Ducks need to do to close this one out?

EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID IN GAME 4.

GO DUCKS!!!

I can see the reflection of a teal jersey on your face. Oh?! You're choking? YIKES!

2009-04-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

WOW!

I'm speechless. Not just because I have no voice, but because I have missed this team! This team is gooooooooooood. These Ducks are gooooooooooood.

THESE DUCKS ARE DAMN GOOD!

This is the first time in a really REALLY long time that I've left the Honda Center...IMPRESSED! I was blown away by what I saw from these guys last night.

I honestly feel that this has been one of the best showings we've seen since...wow, dare I say...the 2007 finals?!

First off, the little things. I have a Ryan Carter jersey. Yea, I'll admit it...he's not necessarily my favorite player on the team...but he's my favorite. I have a jersey "routine", which is not important, but yesterday, I decided I was going to sport Carter. Good call SK! I'll be honest, I wasn't happy to see Petteri Nokelainen a healthy scratch, but on the other end, I was very happy to see Carter on the ice and playing his heart out. I just wanted to throw that out there.

THE DUCKS DEFENSE IS HOT!

Last night, there was at least one key/ HUGE play by each guy on the defensive core. Here's a great way to open this thought...

"That (Scott) Niedermayer makes it look easy," Roenick said. "He skates so well, it looks like he's not even trying. And he never gets tired." Roenick finally grinned. "He's a great player. I hate him." OC Register

Beautifully said Mr. Roenick. Scott Niedermayer had countless poke checks and one skate block shot in particular that was just typical Scotty, and I don't think it's necessary to say more about the future Hall of Famer than that. Ryan Whitney...this was probably the best game I've seen from him since the Ducks acquired him in the trade for Chris Kunitz. James Wisniewski who had numerous blocked shots last night, and one in particular with about 7 minutes to play in the third period allowing the Ducks to hold on tight to their 2-0 lead. Chris Pronger looked alive tonight for the first time this series, and of course, Francois Beauchemin, who I consider to be the "poor mans Scotty", doesn't look like he has missed a game this season.

I find it so ironic that for a whole SEASON I've been complaining and wondering where the defense was! Turns out, not only has it been found, but it's better than ever. And of course, how can you forget the Shark Killer himself, Jonas Hiller. This guy is just getting better! Standing tall and never breaking an emotional sweat, Hiller has instantly become a major factor for the Ducks. In a season where goaltending has been shaky from time to time, Hiller is showing the organization that there is plenty of heart and skill in his game. Posting two shutouts in his first 4 NHL playoff match ups, he's currently riding high in the playoffs with a .959 SV% and carrying so much of the weight on his shoulders as the Ducks muscle through the first round of this post season.

Even though the Ducks played a DOMINATING game (to put it mildly) they were still out shot by the Sharks. It really didn't feel that way. Other than their two power play opportunities, I never felt that the Sharks were threatening the Ducks all night. I can't believe I'm actually saying that.

To say I called this game...well, I called this game.

The first line was clearly unstoppable. Bobby Effin Ryan. BOBBY EFFIN RYAN! How UNBELIEVABLE is this guy?!?! BOBBY EFFIN RYAN! He's so smart and he's got such great hands and his shots are spot on! I was so worried that after the Ducks had all of that momentum and that HUGE delay while the glass was getting fixed, that they weren't going to be able to get that momentum back. Then, Bobby Effin Ryan showed up and there was no question that the Ducks were going to continue to dominate this game.

THE DUCKS DOMINATED THIS GAME.

It might be safe to say...there is no other line in the NHL right now that is as good as Bobby Effin Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. I don't think there is a question in my mind about that.

Penalties. There were so few...it must have been some sort of Anaheim record! I don't care if the Ducks never go on the PP, but to ensure that the Sharks never go on the PP, I'll take that any day! In fact, San Jose knows that a disciplined Ducks team will be their downfall. For a team who was so reliant on their Power Play during the regular season, it has shown that having an ALL AROUND game is so important to success. If the Ducks can play this same game, dicsiplined hockey, they are going to do well in future games. In fact, here is a very short conversation UJ and I had last night:

UJ: It's like there are twice as many Ducks out there tonight than there are Sharks.

SK: It's called hitting and getting to the loose puck.

How such a small act of physical play, where you move your feet, can completely re-write a season for just one team. Discipline and physical play...that makes this Anaheim team LETHAL!

San Jose has a slim chance to turn this series around...but don't get too over confident Ducks fans, it's still possible. I won't be calling this series over, until it's actually over. 91% of teams that take a 3-1 lead win the series...until the Ducks have won at 100%...I won't be able to relax. IF IF IF I get the opportunity to gloat about a series victory over San Jose, I'll quickly take another deep breath in preparation for Detroit.

I still can't believe that the Ducks have a 3-1 lead in this series...but you bet your ass...I've got NO complaints about it!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 4

2009-04-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

"In war, there is no substitute for victory."
-Douglas MacArthur

There's no stepping down now. With a 2-1 lead in this series, this game is more important than game 1.

With an opportunity to take a strong hold on this series or see it slip to 2-2, the Ducks really hold all of the control here.

Here's what I'm thinking...

The Ducks have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They weren't supposed to be in the post season. Weeks ago many had written them off. Finding someone who picked them to take this first round is nearly impossible (thanks Barry Melrose). And yet, here they are with 1 more game at home, up 2-1 in the series and in complete control of their future...just as they were during the final games of the season.

Tonight scoring is a must...a MUST! I think it must come from the top two lines. The RGP line has to step it up tonight and the second line is really going to need to be a factor. Getting set up on the offensive end of the ice will be crucial to even strength and power play opportunities. The Ducks are going to have to make their own chances and take advantage of mistakes on the other end.

In addition, keeping the front of the crease clear will be huge to the success of Hiller.

And as always...NO STUPID PENALTIES!

Tonight = MUST!

GO DUCKS!!!

No time for small victories

2009-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, at this point being up 2-1 against the team who is for all purposes the best team in the league...it's not enough, but it's better than nothing.

The Ducks needed that game last night. It hurts to lose to the Sharks at this point in the post season...but to say I saw it coming...well, I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I couldn't imagine the Ducks were going to take two in San Jose...and the thought of sweeping the number 1 seed seemed even more unimaginable...but when it comes down to it...the Ducks are going to have to be a MUCH better team on Thursday to make it out of round 1 alive. (I'm planning on being more positive as this post goes on...I promise)

Sometimes I know what to say...yet finding the right words is often tricky. Good thing I have an amazing Swiss goalie to sum it up perfectly for me...

"We had a little more offensive zone time than the last few games, but I think they had a decent first period. They had a lot of shots. They are the best team in the league not just because they were lucky. They are very skilled over there. They are a good team. I think we can play better, and that’s what we’re going to do." - Jonas Hiller OC Register

I don't really think I could sum up last night any better than that.

The Ducks are just asking to give up 3 or 4 goals a game to a team that has a great Power Play unit. It was only a matter of time that the Sharks were going to figure out a way to break in, and they have done just that. It gives more pressure to the Ducks to play smart hockey, move their feet and move the puck well. There were so many times last night that I felt like the Ducks were WAITING for the puck to come to them. There is no time to wait in these games. No time and definitely no room for cute passes or sloppy plays.

By putting extra pressure on San Jose's attack, the Ducks were able to create many turnovers in their favor. With San Jose struggling to clear the puck in the third period, the Sharks slid a great little feed to Chris Pronger who jumped in on the play just in time to shoot a fireball into the net. It reminded me so much of Corey Perry's goal in the final minutes of game 5 against the Senators in the 2007 finals that I had to smile at the post season similarities. It's great that the Ducks were able to capitalize on the San Jose turn overs, but they are going to have to start creating scoring chances for themselves. They are going to need to work on getting the puck into the zone to allow for a successful set up. The Ducks have been having trouble getting quality control in their own zone and that is going to be a must in game 4.

I'd really like to see the Ducks play a little more aggressive on their own end. What happened to you Corey Perry? Have you forgotten your role on the team as "goaltenders worst nightmare"? I'd like to see some more aggressive movement around the net, get Nabokov on some shaky ground and pick up some dirty goals!

The game was very physical, far more so than in the previous two games. I don't think the Ducks were ready for that change in pace to the game. San Jose made good work of shutting down and wearing down both Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne. While it's physically more difficult to bring down someone like Ryan Getzlaf, they did managed to get under his skin enough to throw off his game. That is going to happen from time to time, and the only way to get past that is to rely on OTHER players! This is a team guys, remember that.

So who do I rely on? The ~~forward~~ defenseman that is Scott Niedermayer. He was all over the place last night....I wondered when he ever stepped off the ice. I can honestly say that when I watch Scotty play, I'm never disappointed. He was my first star of the night - by far.

I can't imagine that San Jose is going to let up now that they have found a way to win. In fact, I think this one win will only add fuel to their fire. Here's hoping that this Ducks loss will only add fuel to their fire as well.

This series is FAR from over. We've all been witness to the Ducks under pressure and scrutiny. We've all seen these Ducks come from behind and go far...and here's the best part...they're NOT behind. The Ducks are very much in this thing and have a lot of power and pride to take this series into their own hands.

Hold tight Ducks fans...this is going to be a bumpy ride!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 3

2009-04-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."
-Muhammad Ali

These Ducks MUST have the will tonight. They must go above and beyond. As each game progresses they must work hard, play physical smart hockey and become more and more determined to succeed. Each game their opponent will come at them harder and stronger...and the Ducks MUST have the will to be the better team.

Tonight, 3 things will be key (well, millions of things will be key...but these are just 3 that I think will be the most imperative).

The first key is far and beyond the most obvious...STAY OUT OF THE BOX! I know THEY know this...FANS know this...just do it! SMART HOCKEY!

Jonas Hiller has got to be the man...AGAIN tonight. The Ducks are facing a very powerful offense...Anaheim's defense must continue to be BETTER!

Home ice, home crowd. The fans MUST be a factor in tonight's game. As a whole, we have to be behind our team with 100% of the support they deserve.

OH! And for a 4th key...tons of DUCKS GOALS (that's just as obvious as the first...but sometimes, it needs to be said!)!

GO DUCKS!!!

2 down...

2009-04-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Games 1 and 2...I'm pretty sure I've lost about 10 years from my lifespan.

Lets jump right into it...

Bobby Effin Ryan scores a typical highlight reel goal - and I love it! We've seen so many of those from him lately, and by no means am I down playing the beauty of his goal, but I'd rather gloat about his last minute of play. With the Ducks holding on to a one goal lead, Effin is working the puck deep in the Ducks offensive zone, making some big hits and making it difficult for San Jose to clear the puck and pull Nabokov. When it comes down to it- Effin is doing more than just scoring big goals, he's making big plays and playing SMART hockey. He may be considered a rookie this season, but lately he's been playing like he's been in the NHL for years. I'm impressed to say the least.

Again, the PK was required to kill off too many penalties (I'll be getting to those). Yet again...Todd Marchant and Mike Brown were working hard, causing turnovers and making big hits. I've noticed lately, Brown has taken on the roll of pest. He's been putting pressure on the San Jose offense and you can sense they are getting frustrated, nervous and are making bad choices with the puck because of it. It's these little things that are causing San Jose to break down. The Ducks are relying heavily on this break down because, surprise, the Ducks are taking too many penalties. HOWEVER...last night seemed to be a display of the best way to take BS penalties just because of the team you play for. Anaheim fans are used to this. We're used to seeing the Ducks get penalties called simply because of the name on the FRONT of the jersey (a few times because of the name on the back...ie PRONGER). Here's something that the Ducks and fans need to remember, if these penalties start to get too much, the Ducks might back off and play a weaker defense. So personally, I'd rather see penalties get killed off like they have been, than see the Ducks watch the Sharks fly by because of a sloppy, lazy defense. Normally I'm not one to complain about officiating- bad officiating is part of this game, but these past two games have been a direct result of simply who you play for. The refs even seemed to realize that a good way to allow San Jose to score would be to put Brown in the box for a weak elbowing call and it didn't work. I don't want to hear that San Jose hasn't been getting their chances. 79 SOG and 12 PP opportunities in two games - more than enough opportunities! It's simply a matter of making the most of those opportunities and the Ducks are doing a better job of that right now. Maybe, instead of talking about what's wrong with San Jose, people should start taking note that Anaheim, THESE DUCKS- they're HOT!

It will be absolutely pointless for me to even mention what an all star Jonas Hiller is...but I'm going to do it anyway. This guy, so calm and so collected...he is a shutdown force not backing down. The worst part, while watching NHL network last night, they still don't want to give Hiller the credit. Look, I don't care if Hiller was able to see 40 of those 44 shots last night cleanly, and if that's the case, then SOMEONE in an Anaheim jersey is doing something right! Someone is keeping shooting lanes clear, someone is allowing Hiller to make great stops and give up few rebounds. But here's the thing, San Jose is clearly getting opportunities and Jonas Hiller and the Ducks' defense are doing a great job shutting the Sharks down. In addition, the Ducks are clearing the puck from the front of the net beautifully. It seems lately the Ducks defense has been a huge factor in helping to keep the crease clear and free of loose pucks. In both games 1 and 2 Ryan Getzlaf had some huge clearing saves in the crease that would have/could have been easy goals for the Sharks. Great. This is the team effort we like to see.

2nd line scoring. Huge factor in these games for both teams. The Ducks are breaking through by getting their Iowa boys involved. I feel confident that now that the scoring has come from a few areas, this team is going to continue to find ways to break trough. Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller get some sloppy goals by simply throwing the puck to the net! Those kind of goals are the ones that are going to win you hockey games against a skilled San Jose netminder. Getting pucks to the net - always a HUGE plus!

Numbers, let's talk numbers. The Ducks have won every series when leading 2-0. The Sharks are winless when trailing in a series 2-0. I don't care. That means nothing to me. Hillers' .975 SV% in the playoffs, THAT number speaks volumes. The Ducks killing 12 straight Shark PP opportunities, THAT number is huge! The difference, Hillers numbers represent the NOW. The Ducks PK is representative of this team NOW. What the Ducks FRANCHISE has done in the PAST, what the Sharks FRANCHISE HAS NOT done in the PAST...those numbers are irrelevant. It's about the now. I won't get comfortable with a 2-0 Ducks lead in this series and no one else should either. Ducks fans have seen what the Sharks have done this season, and while yes, that was the past...we know they are still capable of that NOW. I'll be at game 3 and 4 doing what I do best for this team...SUPPORTING THEM.

I wanted game 1 more than anything. I wanted the Ducks to make all of those who had been wondering if the Sharks would school Anaheim to scratch their heads sit back and say, whoa...Anaheim isn't going to take this series lightly. Game 2, that was just icing on the cake! I strongly feel that there is no team in the Western Conference that could have come into the Shark tank and given this team a run for their money like Anaheim has. I think there are a lot of teams out there right now, looking at what the Ducks are doing and they are saying to themselves LOOK OUT, THE DUCKS ARE HOT!

Damn right baby!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...game 2

2009-04-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”
- Will Rogers

Tonight will be a huge test for the Ducks. There is no doubt in my mind that they are going up against a team with the drive and passion to erase what happened on Thursday night.

The Ducks have to ignore that team, they have to forget about Thursday night. They have to go out there and want it more, strive for more. Plain and simple...they can't just sit there content with 1 win.

Tonight will be a real test for the 2nd line in my opinion. With the way Andrew Ebbett, Erik Christensen and Teemu Selanne have been meshing lately, it's going to be imperative for them to get big goals tonight. If the 2nd line is able to be a threatening presence like they were in game 1, it will give the big line room to step up and make contributions.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no penalties for Rob Niedermayer...in the 2nd period...tonight.

GO DUCKS!!!

2-0 means 1-0

2009-04-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Game 1 was the exactly what I expect this series to be...

Physical, fast paced, an overabundance of Ducks penalties, too many Sharks opportunities, low scoring...and me screaming at the TV.

Physical? Oh you bet! Two guys flying under the radar on the Ducks roster right now, Todd Marchant and Mike Brown, were so crucial to the Ducks' success last night. I don't know what Marchants' plans for the rest of his career are, but if he wants to "go out on top" this might be the time. He's been amazing this season, and has really peaked since taking over the centering spot on the checking line. His speed and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team is unstoppable.

In addition, the aggressive play from Brown is allowing the penalty killing unit to be a successful factor for the Ducks. Lets face it, the Ducks took entirely too many penalties last night, and 3 unnecessary 2nd period minors from Rob Niedermayer doesn't help. Even Ryan Getzlaf got in on the action with a lame elbowing penalty in the final minutes of the game. With the Ducks leading 1-0, seeing the top scoring forward on the team head to the box was a enough to knock at least 2 years off of my life span. When Getzlaf emerged from the box and was on the right end of a San Jose turn over to send a bullet into the Sharks chances of coming back in game 1 - Getz effectively gave me back 4 years. I heard the clink of the cross bar and saw the puck come shooting back to the middle of the ice, I thought he had shanked it right off the top of the net. It wasn't until I saw the ref at the top of my TV signaling for a goal that I went crazy! CRAZY!

The Ducks took great advantage of what they were given. With so few shots on goal (17) - I'm starting to develop and interesting love/hate relationship with SOG. Clearly taking more shots is going to increase the odds of getting a goal, but the quality is really what's important here. Moving the puck well is so vital to the success of teams, and when the Ducks are doing that well...it shows on the scoreboard. On the same note, having a goal tender who is able to stop the opposing 35 shots thrown at him...now that's fantastic! Jonas Hiller in his first NHL playoff game made it look like he's been playing nothing but playoff caliber games his entire professional career. He was saved by at least 2 posts (that I could hear), but in the end he was a wall for the Ducks - who's defense has picked up greatly over the past few weeks with the additions of Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski. All of those guys are really adding to the incredible powers that is the always amazing Scott Niedermayer. Scotty is just...he's the man. I don't know that there is a better offensive/defenseman in the league. Always so calm, collected, and so smart with the puck. There will never be another like him.

Another strong factor in last night's game was the second line. With no points to show for unfortunately, they did exactly what they need to do against the Sharks. They were a THREAT. Andrew Ebbett and Erik Christensen are meshing together well, and had a few opportunities last night in front of the crease. In addition, Teemu Selanne was looking strong with a great opportunity in the third to get the Ducks on the board that was tapped just wide. When this line creates scoring chances like this, it causes the Sharks defense to step it up for not just one scoring line, but two. Keep it up boys, those goals are going to come.

The only negative I took from last nights game was control. The Sharks clearly outplayed the Ducks for a majority of the game. They had control of the puck, yet they were unable to get anything going in terms of successful offense (thanks again for that one defense/Hiller). However, it's just a matter of time before the Sharks start playing like the team they have been this whole season. This San Jose team has the ability to move the puck well when they are in control. The Ducks need to focus on clearing the puck well and controlling the play in their own zone. With continued defensive pressure and a burst of offense, the Ducks have a better chance than many are giving them credit for.

Overall, it was a MUST win game for the Ducks. It gets the ball rolling in the right direction. There are many areas the Ducks must improve on if they plan on making it out of this first round, but for the most part, winning game 1 puts them on the right track.

This thing is far from over...but for today, it's feeling pretty damn good.

GO DUCKS!!!

OH! and a new Ducks Dude has been featured...head over and check out Chris Pronger and leave your thoughts about him on the bottom of the page!

Ducks in a Row...game 1

2009-04-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a procrastinator. I can't and I won't deny it. But, I also work really well under pressure.

The Ducks, I think they're procrastinators too. When you think about it...they didn't bother to show up until the end of the season. That's the ultimate in procrastination! Here's the positive in that...look at how well they did under all that pressure! They're off to the post season yet again and while it could have been too little too late, in the end it was just enough, and just in time!

It's going to take an overwhelming amount of teamwork to get me through these weeks. Like the Ducks, I'm going to need to take this game by game. Hour by hour. Document by document. Line by line. Letter by l-e-t-t-e-r. That's just at work, the weekends...that's a whole other story!

The Ducks are going to need to do the same. Game by game. Period by period. Shift by shift. Pass by pass.

This entire series is going to require that the Ducks work as a whole. They're going to need contributions from everyone to pull this out. The second, third, and fourth lines must make an impact if there is going to be any room for the RGP line. If those lines can become a functioning threat, it will open up time and space for Ryan, Getzlaf, and Perry to the damage necessary. On the same note, the Ducks are going to need to find the same defensive drive to bring down a very powerful offensive force.

I think we'll see Hiller in net tonight. He's played very well over the past few weeks and has the ability to stand tall when the Ducks need him.

This is just game one of what will be a very long and difficult road for these Ducks.

"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have."
~Norman Vincent Peale

But I have confidence in them!

GO DUCKS!!!

A rare breed

2009-04-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about being a hockey fan in Southern California is that for the most part...we're a rare breed. There aren't many hockey fans here in So Cal...but when you find one, it's always a treat.

This is Ramon's FAVORITE time of year! He LOVES seeing all those playoff flags waving in the wind. Laker playoff time...yea, he hates it. When it comes down to it, every car here in So Cal is boasting Lakers this, Angels that, Dodgers this...even this morning I saw a RARE Clippers license plate frame - you can imagine there aren't many Clipper fans in LA. It's not too often that you pass a car decorated with Ducks stickers or a license plate frame. My car is appropriately adorned to show where my loyalties are...Ducks sticker, shatter puck, license plate frame (and when I'm not in my car I'm usually adorned in Ducks stuff too...my sweatshirt, purse, silver D logo that hangs around my neck).

When I do see a car on the road with some sort of NHL logo, no matter what the team, I feel it's necessary to have a bonding moment. Yesterday while driving home and sitting in more than my fair share of traffic, I passed a guy with a Philadelphia Flyers license plate frame on a California plate. As he passed me again, we exchanged knowing smiles, "My team is better than yours."

Lets face it, there are no Laker fans who give each other the thumbs up on the freeway, because there are so many of them...they'd be waving to each car they passed.

We're a rare breed, So Cal hockey fans...but when you pass me and I see Ducks pride on your car...I notice, I smile, and I usually feel it's necessary to say, "YEA BABY!"

GO DUCKS!!!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

2009-04-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's time for the playoffs baby!

Yikes!! I'm already nervous. For the record, I would have been nervous if the Ducks were playing Colorado in the first round...nervousness is a given from me.

Let's start at the end...

...which in reality, is just a beautiful beginning.

How classy is this Ducks team? During the final home game of the regular season, lead by Scott Niedermayer, the Ducks took a lap around the rink, sticks raised, to show respect to their fans who have stuck by this team through thick and thin.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN!

This is the team that lost brutally to the Atlanta Thrashers. This is the team that couldn't stand up to the New York Islanders, or the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the team that lost the season series to the cross town rival Los Angeles Kings.

No. That was the OTHER team.

That was the team with no chemistry, no connection, no drive, no determination, no passion. That was the team that couldn't put together 3 straight wins. That was the team before the trade deadline.

THIS TEAM, these Ducks...they're the ones who just did what very few believed they could...THIS TEAM, just went 11-5-1 (since the trade deadline) to clinch their 4th straight playoff appearance. THIS TEAM has chemistry, a connection, drive, determination, passion. THIS TEAM has all star players, playing like all stars. THIS TEAM has low profile guys scoring goals, making big hits and sacrificing their bodies for the post season.

THIS TEAM, 6 months late...are actually just in time.

True, at the beginning of the season (well, BEFORE they went 1-4 to start the season) I expected them to be at the top. I expected they would be battling San Jose for the Pacific
Division. I expected them to be dominate all year. I have high expectations from a team 2 years removed from a cup...maybe that's just me.

I was thinking of what my blogs look like in review...and it goes something like this:

September: Did you see the pre-season? Did you see what this team can do? Did you see the way Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are tearing it up?! Bobby Ryan! Look at that kid go, he’s going to be great to watch!

October: WHERE’S THE TEAM FROM THE PRE-SEASON?! WHERE ARE THE GOALS?! WHERE IS THE DEFENSE?! WHERE IS THE GOAL TENDING?! DID THEY MISS THE PLANE?! Teeth?! What about Getzlaf's teeth? He's a hockey player...he doesn't need TEETH!

Late October/November: ahhhh, now this is more like it…just what I’d expect to see from this team! Very successful string of wins...this looks like what we’re going to be enjoying all season long! This is going to be a fun year! Sad to see Beauch get hurt, but we get the fabulous Bobby Ryan in his place...no problem!

December/January: What is with this team? Why can’t they get it together? ANOTHER 4-3 LOSS?! Why can’t we hold on to a lead? Why can’t we stop the puck? Where is the defense? WE NEED A CHANGE! But man...have you seen that Bobby Effin Ryan?! Amazing!

January/February: Up down Up down…Losses to the worst teams in the league?! CHANGE IT UP! DO SOMETHING! DO ANYTHING! SHOW US YOU WANT THE POST SEASON!

Early March: Where have the boys gone? What happened to my boys?! We lose some of the core group of the 07 cup run and this is supposed to help?! This team will NEED an October/November. This team is going to need to find a way to win game after game after game. This team better find the chemistry now………

End of March: LOOK AT THESE DUCKS NOW! LOOK AT THE CHEMISTRY, LOOK AT THE FIRE, LOOK AT THE PASSION, LOOK AT THE DETERMINATION…

April: This Ducks team may just be the HOTTEST team in the league right now. LOOK OUT PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME!!!!!

THAT team or THIS team...they're MY team. They've taken me through months of expletives and profanities. They've made me scream at the TV and shake my head in confusion. They've made me wonder if they were capable of meeting the post season and succeeding.

That's right, MY team is there. They may have lost to the Islanders, the Thrashers and the Kings. But where are those guys now? They're at home watching MY team head off to the post season.

YEA BABY!

Here is something to remember...what has happened, what this Ducks team has done, what OTHER teams in the league have done...that's all irrelevant. That means nothing to the NOW.

This is the playoffs baby...this is a whole new season. There is no time to rest or play catch up. These Ducks need to come out strong from the very beginning and never let up, never back down.

This first round match up, could prove to be the biggest upset of the playoffs. When it comes down to it, these Ducks have everything a team could need to make a very successful playoff ambush. They have the scoring hands of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Effin Ryan, Teemu Selanne, Andrew Ebbett, and Erik Christensen. The shut down powers of Todd Marchant, Mike Brown, Petteri Nokelainen and Rob Niedermayer. The defensive mastery that is Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski. The hot glove hand of Jonas Hiller and the playoff powers of JS Giguere. THESE Ducks can do so much damage on any given night...and I believe they will.

There is no point in speaking positivity if you don't believe in this team. I believe this team has the ability to go far this post season. Do you?

Since the Ducks' fate was decided on Sunday evening, I've been thinking about this first round match up. I've been analyzing and and looking back over the season, trying to come up with an outcome for the future...

What a waste!

Everything that has happened this season...it's all in the past. Those wins and losses of the regular season mean nothing now.

Thursday...that's the first meaningful game of this season.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...decision time

2009-04-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Those Ducks sure do know how to keep you on the edge of your seat don't they?

Standing and cheering with 1 minute left in the game, up by one and heading to the post season...the Ducks give up a goal with 13.1 seconds to send the game into overtime. That 1 overtime point was all that the Ducks needed in order to clinch a spot in the playoffs, but...

Man, what a buzzkill!

On the night, the Ducks looked a little rusty, kinda like they just had a 4 day break or something. Jonas Hiller, for all purposes (minus the final goal of the 3rd period) was typical SOLID Hiller. That glove hand that just comes out of no where to slap you in the face. Those legs that kick out with a vengeance...and his shootout proficiency. I'm a little confident in saying he'll be the guy we see in game 1 of the playoffs.

Besides the fact that Ryan Getzlaf kept the team in there with his shootout goal, that guy was just asking for my friends and I to jump him in the parking lot after the game to knock some sense into him. Where WAS he last night? Drop pass after drop pass. Look dude, we know you like to pass the puck, but teams are starting to EXPECT that from you...fans are starting to expect that from you too! COME ON GETZLAF! This team needs you to make better choices with the puck right now. Take a shot now and then...PLEASE!

Teemu Selanne...what a shootout goal. That was just insane. The best part...Marty Turco looked like a fool. I like it when Selanne makes other people look foolish. I also like it when he's on his game. He wasn't last night. He's been struggling lately. I don't know if it's because he's still a valid threat and he's being shut down effectively or if he's really just not on his game right now. One thing is for sure...he better find it...QUICK! I will say this, he did have a great feed to Andrew Ebbett to set up the much needed 3rd goal of the night.

Chris Pronger was incredibly MIA last night. His physical game was lacking and it almost seemed as though he was having a hard time keeping track of the puck. I suppose it's a good thing that we're seeing Francois Beauchemin out there! Great to see him back on the ice last night. The fans, who were amazing last night by the way, gave him a WONDERFUL ovation when he had the puck behind the net during the first minutes of the game. It was almost like the play was set up purposely for him to have a moment with the fans. Beautiful. You could sense he was a little nervous about the physical aspect of the game and maybe played a little gingerly from time to time. By the end of the 3rd period, Beauch started to get into the play more aggressively and had a few great defensive plays to help keep the Ducks in the game.

In the end, there is nothing better than seeing the Ducks beat the Stars. It was the ultimate revenge.

Team Photo: Free
Zebra Corn: $6
Gladly giving up Brendan Morrison to Dallas on waivers: approximately 2 million freed cap space.
Watching Anaheim clinch a playoff position thanks to the team who removed them from the post season last year: PRICELESS!

Now is a great time to exhale...catch your breath.

Cause if you're anything like me...the next few weeks are going to suck every last breath from your lungs.

I don't care who scores tonight...just do it, convincingly. Scare the crap out of whatever team you're about to face and let them know you're coming without an ounce of mercy.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-04-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, thanks for nothing D.....t (yes, it seems as though my fingers wont allow me to type it out.) With a win in the shootout, Nashville remains in the running. Here are the standings prior to tonight's game:

6. Columbus: 80 GP; 92 pts; 41 W (clinched)
7. Anaheim: 80 GP; 88 pts; 41 W
8. St. Louis: 80 GP; 88 pts; 39 W
9. Nashville: 81 GP; 88 pts; 40 W
10. Minnesota: 80 GP; 85 pts; 38 W

So here's the thing. Forget 6th place Ducks fans. That's not important right now...what's important is MAKING the playoffs. Besides, the top two in the West is already set, my preference is that the Ducks remain in 7th. I'll leave it at that for now.

So what needs to happen? Well, first off, the Ducks need 4 points this weekend. Plain and simple. IF and only IF Columbus loses their final two games will the Ducks be able to take that spot. HOWEVER...and this is why I say FORGET the 6th spot...one of Columbus' games is against St. Louis TONIGHT! Columbus is already in there, we need to see St. Louis LOSE tonight. So again, forget 6th, Columbus CAN lock that up tonight and let's hope they do for the Ducks' sake.

IF IF IF, St. Louis loses tonight and IF IF IF the Ducks can pull out a win tonight...7th belongs to Anaheim no matter what happens in any other game to any other team because Anaheim will have the tie breaker.

Here's what is most important to remember, the Ducks STILL have their destiny in their own hands. They don't NEED anyone else to lose...all they need to do is win their OWN games.

All they need to do, is get their OWN 4 points.

That starts tonight.

This is positive coach SK talking here and I have NO doubt in my mind that this Ducks team will bring it tonight. Tonight, I expect to see the fire we've been seeing for the past month. I expect to see the Ducks team that I love, play with the passion, energy and determination to put themselves into the playoffs once again.

Tonight, Bobby Effin Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry show everyone what they're made of. Teemu Selanne reminds everyone what it's like to have speed and skill all wrapped up into one 38 year old...and Francois Beauchemin is back (<-- thats not official yet btw...it's just a guess)!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Angels in Anaheim

2009-04-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me personally know how much I dislike baseball. I'm just not a fan. It's slow, it's boring...it's got nothing on hockey.

Last night I joined my best friends Ramon and Mini, Ramon's sisters Mari and Yana, Ralph (a Twins fan...random) and their daughters for the Angels game. Long story about spending too much money on crappy seats and sitting in cheaper better seats short.......we actually had a lot of fun. Thanks to the girls, I didn't freeze my butt off, and at one point we thought Ramon was a goner as apparently he doesn't swim too well during the "wave". oh Ramon.

With all of that being said...it hits a little closer to home when I heard about last night's starting pitcher, Nick Adenhart passing in a fatal car accident early this morning. I just want to say that I don't really think it matters who you are or what you do for a living, hearing of a tragedy such as this is awful. My thoughts are with his family, and of course, his Angels family in Anaheim.

Kinda makes you appreciate the little stuff, doesn't it?

Wins, Losses, Blue Line Tosses

2009-04-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Lets quickly cover some of the basics.

A HUGE thank you to Sammy Pahlssons' Chicago Blackhawks for defeating the Nashville Predators last night in a 4-2 win. Awesome! Bryz and his Yotes weren't so wonderful and the Ducks will just have to thank them in their own special way later this week. On a similar note, Dallas did not do their part to eliminate Minnesota either. So again, the Ducks will have to offer some friendly advice on how to do that as well. I'd also like to say just how freaking happy I am that Dallas has been eliminated already! Nothing puts a smile on my face like knowing the team who eliminated the Ducks last year are already GONE!

Also, Edmonton lost to the Kings (yea, I know...even the Kings helped the Ducks out, what's wrong with you Phoenix?!) and they are completely eliminated from the playoffs. SUCKAS!

Alright, so on to other ~~GOOD~~ GREAT stuff!!

The potential return of Francois Beauchemin (Beaucheboy as he's so lovingly referred to by Ducks in a Row) to the line-up as soon as Friday!

I love Beaucheboy. I've always considered him the poor mans Scotty. You can't afford a Scott Niedermayer offensive/defenseman? Get yourself a Francois Beauchemin. He's an affordable puck handler with wonderful speed and an amazing ability to see the play forming ahead of him. Just like Scotty, he's not afriad to jump into the play and take an offensive stand now and again. He's going to be valuable to the Power Play and for all purposes, it will mean having an experienced blue line once again.

So who does he replace? I say he takes the spot of Brendan Mikkelson. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's a bad D man, but I think Sheldon Brookbank has more of the power that the Ducks need. He's a big guy with guts (again, did you SEE that black eye?). Suddenly, the Ducks have gone from employing an insanely inexperienced blue line, to having potentially three very VERY threatening walls of defense.

The return of Beauchemin can only be a positive to this group. He brings experience that the Ducks need. He's obviously well rested (and hopefully not too out of shape) and can bring an extra boost to the Ducks roster during this push into the playoffs (IF IF IF they make it). I don't fear that he will ruin or disturb any chemistry, I only imagine he will improve upon it.

I've really missed Beauch this year, however we all know that if he had never been hurt in the first place, we might have missed any chance of seeing Bobby Effin Ryan. Well, now we get them BOTH!

GO DUCKS!!! Hello Beauchemin!

Wait, there are other teams in the NHL?

2009-04-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

OHHHH, there are plenty of other teams in the NHL. Some better than the Ducks...quite a few worse than the Ducks...and 2 very important teams playing tonight.

Here's a little look at the standings BEFORE tonight's action.

6. Columbus 79 GP; 90 Pts; 40 W
7. Anaheim 80 GP; 88 Pts; 41 W
8. Nashville 79 GP; 86 Pts; 39 W
9. St. Louis 79 GP; 86 Pts; 38 W
10. Minnesota 79 GP; 83 Pts; 37 W
11. Edmonton 79 GP; 83 Pts; 37 W

In terms of Minnesota and Edmonton, 1 loss for either of them AND/OR one point for Anaheim, and they will be officially out of contention with the Ducks.

Both Nashville and St. Louis are hot on the heels of the Ducks and they are both playing in some big match-ups today. Tonight, for one night only...I hope Sammy Pahlsson and his Chicago Blackhawks tear the Predators apart...and by some great fortune...I hope that we see Ilya Bryzgalovs' Coyotes take care of business against the Blues. Losses for these teams are HUGE right now. Come on ex-Ducks...we need you right now!

In addition, if the Ducks win both of these final games they are guaranteed a spot...7th in fact. If the Ducks win the final 2, they will have 92 points, and even if both Nashville AND St. Louis win all 3 of their games, Anaheim will still have the tie breaker with MORE WINS. 2 wins? That's do-able right? The other possibility is that the Ducks win just ONE game...and EITHER Nashville OR St. Louis lose just one game...the Ducks are officially in.

I have a first round playoff preference, but I wont get into that until later this week when their fate is more defined.

In the meantime, I want it to be known that I'm not against this 4 day break. Let the boys get some rest and heal some battered bones (they were plenty abused Sunday evening). I really believe that this hot streak is not a fluke. I think that finally...FINALLY...we're seeing the Ducks we were meant to see from the beginning of the season. Exactly 2 weeks after the trade deadline, the Ducks started tearing it up. Having gone 10-3-0 in their last 13 games is not a fluke, it's not even a hot streak in my opinion. It's what good teams do. Ladies and gentlemen...this Ducks team is GOOD. No, really...they are DAMN good. They have the chemistry we expected them to have. They are playing with the fire we want from them. They have the passion...the desire...the WANT.

Thanks NHL schedulers for giving this bear a break. Does anyone remember mid LAST season when the now long gone GM Brian Burke referred to the team as a waking bear?

"Watching our team come together is like watching a bear wake up at the zoo," Burke said. "He shakes his arms out and he shakes his legs out and it's a process. But when he's awake, he's a bear." AB's Blog

Yea I know...that was in reference to last years team, but I think it applies to this years team as well. All season we've been watching a hibernating bear. A team with the power and tools necessary to rip other teams apart...and yet, the bear has been slowly waking up...slowly stretching his limbs. Well, now that he's awake, we've seen the power that he posses and the strength of each individual muscle within.

THE BEAR IS AWAKE AND READY FOR THE FIGHT!

GO DUCKS!!! (andforonenightonlygoChicagoandPhoenix)

Tough loss to the refs!

2009-04-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

This game started so much like last night against the Sharks. The Ducks came out with tons of energy they were hitting, forceful and strong. A beautiful little shortie by Petteri Nokelainen and the Ducks have all the motivation, the crowd behind them, and most importantly...the LEAD!

Wow! Keep this game up Ducks and we can take these two points from the Sharks right now...

Hold on, still so much more hockey to be played.

Some back and forth play in the second period has me scratching my head! What happened to those forceful, smart Ducks?! Emotions getting the best of them, they started taking weak penalties and breaking down defensively. What happened to strong physical play? What happened to making smart passes? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENERGY IN THE BUILDING?!

With such a shaky 2nd, the Ducks would need a HUGE momentum shift on both ends of the ice in the third period. Unfortunately, they let their frustrations get the best of them. Chris Pronger lazily clears the puck in the defensive zone that would send the Sharks on the ultimate 5 on 3 opportunity for 1 minute. While the Ducks were able to kill that minute of play, there was no doubt that San Jose would find a way to score while still on the man advantage with 1 minute remaining in their PP opportunity. What were you thinking Pronger? There was NO ONE around. That insane puck lifting clear was NOT necessary! You not only threw away the puck, ultimately, you threw away the game. Such a frustrating penalty. With the Ducks having to battle with the refs all night (who seemed completely unable to call the OBVIOUS), the Ducks didn't need another reason to find themselves in the box. In addition, later in the third, Corey Perry gets called on a rather WEAK high sticking penalty. It was quite obvious he wasn't happy about it. Don't worry Pears...the fans weren't either.

I can't imagine I'll find anyone to disagree on this one...but where were the refs tonight? In the final minutes of the game there was so much pushing and shoving, cross checking and hitting...in the end, there were MANY penalties handed out:

At the 20:00 minute mark, penalties as follows:

Anaheim Ducks:

Corey Perry: Roughing; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Interference on goalkeeper; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Roughing; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Misconduct; 10 min

Teemu Selanne: Misconduct; 10 min

Andrew Ebbett: Roughing; 2 min

Andrew Ebbett: Misconduct; 10 min

San Jose Sharks:

Jonathan Cheechoo: Misconduct; 10 min

Joe Thornton: Roughing; 2 min

Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Roughing; 2 min

Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Misconduct; 10 min

Brian Boucher: Goalie leave crease; 2 min

WOW! Even at the end of all that, the Ducks still get the short hand. It was a frustrating game all across the boards. The fans felt the frustration that the Ducks were showing on the ice, and for good reason. The important thing is to keep your cool...and the Ducks were unable to do that.

Hot-headed men fighting for the playoffs...watch out!

Here's a huge factor to watch out for over the next week. The Ducks not only need to win BOTH games for safety reasons, but they really need Nashville AND St. Louis to lose at least 1 of their remaining 3 games. If in the end, all the teams end up with 90 points (which would mean only 1 win for the Ducks and 1 LOSS for BOTH Nashville and St. Louis), the Ducks will have the advantage having won 42 games vs. Nashville with 41 and St. Louis with 40...and therefore a playoff position.

When it comes down to it, I'm thrilled the Ducks got at least 2 points out of this weekend. It's just very hard to swallow when they could have reasonably taken all 4.

I can't believe these playoff hopes are coming down to the final 2 games of the season.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...part 2

2009-04-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

So for the most part yesterday was dead on. I thought it was going to be a low scoring game with a few highlights from Bobby Effin Ryan and anyone on the 3rd or 4th line. While I got goal scoring right...the score was a bit off as the Ducks lit it up 5 times! NICE!

Tonight, we're probably looking at a tighter game.

Maybe they will find a way to shut down the Ducks' top line but I doubt it. The great part about that is if they do manage to shut that line down, there are plenty of other capable hands available to do the damage.

So for tonight, the second line is going to be required to offer some assistance. Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller have a huge opportunity to make great use of Teemu Selanne and his blazing speed.

Jonas Hiller in again tonight? I say yes. He had success last night...I don't think the Ducks can afford mix that up.

GO DUCKS!!!

This is only 1/2 the battle...

2009-04-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

I wish there were a few more days in between games against the Sharks. A few more days to keep my blood pressure under control. A few more days to let the boys rest their bones.

Then again...let's get this weekend over with already.

I think the NHL schedule makers designed this back to back weekend intentionally, probably hoping it would be a tight race for the Pacific Division title. While it's not a race for the title, it's a very important weekend for BOTH teams. The Sharks looking for the Presidents trophy and a hold on first place in the Western Conference (home ice advantage of course) the Ducks are looking to just STAY IN playoff positioning.

That makes for some niiiiiiice hockey, doesn't it?

The Ducks came out strong to begin with. I can't complain. Solid shots on goal is a big deal for this team. TAKING shots is one thing...but taking SMART shots is another thing all together. Big shots from the point lead to moving bodies, open spaces and eventually a beautiful backhand pass from Ryan Getzlaf to a wide open Bobby Effin Ryan for his first goal of the night ("first goal of the night"...oh man, I just love typing that!). These two would continue to light it up for the rest of the evening.

Getzlaf gets another huge assist moments later to set up a Corey Perry goal. Again, knowing that this line is clicking and striking while hot...I can't get enough. Getzlaf, with 64 assists this season, passes the Ducks' single season record previously held by Paul Kariya (62 assists). Great. I'll be honest, I don't have the bad blood against Kariya that most Ducks fans do, but I will say this...I LOVE seeing these kids put their names on Ducks history. Especially when we're taking about the potential future of this franchise. Plus, we ALL know that Bobby Effin Ryan is a WAY better rookie than Dustin Penner was! Effin is now the all time Ducks leader for goals by a rookie with 30 on the year - in ONLY 61 games played. In addition, Perry netted his 30th goal of the season, a career high for him. What a night for new records!

If you're looking for confirmation that these guys were hot tonight...

"They were flat-out dominant," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of the Ducks' high-scoring line. "They were the top players in the game. We had last change, we could have matched anybody we wanted, but it wouldn't have mattered. They were playing that well." Associated Press

I couldn't agree more. To see Getzlaf finding his stride again, only means he'll be taking Perry with him. Fantastic. And Effin? Well, he'll be there no matter who he's playing with.

In addition to a smoking hot first line, that 4th line has been working hard and it's paying off. "Ducks in a Row" today was damn accurate today thanks to some hard work by George Parros, Erik Christensen and Mike Brown (and of course DIAR also predicted goals by Effin and a great showing by Hiller in net). Huge goal for Brown, he's a hard working guy who was reward tonight. NICE JOB BUD! The play by the 3rd and 4th line has been very physical lately (duh), but it means so much to the Ducks' success. Fighting for lose pucks along the boards, getting into open spaces, and driving the net. These guys are making strong names for themselves on the defensive end and then capitalizing with huge goals! Secondary scoring is huge for any team, and when you have a team with 2 amazing lines like the Ducks do, secondary scoring is ALWAYS a bonus, a motivating boost, a spark of fire, a HUGE thorn in the sides of the opposition. Give me more! If the Ducks continue to see hard fought battles from everyone on the ice, like they have been lately, there is very little doubt in my mind that..........well, I'll let everyone think about this one themselves.

So I have one negative for the night...

I hate hearing phrases like, "one hands it". To me, that is a direct indication that you're not moving your feet enough. MOVE YOUR FEET! Those lazy plays cause turnovers and the inability to clear the puck out of the zone. That leads to PENALTIES and/or GOALS!! KILLER! The Ducks felt the effects of that a few times tonight, and the outcome could have been way worse! The consecutive penalties to start the 2nd period were very unfortunate...and yet the Ducks managed to only give up one goal with those opportunities. PHEW!

Which leads me to Jonas Hiller. I don't know if he's going to be in net tomorrow night, but I think that there is a very great chance that we'll be seeing him again. I think that Randy Carlyle is going to be forced to play the man who beat the Sharks tonight. I could be wrong, but I don't expect to see JS Giguere in there. Hiller played a very solid game, made some huge saves and for the most part, did very well at "giving the team a chance to win". He had some scary moments from time to time, but for the most part he was squared to the puck. He was given a big break by roughed up Sheldon Brookbank (did you see that black eye? OUCH!) in the final moments of the 3rd when the Ducks were killing off Chris Pronger's interference call. Brookbank was just another guy on a long list of Ducks who have gone above and beyond to sacrifice themselves this season to stop a potential goal. I love seeing the dedication to this team.

Something else I noticed tonight, it seemed that simply clearing the puck from the zone...VERY difficult for the Ducks. Yet, clearing the puck from the front of the net...VERY SUCCESSFUL!

So we'll end on a positive...

The best part of this game. Even in the third period, the Ducks were still playing hard. Still trying to force San Jose to turn the puck over. Still getting pucks in deep and still trying to score goals. Smart move, because these Sharks can be lethal...they can turn a game around in a heart beat.

Tomorrow is not going to be easy. The Sharks are hot and now they're pissed because they just lost to the team barely holding to the 7th position in the fight for the post season. Good, a fired up opposition means the Ducks will have to bring 150% and they know that.

We're 1/2 way through this battle...

DAMN! This feels goooooood doesn't it?

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...weekend mayhem

2009-04-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend will be HUGE for the Ducks.

I'll be watching tonight and Twittering away with all of you other Ducks fans out there and I expect we'll see quite a match up.

These games are always a tight battle and unless we get some of our own crazy bouncing goals (off of hands for instance)...we're probably looking at a low scoring game. Which only means, the Ducks will need SOLID goal tending.

I don't know if we'll be seeing Jonas Hiller in net tonight. He had a shaky first half against Vancouver but came out strong in third period, overtime, and the shootout. I'd personally like to see him in the game tonight....but you never know.

For goals...I'm afraid they'll be few and far between. You know what happens when scoring is at a premium? Bobby Effin Ryan always seems to show up.

In addition, if the Ducks continue to push hard to the net, we're likely to see a goal from anyone on the 3rd and 4th lines.

I want a good physical game tonight boys!

We're hours from puck drop and I'm already nervous!

GO DUCKS!!!

Scrambled Pucks

2009-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

My brain is running at a million miles an hour right now. I've been "going" non stop for the last 16 hours and I haven't even had a minute to slow down and take in the action from last night. Here's why:

Timeline of my evening (all times approximate)

5:00: Race home...check in on Detroit and St. Louis from time to time. Wonder what the problem with Detroit is and then rejoice that they might be getting cold at the BEST POSSIBLE TIME!

5:30: Continue to scream at the traffic in front of me, "Get outta the way...!!!!". 1.5 hours to puck drop...3+ hours until I get to watch it unfold.

6:15: Home. Double to check that OCTiVo is ready to record.

6:20: Race to Michael's for cake decorating class.

6:30: In class; post Tweet that I would be away from my phone until I am able to watch the Ducks game later that evening. Begin "freaking out".

6:40: Resist urge to pick up phone. (I don't go anywhere without it...hell, I had to have it surgically removed just for this one evening.)

7:00: Become insanely aware that the game has started...hear the instructor say something about icing. Can she read my mind?

7:15: "Accidentally" peek at phone while looking for a pen in my purse. See a Tweet regarding Parros, assume it's regarding a fight.

7:16: Wonder if MAYBE it was a GOAL?

7:20: SCORE?

7:21: SCORE?

7:25: Need a good reason to go back into my purse to check my phone...

7:30: Yum, frosting. What's the score?

8:00: It's got to be the first intermission, what's the score?

8:05: 25 minutes left, come on lady, frost the cake already! "Accidentally" see another Tweet regarding the high score of the game. "FREAK OUT" becomes ADRENALINE PRODUCING "PANIC"

8:15: Make a Ducks themed cake? Are they WINNING?! Is Hiller in net?

8:30: Yea yea yea...bring cake next week...SEE YA! It's DUCKS TIME!

8:35: Somehow manage NOT turn on radio in car...

8:40: WHERE'S MY PHONE?!

8:45: Run to room. In passing, hope my dad doesn't give me that look of, "ouch, they're getting their asses beat".

8:50: Fast forward to the beginning of the game...I LOVE YOU OCTiVo!

9:00: Knowing that the game will be ending soon, resist urge to fast forward through the first two periods of the game.

9:15: 2-0 AWESOME! Mom comes in to tell me they will be scoring more. GET OUT!

9:20: WHAT IS GOING ON?! TIED?! (Remember that they are apparently going to score more goals...thanks mom!)

9:35: LOSING?! What happened?!? MORE VANCOUVER GOALS?! (Did she not see the score correctly?) So quickly outscored 4-0 in ten minutes of play!!! PLEASE DON'T PULL HILLER...

9:45: Thank you BOBBY EFFIN RYAN! Ducks pull within one...wait...wait...down 5-3...

9:50: Corey Perry...right place, right time!

9:55: Teemu Selanne saves me from a heart attack.

10:15: HEART POUNDING, NO BREATHING, PACING...maybe I'll still be having that heart attack anyway.

10:20: OVERTIME...HILLER HUGE SAVES!!!!

10:22: SHOOT OUT! WIN!

So yea, it was a pretty quiet evening.

These Ducks are HOT right now people. It couldn't have come at a better time for them. The best part? There is only ONE team that can decide whether or not the Ducks make the playoffs. That team?

The ANAHEIM DUCKS.

They are in there people. Only the Ducks can ensure that they stay there. This reminds me of something that UJ and I were talking about just a few weeks ago. While trying to predict their chances of making the playoffs, what teams needed to lose and just how many games the Ducks needed to win, it was decided that only the Ducks can dictate their future. They did that in nail biting fashion last night! WHEW!

ACTION! The whole game was a rough, physical, fast, and goal filled extravaganza! I KNOW these Ducks can be successful when they play hard hitting hockey and we saw that in them again last night. Vancouver has the ability to wear down a team with their quick puck moving offense. The Ducks responded with their own form of solid puck handling.

Weeks ago it seemed as though these Ducks were done, but just as they have been showing us for the past few weeks, they did it again last night in a huge comeback. Tying the game at 5 apiece and ultimately relying on a shootout.

Jonas Hiller is apparently some sort of shootout prodigy. I'll take it. He struggled a bit there during the game (as did the Ducks' defense). Luckily enough for the Ducks so did Roberto Luongo. Hiller had some huge saves throughout the game and while giving up 5 goals is quite ridiculous...getting 5 goals from your teammates surely does help out quite a bit!

Spending too much time in the sin bin as a result of lazy penalties, the Ducks suffered a great deal during the beginning of the 2nd period when they were forced to kill off a lengthy Vancouver 5 on 3 opportunity. On that same PK, James Wisniewski did just what I had suggested and took a page form the "self sacrificing" book of Todd Marchant. He was clearly in pain as he took a puck off the outside of his knee. Since seeing Wisniewski come to the Ducks, he's clearly been a great addition to the struggling defensive core. It was a bit scary to see him hit the ice like that. A huge sigh of relief when he came back out to finish off the game. These are the kind of battles that the fans want to see these Ducks winning right now. These are the battles that are going to take a team (ANY team) far into the post season.

Getting goals from the guys we EXPECT to see score on a nightly basis always makes me feel better. If this team is going to dominate, they're going to need to rely on Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry to find the back of the net regularly. In the end, this was a battle of talents. Both the Ducks and Canucks have some of the most impressive players in the league on their rosters and both are currently boasting red hot goal tenders. The match up between these two teams over the course of this season has been nothing short of dramatic. From a 13 round shootout, another disappointing 4-3 loss for the Ducks in the midst of a plethora of 4-3 losses, a 3 on 3 overtime battle...it was only fitting that this game also went to a shootout.

I expected to see this dramatic fight from both teams. The Canucks are struggling against Calgary for the top spot in the Northwest Division and we all know that the Ducks are just hoping to make it to the playoffs...PERIOD.

The way the Ducks produced a win last night is a huge for the morale of a team headed into San Jose to play one of the best teams in the NHL this season. The Ducks need to keep this fire alive, they need to continue to produce offensively and hold strong(er) on the defensive end of the ice. I'd expect we're going to be seeing JS Giguere in one of these upcoming games. Now is the time for the defense to play hard, provide support for their struggling net minder and provide him with some needed confidence going into the POTENTIAL playoffs (still no guarantees yet people).

Games like this are just another reason I never leave early, never turn off the TV. You NEVER know what is going to happen. Goals can be scored only seconds apart. Games can be decided on crazy stick measurements, last minute penalties, or shootouts.

Remember that fat lady? She got restless in Anaheim. As you read this, she's on her way to LA to sing for the Kings. Turns out for the Kings...it's over.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-04-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking we're going to be seeing Jonas Hiller in net tonight. For many reasons - but mostly because I want him to be there...which, we all know, doesn't count for anything. But lets face it, Hiller won 6 of his 8 starts in the month of March. He SHOULD be in there.

Once again, I don't think it matter WHO scores...just that it happens. Often.

But just for the heck of it...

Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Effin Ryan, and Petteri Nokelainen (I just love that guys name!)

Just WIN!

GO DUCKS!!!

*Tonight I'll be away from the TV until about 9pm (I know...I'm slighty having a nervous breakdown about it...). I will be turning off my Twitter for the evening and I'll be ignoring my phone until I have watched the game Tivo style. :)

Now we're talking!

2009-04-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ironically, the final score was the same as last Friday; 5-3. But this time, the team getting 2 points was the same team who SHOULD have won last week.

I've really had such an up and down emotional season with this Ducks team, as I'm sure we all have. I would never ask for a season that started the way the majority of these first 67 games have gone...but in the last ten, the Ducks are 8-2-0. WOW. Is this the time to get hot? OH, you bet your ass it is.

As nervous as I was for this game, I was oddly confident while watching (okay, until the final minutes of the game). The Ducks gave up that first goal with some lazy play, but even after that, I still didn't feel a sense of defeat. They were playing well from the very beginning of the game and that was obvious when Sheldon Brookbank* got his first NHL career goal on a beautiful little set of passes between he and Ryan Getzlaf.

*he'll be requiring a new nickname now. He's no longer going to be referred to as Brokeback...that's what getting your first NHL career goal in a very tight Western Conference race to the playoffs will do for you.

It was the D-mans night against Edmonton. Besides Brookbank's goal, both Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger netted some beauties. Scotty...once again in the right place at the right time. Pronger, payback for that HUGE slapshot he had on Friday that was turned away by Dwayne Roloson.

You all know I love Bobby Effin Ryan, but come on Effin...we need you to keep the gloves on. Yea, yea...I'm not a big fan of the fighting, but of ALL the people I don't want to see getting roughed up and spending 5 minutes in the penalty box...Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and BOBBY EFFIN RYAN! Effin is drawing 4 minute high sticking penalties left and right these days, and the PP appreciates it (fans do too. Opponents? Not so much). So stay on the ice, get some more hockey war wounds on your pretty little face and stop fighting! Thanks (Besides, you totally lost that one).

It seems like one advantage to having brothers on the same team is that when they're hot, they're hot together. I mean, Scott Niedermayer is ALWAYS the man, but when Rob Niedermayer decides to join in on the fun I can't help but be overwhelmingly appreciative of him. Robbie's two goals last night were exactly what the Ducks needed. Just as Robbie got his first goal of the game, there was talk of the Ducks just trying to get out of the 2nd period still up 3-1. I thought to myself at the time...nah, I want another goal first. Then beautiful little pass from Scotty to his brother and BAM...the Ducks get what would eventually be the game winner. And of course, who doesn't love to see Robbie get those empty netters? No complaints here.

The Ducks were miserably outshot 14-2 in the third period. I can understand that. With a 3 goal lead, I'd rather them focus on playing some tight puck controlling offensive/defense (if that makes sense) than taking unnecessary shots on goal...but I also hope that means they're actually going to PLAY DEFENSE. It wasn't until the final 4 minutes of the game that I actually started sweating (we were playing ping pong too...that might have had something to do with it). The Ducks have this tendency to get too comfortable and they are punished for that laziness.

Thank the hockey gods for stick measurements!

I have to laugh about the stick measurement request last night against Teemu Selanne. I was at that game against San Jose in 2007 when the attempt actually worked. I just think the whole tactic is lame. Yea, I don't think anyone should be using illegal sticks, but to use the measurement as a means to win? Well...it's cheap. Of course, now that I've said it, the Ducks are going to use that same ploy sometime soon and I'll think it's lame then too. But none the less, to see Selanne skate back to the bench with that huge smile on his face knowing that the Oilers were about to go a man short on their attempt to try and comeback to win the game...priceless wasn't it? SUCKAS!!!

Speaking of thanking hockey gods...Jonas Hiller. He's just what the Ducks have ordered right now. He's got that smoking glove hand to prove it (I just love when he does that). Here's hoping that Randy Carlyle doesn't go all sentimental and try to change things up. I think it's possible we might be seeing JS Giguere in a game against San Jose on this upcoming home-and-home. I'll be honest, I hope that Hiller plays the first of the two. If he plays the way we all hope and EXPECT him to play...we might just see him take the second game as well. It's possible.

I think Todd Marchant is really playing his heart out right now. I appreciate that. Seeing him go down like that during a vital PK and then find the strength to CLEAR THE PUCK! Awesome! He's skating harder and faster than we've see from him in previous years, and it's paying off.

The Ducks should have won last Friday, but should have doesn't get you two points. Last night they played like team we all have been expecting to see this entire season. I don't know that this team would be clicking like this if the trades had not happened. This chemistry is slowly building from a smoldering ember to what will hopefully be a full raging fire over the next few...well, I won't push it past the final 5 games of the season. We'll see where these games take the Ducks...but hopefully this is just the start of a full grown Southern California forest fire.

Here we come Columbus...get the hell out of our way!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...the must haves

2009-03-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

There is no question about it...tonight is a must win situation.

There is no way we can let my dad win another round of Ping Pong. We have to bring it tonight! I'm depending on you both Ramon and Mini...let's do this. He's 12-0 with the 3 of us being 4-8 (we play doubles - each of us winning while playing with him). Ridiculous.

And...those DUCKS!!!

I hope to see Hiller in net again tonight. I know I mentioned that B9 came up a lot at bingo this past weekend, well, so did B1. I mean come on...that's just good vibes right there.

This team is going to need a great showing from every line to get this thing done tonight. They played fantastic last Friday, and if they are able to bring that same intensity plus some accurate shooting...they're still very in this thing!

Goals from Getzlaf, Selanne and Ebbett.

Ping Pong and Ducks hockey...it just doesn't get any more intense than that!

GO DUX IN A ROW!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Blueline saves

2009-03-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

I actually started laughing as I typed that headline.

JONAS HILLER! Dude...WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! SERIOUSLY!

We'll get back to that one.

So I was a bit unimpressed to start the game. I don't think the Ducks came out with the fire that I would like to see from them. I mean it wasn't as concerning against a team like Colorado...but the Ducks are just awful against bottom feeder teams, and I really didn't want to see them squander two points to these guys.

Corey Perry was on the receiving end of a turn over and netted the first goal of the game, which I gotta say...was absolutely beautiful. Talk about finding the top corner of the net and drilling it home. If I hadn't seen Ryan Getzlaf celebrate the way he did, I wouldn't have thought it hit the net. It was absolutely perfect. That guy has a killer shot. Even Getzlaf had a shot on net from the point in the 2nd (yea...I couldn't believe he took the shot either) that was a bullet. Damn, why doesn't that guy shot the puck more?! These two have such amazingly accurate shots...I'd just like to see more of them!

Bobby Effin Ryan...who's new name might be Effin B9. That kid has some fantastic hands doesn't he? That backhanded roofer was typical of the kid who was set up by a beautiful pass by Ryan Whitney. I'm glad I called for Effin B9 tonight...he deserved a big night here after a few hard working games. I'm really crossing my fingers he continues to score some goals and removes Dustin Penner's name from some of the Ducks books. Another great note about Ryan...he's now tied with Kris Versteeg for the most points by a rookie this season. Both forwards have 50 points, but Ryan has only played 58 games to Versteeg's 71. WOW! If he had been here for the same 71 games as Versteeg...Bobby Ryan would have been on pace for 61 points by now. The kid is just awesome. Oh, Ryan Getzlaf...he's got 81.

A little more about Whitney. We were talking about the new guys tonight, and I love them all. Whitney, who is probably at the bottom of my list...if I had to put them in some sort of preferred order...is a quality guy. I'd like to see him shot the puck more, but I have notice him getting involved in the plays more, kinda like Scott Niedermayer does. I like it.

Overall, it was a great offensive effort for the Ducks as 8 different guys collected a point tonight.

Okay...so now Hiller. This guy. THIS GUY! I'm still shaking my head over here.

Let it be known that I was officially crapping my pants as he made that VERY ballsy move. I have no idea what he was thinking...but here's a bit of what he had and Randy Carlyle had to say after the game to the OC Register...

“I thought I might make it, and once you decide to go, you have to go,” Hiller said. “You can’t back off or you’re totally lost. I was a little lucky. Prongs made a save for me. I might have to buy him dinner or something."

Hiller, if YOU don't buy Chris Pronger dinner...I'm going to buy him dinner. I jokingly said that it looked as though the Ducks played their best defense of the year on that play! See...all it takes is the threat of having no goalie and potentially losing ANOTHER game to one of the worst teams in the league!

The good news? Carlyle apparently wasn't very upset about it either...

“I think he made the right play,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “He made a decision. Usually in those situations, you better go. You better get it — and he got it. There’s no criticism when you get it done.”

Oh do I hear that one. I had no complaints when it was all said and done...but the profanities were definitely flying DURING the play.

I hope we see Hiller in net for the remaining 6 games.

This game had way more excitement than I was expecting. Oh that Hiller.

On a side note...as of now, I will only be posting here on Ducks and Pucks.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...it's simple...or so I hope!

2009-03-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

I would expect that today should be much like last week's match up between these two...but I wont be counting any ducklings before they've hatched.

Here's my simple prediction...Bobby Effin Ryan.

Here's my simple explanation...B9 came up a million times last night during Bingo.

GO DUCKS!!!

I'M EXHAUSTED!

2009-03-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Heavy breathing, hair pulling, screaming...you'd think I had a great time!

NOT SO MUCH.

I really don't have the nerves for games like that one. These are games where I don't even have a breath for expletives.

Did anyone else notice the crazy score at the beginning of the game? It said the Ducks were up 1-0 as the puck was being dropped. That stayed the score, until Edmonton completely reversed that and made it 1-0 and then 2-0 about 1 minute later.

54 SOG and the Ducks get 2...2!!!!! SOOOO frustrating. I hate to say that I felt this coming on when they killed Colorado the way they did. I mean, when you get 7 seemingly easy goals against two sub-par goal tenders, it's really hard to imagine doing something similar against a very strong goalie like the man in net for Edmonton.

Even worse is imagining you'll get ANYTHING done when turning the puck over so easily, like in the first 2 minutes. Here's one thing about those goals though...they definitely got the fire burning in the Ducks. They were able to turn it on enough to redeem themselves and tie it up immediately in the second thanks to some crafty play by Ryan Getzlaf. Maybe he had that talk with Petteri Nokelainen as I suggested?

Bobby Effin Ryan really brings a physical aspect to his game, and I love it. He's hard hitting and clearly not afraid to take some shots as he was on the other end of a high sticking call in the middle of the 1st and 3rd periods. That first line...when firing at 100%, could be one of the most threatening in the West. Lets hope we get to see that over the next 7 games (and of course many more in the future)!

Awful turnovers and sloppy play allowed Edmonton to get right back into the game on two very quick goals. The two quick goals to start the game were enough for me to allow JS Giguere to be sent packing, but after a small breather on the bench, Jiggy quickly replaced Jonas Hiller. How random. I don't even think I understand the logic there? I don't care how much of a breather you get during the game, after allowing 2 goals get by immediately, I can't imagine that your mindset is at 100% after that. I don't necessary blame Jiggy for those first two, but I can't say much for the final two he let get past. Hiller on the other hand? Solid.

With as hot as the Power Play has been looking so far, they missed out on so many opportunities. A 4 minute high sticking penalty gave the Ducks so many scoring chances, and yet, they were stopped cold. Edmonton took a few delay of game penalties and really spent a lot of time in the box. Even with a solid 5 on 3 opportunity, the Ducks came up with nothing to show for it. Whats even more damaging about that is the amount of looks they actually had. Usually when the Ducks are setting up and moving the puck well on the PP, they are successful. Tonight they were really doing that well, and couldn't get a damn goal.

OUCH.

I am going to give them this...it was a hard fought game. The first few minutes would have indicated that they did not deserve to win this one, but they fought back with power and I believe it showed. In the end, this game could have definitely been a blow out by the Ducks with just inches one way or another. It seems that Randy Carlyle feels the same way...

“Our effort was there, obviously we could have executed better. But the situation is that we played our hearts out. There was no shortage of work ethic. These are the ones where you have to pump people up when you work and you don’t get the results. Tonight was one of those nights. We did a lot of things that were positive. These are the tough ones. We dominated on the shot clock. We had territorial advantage and you end up losing. I don’t know if our group could work harder. Could we execute to a higher level? For sure, yeah.” OC Register

With that...they definitely have the ability to do damage to Edmonton in the future...the near future...like in a couple of days.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-03-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

I hope these boys aren't feeling too confident.

Lets face it, the Ducks did what they SHOULD have done against Colorado. Lets just hope this was confidence buliding and not ego stuffing.

They are going to need to be in tip top form.

Petteri Nokelainen has his talk with Ryan Getzlaf... 1 G, 1 A

Bobby Effin Ryan is frustrated enough to get one in... 1 G

These predictions are more HOPES than predictions in all honesty.

They can't all be Colorado

2009-03-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

WOW, I wish the Ducks could play Colorado EVERY NIGHT!

That whole game was something else wasn't it?

I got so many Twitter messages last night where people were just in SHOCK of what they were seeing.

Okay, but lets be realistic. Colorado is just awful. They have a whole rosters worth of guys out with injuries...and if you thought the Ducks were suffering through the season with newbies...the Avalanche are really struggling with no one like Scott Niedermayer or Chris Pronger out there to back those young guys up.

Wow, did it show.

First off...fantastic goals for the newest members of the team, who in reality are starting to look like they've been there since day one. Erik Christensen, James Wisniewski and Petteri Nokelainen. Seeing those guys contribute the way they have been lately makes trade deadline drama seem not so terrible. What I'm loving about the new group is that they're fighters. They're here trying to prove themselves (hopefully for spots on next years roster) and are working hard to show their teammates and the Ducks fans that they're worth something. That hard work pays off huge! For instance, Nokelainen's goal (the Ducks' 7th goal of the night) came from hard work and hustle along the neutral zone boards. He fought for the puck, stayed with the play and ended up with a mini breakaway which resulted in his 3rd goal of the season. Now that he's had the sit down with Corey Perry about rushing the net, maybe it's time he has a sit down with Ryan Getzlaf on how to win battles along the boards. Couldn't hurt.

I felt bad for Colorado at first and then I remembered what happened to the Ducks with Atlanta...and yea, not the same entirely...but damn it felt good to cream someone for a change! Between the recent Phoenix game and this game last night, it sure makes the fact that the Ducks have two more against these teams all the better.

I said I wanted to see that top line looking hot. You look at the goal scorers and you say, hey Perry had two...that line must have been hot! NOT! Both of Perry's goals came with the PP unit on the ice. I can't complain with the fact that the top line didn't shine and the big names didn't get points (nothing for Ryan Getzlaf, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Bobby Ryan), but whatever...I'll take seven Ducks goals ANY DAY!

And again, Jonas Hiller was solid. He had his work cut out for him in the end as Colorado got 27 SOG in the final two periods of play. Clearly out shooting Anaheim in a desperation attempt to get back into the game. Randy Carlyle definitely did the gentleman thing in not making the scoreboard worse. Allowing the guys like Todd Marchant, George Parros and Mike Brown get in some more ice time, Carlyle took the focus off of trying to score and simply went with a defensive outlook for much of the third. Classy if you ask me. In addition, it allowed the big D men, Niedermayer and Pronger, to get some rest and play far fewer minutes than they have been averaging lately.

5 straight wins is nothing to brag about when it comes against teams like Phoenix (twice) and Colorado. But when you're in desperation-playoff-hunt like the Ducks are right now, 10 points is nothing to be upset about!

In the mean time...

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-03-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to get more to you today, but I don't think that's going to happen.

There is A LOT going on at the moment and I love it. Big things coming soon...very soon!

So for tonight, these Ducks are really going to need to focus on not allowing themselves to; A, get caught up in a mini 4 game win streak and B, not step back their intensity just because the team they are playing tonight...sucks.

I'm still looking for big things from that first line. Why not? They NEED to be hot, they should be hot! We're talking about some of the best young kids in the league right now...there is no reason for them to not show up tonight.

I don't want another OT game. These guys need to finish this one strong and in regulation.

Now is the TIME to get HOT!!!!

Perry, Marchant and Effin tonight.

GO DUCKS!!!

I can't breathe!

2009-03-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

I need the Oxygen tank please!

Here's a great reason why I wouldn't make it as an NHL hockey player...minus the obvious gender qualifications...I have serious adrenalin issues. Who knows, maybe that would make me a fantastic hockey player. Maybe the breathing issues would be my problem.

Needless to say, the Ducks nearly gave me a heart attack tonight. Nothing like Game 5 against Detroit, but damn close. The emotions these Ducks put me through on a nightly basis is just ugly. The screaming, cursing, cheering, clapping, fist clenching...it's enough to make you think I've gone crazy! But you know what?

I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

When it comes down to it, Nashville is a solid team. They're fast, great with the puck and are lucky to be backed by solid goal tending right now. The Ducks had some great opportunities tonight, and on the other end, had some bounces go their way for a change. I'll admit, JS Giguere looked solid tonight. I was very impressed (crapping in my pants for most of the game, but impressed none the less). He made some huge saves, especially during the third period. More importantly, he did was was necessary in the Shootout to secure a victory! LOVE THAT!

The Ducks need every bit of power and fire they can find within themselves to take this team where they need to be.

I've got to hand it to Drew Miller. That kid has come up and really shown the team that he's worth their efforts. He's not just standing in the wings taking up space, he's making space and using it wisely. I'd like to see him be a little more aggressive from time to time, but when it comes to shooting the puck...well the Ducks wouldn't have seen OT if it weren't for him.

I wont harp on crappy play tonight (whoa, what?!). The Ducks did something that I haven't seen from them in a long time. They played with passion. It felt like they WANTED TO WIN! These guys, the ones who WANT TO WIN, I like these guys.

Game one of this playoff-road-to-the-playoffs is in the books. It wasn't perfect, but it ended with the Ducks gaining an extra point and finding themselves back in the mix of the playoff battle.

My ugliness continues tomorrow...

How can you not love that?!

GO DUCKS!!!

Welcome to REALITY! WELCOME TO DUCKS AND PUCKS!

2009-03-23T19:38:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm finally posting my first blog on the new web site. It's taken...well, too long really. I've been working on this website for about 2 months now, and even at that...I don't feel it will ever be complete!

This was a difficult decision to start my own blog, but after working on Girl with a Puck for the past season, I've found that not only do I love what I get to do, but I can't get enough of it.

First and foremost so much thanks and appreciation goes to UJ for his help with this website! His ability to look at everything with a fine tooth comb (you have NO IDEA how fine toothed his comb is!!!!) has made this a fabulously looking site. THANK YOU! Turning you into a DUCKS (DUCKS DUCKS DUCKS DUCKS) hockey fan has been a great joy for me! Here is to many more years complaining about crappy goal tending, sloppy defense, and what a rock star Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Effin Ryan are and hopefully continue to be!

There have been so many wonderful opportunities that have come to me because of blogging about the Ducks and I have met some UNBELIEVABLE people because of it.

I want to say thank you to one fantastic blogger out there, Suz Broughton. There will be a link to her website in the Links section, and please check her out. She's a fantastic writer and she takes amazing pictures. Her ability to paint a picture with words is unparalleled by many. It was Suz who really pushed me to get this thing started. She gave me that final bit of motivation to get going and stand tall on my own. I can't thank her enough for her encouragement and kind words. She's a fellow Ducks fan too, so don't hesitate to send her a note!

Thanks to Suz I started up on Twitter which has allowed me to meet other great Ducks fans. We're so few and far between out here in So Cal that sometimes you have to work hard to meet fellow fans. With that I met another blogger Toro. Toro's blog is quick and to the point...and he never holds back. EVER. He's been great to talk with these past few weeks and always has great insight and thoughts about the team. There will be a link to his blog on the LINKS page as well. Check him out!

My family and friends have been the ultimate! They have been so encouraging and supportive over the past 6 months while I've dabbled in this blogging world. I think they realize how much joy I get out of doing this and they have really suggested that I do more.

Ramon and Mini are the ones who I owe more to than most. Without them, I wouldn't be a fan in the first place. Without them, I don't know that I would have been strong enough to start blogging to begin with. They are amazing friends and I'll always be thankful to them both. The best part...you'll all get to enjoy their thoughts from time to time. Section 444 will be a features blog, with Ramon, Mini, UJ and many more offering their crazy thoughts on this Ducks team we all love so much!

And finally, I want to thank Finny for giving me the opportunity to discover this passion I have for blogging in the first place. She hesitantly opened up her pride and joy and allowed me to come in and shake up the Girl with a Puck blog. I can't thank her enough for allowing me to say and do whatever I wanted. She really let me have free reign there and I will be forever grateful for her kindness and support throughout this process. She too has become an amazing friend who I would not have met without this blog-o-sphere we all dwell in.

I hope that during the off season (which hopefully comes LATER rather than SOONER) to develop my own stats, schedule, and standings layouts. For the time being, what is there will do. Ultimately, it allows everyone quick access to see where our boys stand in the race to the playoffs!

I welcome thoughts, critiques of all shapes and sizes. Feel free to comment whenever, however. I hope to allow this to be a fans space above all.

There is still work to be done, and like a great team, it will always be a work in progress that can and will be better with each passing day. Fans will make this website what it is, and I hope that you all take full advantage of the links.

If anyone has a website that you'd like me to add to the links page, please feel free to email me

This is an exciting time in Ducks hockey...and at Ducks and Pucks...we're just getting started!!!

NOW...FOREVER...ALWAYS...

GO DUCKS!!!

Oh! We have met before

2009-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

So my favorite thing about the game...(minus the win and 2 points which I'm VERY excited about...VERY...)

The Power Play and Penalty kill was rocking and the return of Ryan Getzlaf.

After struggling so much on both ends of the ice, the PP and the PK really turned it on last night. I know there were alot of people who were worried when we lost the defensive shut down powers of Samuel Pahlsson and Travis Moen...but the aggressive speed and checking abilities that both Todd Marchant and Mike Brown have been bringing to the PK these past few games is quite noticeable. I'll be honest, I was ready to see Marchant hit the road, but lately he's really turned it on. I see both he and Brown out there with speed and intensity and it's exciting to watch. In addition it must be noted that George Parros getting a goal last night was huge. The Ducks need contributions from all lines, and seeing those guys step it up the way they have been lately is so important. The Ducks definitely brought energy to the game, which is really what those guys are all about. The Ducks power play was on a 1-for-28 stretch and have recently gone 7-for-12 over the past three games. Let's hope that one continues.

Ryan Getzlaf. Who wasn't happy to see that guy show up last night? The 3rd goal of the evening was a mini indication of the way that top line clicks with each other. There were times during the first period where I could see them reading each other perfectly. It really was beautiful to watch for a change. For the most part I hate to add videos to these blogs unless I really feel they are necessary and I think this goal is necessary to watch again (1:20).

First of all, let it be noted that Corey Perry just barely stays onside here. He's infamous for going offsides, and for the most part, unless he's taking the puck across the blue line himself, watch it...cause there's going to be a whistle. Anyway, to the point. The play, the spacing, it's all perfect. A beautiful cross ice pass from Bobby Effin Ryan to Getzlaf, and some slick puck handling to Perry, who I'm assuming had that sit down I suggested with Petteri Nokelainen about charging the net a bit more. When things like this happen, when passes like these are connected, when plays like these are executed, the team is going to win. No kidding, right?

With that being said, one of the major changes I noticed tonight was some presence at the net. That's been lacking so much lately, but with that man in front, 3 of the Ducks goals were tip in/redirect style goals. They need those opportunities, they need a man at the net. It's huge for their success and they haven't been doing it enough lately.

Jonas Hiller was solid again last night. So great to see that right now. It seems to me that if the Ducks are going to have a chance at the playoffs, Hiller is going to have to be in net for a majority of the remaining games. Plain and simple.

So is it just that the Ducks beat a crappy team? Or is it that the Ducks have found some fire in their game?

Is it going to carry over? If the Ducks want a chance at the post season...it sure as hell better.

This might just be the best showing the Ducks have had at home since game 5 against San Jose, where they shut them out 4-0, game 11 against Detroit and game 12 against Vancouver where they fought to send both of those games into overtime, and ultimately Vancouver into the crazy 13 round shootout. What's the good news in that? The Ducks looked so much better during that time of the season. Minus the terrible start, the Ducks then went 8-3-2 in the month of November and received points in 9 straight games spanning from October 21 - November 5. The Ducks really need an October/November right now and this game may have just been the spark they were looking for.

Warning to the friends; get out the oxygen tank. This is the beginning of the playoffs people. Seemingly, every game is must win- or go home. I foresee potential hyperventilation factors coming into play and soon I expect them to ask me if I'm going to pass out.

I love it!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...predicting the unpredictable

2009-03-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Lets face it, tonight's game is a pure toss up. Winning or losing this game is all dependent on what group of guys come to play tonight. I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the possibility of...not so great.

This Anaheim Ducks team is completely unpredictable and they have been this way the entire season!

With that being said, I'm going to be as vague as ever.

A group of guys will play in jerseys with the names on the back that read: Pronger, Niedermayer (you may see that name on two different guys), Getzlaf, Selanne, Ryan, Perry, Nokelainen, Ebbett...you get the idea. What guys will be inside of those jerseys...unpredictable.

There will be ice and it will be chilly.

There will be refs (who will be booed at as always).

I will be there and some of you will be there.

The strength of my voice tomorrow? Dependent on this team...therefore, completely unpredictable.

GO DUCKS!!!

Bright Lights in the Hockey World

2009-03-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Just because I'd LOVE to see more of this. Okay, I'd love to see more of it from guys other than those named Ovechkin, but you can't deny that this is a GOOD thing for the NHL. They need more guys like this with personality who are willing to show it on the ice. Celebrations like this are going to get the fans, the league, the LOCAL SPORTS NEWS talking...and it's all good exposure for the NHL.

So, here's a bit more exposure, just in case you haven't seen it yet!

Meeting expectations

2009-03-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

I was strongly considering writing:

SEE YESTERDAYS POST!

Basically, it will look the same.

The Ducks played against Phoenix last night exactly as expected. Like crap.

But here's the positive, the Ducks did get 2 points and Phoenix got 1, but they're the least of the worries for the Ducks. Unfortunately, they're going to have to play a heck of alot better on Sunday when they play this team again.

Apparently, they don't know how to play defense once the clock drops below 3:00 minutes in the 3rd period. Not that they really bother to play defense any other time.

For five minutes tonight, I really thought the Ducks were going to bring it. That 5 minutes concluded when Drew Miller scored his goal. That 4th line looked great. They were playing physical, they were moving the puck well, and they were in position. Very evident when Miller drilled it home to take the Ducks up 1-0. That was the end of that. The Ducks then continued to chase the puck, the Coyotes and be completely out of position for the rest of the game. They then offered Jonas Hiller no help in the final minuets when they all stood around as Matthew Lombardi slipped the puck into a seemingly open net. And no, I'm not going to blame Hiller for that one. In fact, Hiller had no problem stopping Lombardi as the final shooter in his attempt. Instead I'm thanking Hiller for keeping the Ducks in the game and for holding on during the last 50 seconds of overtime when the Ducks were down a man 4 on 3.

Hey Corey Perry, have a little sit down with Petteri Nokelainen please. We'd all like you to get a refresher course on what it looks like to drive to the net.

I had almost completely forgotten who Ryan Getzlaf was. I've heard of the guy, know he's a young guy who could potentially be a great player in this league. Haven't really seen THAT guy around lately though. He made a small cameo at the end of the game to keep the Ducks in the shootout. Maybe he'll be around for the next game, but just like making any wager on the Ducks, I'm not going to bet on it.

Will someone please remind Teemu Selanne that he doesn't need to wait for the refs to miss a few non calls to get fired up. You can come out and play the game with intensity from the beginning, we wont mind that. Your line mates are giving it their all, help out a bit bud!

Right, they won. I should remember that and not be too greedy.

Just win? I guess I'll have to keep that motto in mind right now, and not feel so disappointed when it doesn't happen the way I think it should.

Sorry if this post sounds too much like yesterdays...but today's Ducks are looking too much like yesterdays...and those guys aren't in a playoff spot.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...never enough

2009-03-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just in case you needed confirmation that I'm a woman...

I wasn't satisfied with last night's win. Typical right?

Sure...I'm thrilled they got two points...but they also let the game go into OT, giving Nashville a point, something the Ducks can't afford to give to ANYONE right now. Yea they scored a goal as predicted (haha, man was I happy that happened last night...I would have felt awful if it hadn't), but I didn't feel like they had that fire they were all saying they were going to be bringing to the table.

They were too fancy last night, too fancy. Come on guys, you cant make solid open ice passes, what makes you think you're going to connect between 2 or 3 defenders? And what's this thing lately (or all season) where they play in these clusters? It seems like so often they're all right on top of each other. They're in the way of one another, not helping to create the space and time needed for the guy with the puck.

During the previous 2 seasons I used to fret when I heard that the "backup" was in net for the evening. Even though both Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonas Hiller are fantastic back-ups, I always worried and cringed a bit more when shots were taken at those guys. This year that's not the case. When I saw JS Giguere leave the ice early during the pre-game skate, I was instantly nervous. He had a few outstanding saves in last nights game, but again I just felt as if he could have been better. He could have been the guy we loved watching play in seasons past. Someone said they were surprised to see that so many fans have turned on Jiggy so easily, I don't think that this is the case. It's been a SEASON'S worth of time watching him struggle. I completely understand that he has family situations and personal issues that have made things more difficult for him this year, but I would expect him to be the one to step up and say, "I can't do it, I'm not in the mindset." He's a professional, it's his job to say that he isn't 100%. No one can make that judgment better than he can. So when I see him on the ice, it tells me he feels like he will be able to bring 100%. I'm not satisfied with Jiggy's 100% right now, and it makes me uneasy to see him on the ice. I'm starting to wonder if the team is feeling the same way. After the 2nd goal (I believe) was given up, Jiggy and Chris Pronger were tied up in the crease. As Pronger got back to his feet, you could see he and Jiggy having a bit of a conversation. I obviously don't know what was said, but I think Pronger said something like this, "gee, I wish you were Hiller." Yea, maybe a bad interpretation...but I wonder if I'm really that far off.

I was just not impressed. I'm still wanting more from this team, expecting more from these guys. This is still not a playoff team. Even if they make it to the post season, I don't think they will make a dent. There isn't enough fire and passion for 16 wins, 4 wins, to make the playoffs in the first place.

I'm just sayin...if that's the fire we were supposed to be seeing, it was barely an ember in my book. Apparently I have high expectations from future hall of fame-ers, Norris trophy winners, All star players and kids drafted high in the first round. Maybe that's just me though.

Gee, you'd think they lost after reading this one wouldn't you?

So for tonight I just hope these guys don't let a lame OT win clog their minds. They're going to need to bring alot more than they did last night.

Playing this back to back, hopefully it means we'll be seeing Hiller tonight. Don't let me down Hiller, don't let the team down.

Any goals the team gets will need to be team efforts. No one can do it on their own.

Here's hoping Bobby Ryan surpasses Dustin Penner for rookie points tonight, as he was able to tie that last night with 45.

Also, it's necessary to recognize an amazing career by Teemu Selanne, congratulations to him for reaching 1,200 career points. In addition it was his 574th goal, passing Mike Bossy on the all-time list.

In addition, Rob Niedermayer will be playing in his 1,000th career game tonight.

Tonight is what it's all about boys...do it!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...pre-game positivity

2009-03-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here comes a bold prediction for today...

The Ducks are going to play tonight.

I know...later tonight when that actually happens, you'll all think I'm brilliant. It happens.

I can't say how, but something tells me it will be a little bit more of what we'd like to see from them. Throughout the entire season I've been having these strange moments of positivity for this team. Of course, this positivity is always BEFORE a game...and rarely after. Naturally, you've seen where this positive high has taken me...down down down, with profanities thrown in the mix.

I'm okay with this. If it means that for the next few weeks I have moments of positive, excited anticipation, well, I'll take it.

I'm not looking forward to a long summer people.

So for a big prediction tonight...

The Ducks are going to score a goal. I know, I didn't believe it at first either, but it's going to happen (wow...am I going to feel like an a-hole if that one DOESN'T happen)!

I don't really care how they do it...just DO IT!

Here's the thing, they play again tomorrow, and I REALLY don't want my pre-game positivity to be ruined with a loss tonight.

Keep that in mind gentlemen, my happiness is dependant on your ability to do your damn jobs.

:)

GO DUCKS!!!

13 guaranteed!

2009-03-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

That's right...the Ducks still have 13 guaranteed games remaining!

GUARANTEED! That's exciting right? No?

How about how the fact that they played pretty solid last night? What, small victories aren't enough for you here in March?!

My best friends are Disney Volleyball Champs! (I KNEW there would be a positive to today's post...I could just feel it) That was very exciting for them, and made for a good ending to the Sunday evening. So Congrats to Ramon and Mini!

Okay...so back to the Ducks.

2008-2009 can only be described as frustrating. In so many ways. Obviously we've all been watching a fabulous group of guys struggle night in/night out on the ice. But I really think that last night was the ultimate. The Ducks are still out shooting. Yea, even with Ryan Getzlaf on the ice, they're still taking more shots than their opponents. Last night, the Ducks out shot San Jose 34-30, Jonas Hiller is for all purposes outstanding, and yet the Ducks don't get a bounce at the other end. Frustrating. Watching players who should be giving more, are able to give more, and are just coming up empty. Insanely Frustrating. Putting 34 shots on net and getting ZERO? Frustrating. Watching an unfortunate goal bounce off of ex-Duck Travis Moen's stick (and likely NEW-Duck Ryan Whitney's hand) and THAT lame goal be the game winner. Frustrating. Remembering that Travis Moen is the king of getting lame goals (the ultimate game winning goal in 2007 Stanley Cup Finals goes to Moen...even though he didn't put it in the net himself). Frustrating. Knowing the Ducks' chances slip further and further away from making it to the post season with each game. Frustrating. Feeling like these guys have given up. INEXCUSABLE.

I do think they played hard last night. Did they deserve two points? Maybe one.

Hard doesn't always get you the two points. It obviously doesn't even get you one.

The Ducks need more than that right now.

But hey! 13 guaranteed games left! YEA BABY!

So I think we all watched as Corey Perry slammed his stick into the back of Evgeni Nabokov's leg during the game. He was then pulled away like a dog from the collar by several San Jose players, but apparently that little stint has caused alot of heat from both sides. Here's a quote from OC Register from Corey Perry:

“Everything was over,” Perry said. “I was still lying there on my knees. All of a sudden, Nabokov just turned and kicked me. He rolled onto his side and kicked me with his right leg. He hit me with his toe.”

Apparently Nabokov didn't think it was that big of deal (who's surprised...really?). He felt the play was over and that he was just trying to get up. But ultimately, this was my favorite part:

“It’s over with, so who cares?” he said. “We got the two points, and we’re going home.”

OUCH! He really knows how to kick a Duck when he's down...literally!

It kinda makes me wish I knew how to skate...and puck handle...and play hockey...nevermind, I just want to kick him back myself.

Maybe the Ducks will be reminded of this the next time they play the Sharks in just a few weeks.

Maybe...that game wont be as frustrating.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

NOW, FOREVER, ALWAYS...

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-03-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the prediction that I have for tonight isn't one that I hope comes true...so we'll skip it for now.

Bobby Ryan, Erik Christensen, and George Parros who will fight (if it was against Travis Moen that would be really interesting).

GO DUCKS!!! ...I'll be home screaming at my TV...hopefully that carries over to the crowd tonight!

Takin 2 in the sin bin

2009-03-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Probably the best seat in the house!

That crazy dog!

I think I've seen that one before

2009-03-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Deja vu?

3 on 3 in overtime...Scott Niedermayer winning the game...Todd Marchant mobbing him behind the net...the team dog pile...Scotty skating away as if the Ducks win games like that every night.

CRAZY!

One thing is for sure...Roberto Luongo must really hate Scott Niedermayer's OT heroics. I for one, LOVE them!

I can't say that the Ducks played a great game. I don't think they did. However, the crowd was into the game last night. Whether it was boo-ing some questionable calls (ie Getzlaf's interference...which I don't think would have been called if it was ANY OTHER TEAM. Weak call in my opinion), cheering for ALL goals, including those recalled...the crowd definitely offered support. Ironically the video board introduction before the game was encouraging the fans to get pumped up as well. GOOD! I'm glad that message is being made loud and clear to the fans. It's important and a big part of the reason that I LOVE being there. I am once again without a voice...and that's how I like it. I know it's hard to get involved in the game when there isn't anything to cheer about, but last night was a different story on many levels.

Goal tending. Jonas Hiller was outstanding last night. I find that I say that about him more often than I do JS Giguere these days. Again, I still think Hiller needs to hide his disappointment a little better, but his rebound control was fantastic last night and he just seemed to soak up all shots thrown at him. No sloppy seconds there. Seeing Hiller flip, spin, grab...he did it all to make some huge saves last night. At one point in the last few minutes of the game, he had what was by far the save of the night. Many good scoring chances for Vancouver were turned away by Hiller and he definitely did a majority of the work when it came to helping the Ducks pull out the win.

The new guys are looking fantastic! Petteri Nokelainen gets a goal, Ryan Whitney and Erik Christensen both get 2 assists apiece (minus their 2 recalled goals of course). Hopefully this is a spark for not only those 3 guys, but for the team as well. Great contribution by the newbies...I'm going to have to start working on some nicknames. Any ideas? Big concern was hearing that James Wisniewski left the game during the second period. I feel guilty for not noticing while I was at the game, I'm usually very aware of that. Anyway...I'll keep my eyes peeled about updated information regarding him.

Another huge factor was capitalizing on rebounds. Both Ryan Getzlaf and Nokelainen scored goals off of rebound opportunities. So many times in the last few games I've felt like I see opportunities, but no one is in front of the net to pick up the loose change (dimes I'm sure...you know what I'm talking about el toro).

In the end...it all comes down to this...a win, 2 points, some momentum, continued hope for the post season.

It will be interesting to see if the Ducks can take the momentum of a very big win against a very good team with them into Sunday's game.

Until then...

GO DUCKS!!!

"The Bobby" is number one

2009-03-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Just because I can't get enough of Bobby 'effin Ryan...and because the NHL actually recognized it...AND because some of the other top 10 goals are actually pretty cool(ignore goals number 10 and 8). Enjoy!

Ducks in a Row

2009-03-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm torn on today's post.

Should I be inspirational and remind fans to hold on...there is still a chance...they aren't out yet!

Should I be pessimistic and remind fans that the Ducks are more likely to lose 4 in a row than they are to win 1?

OR

Should I just be realistic and remind everyone that the Ducks are likely to flip a coin for tonight...a 50/50 chance that they may or may not chose to play tonight.

With Ryan Getzlaf considering taking more SOG...let's hope he learns a lesson and gets a goal tonight. Same can be said for his buddy Corey Perry.

The second line, which seems to be the only line clicking right now, they can scrounge around to find a goal too if they'd like.

Mike Brown is going to be going up against his old teammates and I'm thinking he might be extra aggressive tonight...GOOD! He can teach the rest of the team a thing or two about hits!!

Who's in goal? I'm not sure it really matters, but if I had it my way, we'd be seeing Jonas Hiller tonight.

GO DUCKS!!!

Pick your poison

2009-03-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

It really wont matter what option you chose, they're both lose - lose.

So do you want to go with the team that works harder than normal, but is going to be relying on the net minder who lets by soft goals on a regular basis. OR, do you want the team that spends 98% of the game chasing their opponent (they turn it on for about 2 minutes of the entire game...not a CONSECUTIVE 2 minutes, but beggars can't be choosers), but have maybe a little more confidence in the man between the pipes. For all purposes, these are the Ducks we're seeing here.

Friday night we see a Ducks team work hard and just not get the bounces. Just not get that one extra hop that puts the puck in the back of the net. However, they were also the team with JS Giguere in the net. Soft goal after not in position goal after how did you miss that?

Then tonight, the Ducks act as if they've got nothing to play for. No reason to skate hard. No reason to make clean passes. They don't want the post season. They're already envisioning relaxing on the beach, spending time with the family at the lake. They're on vacation...the fans are just paying to watch them get there. Jonas Hiller on the other hand...that guy is still trying. He had some fabulous saves tonight, saves that Jiggy would NOT have made in my opinion.

So which crappy team do you want? They're both for sale right now.

fa la la......... do you hear that? The Fat Lady is warming up.

So I'm going to go all "coach SK" for a minute...

One thing I think we can ALL agree on is that this team needs to move their feet. They are SO damn lazy it out there, it's sickening to watch.

I don't think it was until the final minutes of the 3rd period that I noticed some hitting. The 3rd period? YOU KIDDING ME?! It's one thing that I appreciate when I see George Parros and Ryan Carter on the ice. I know those guys are going to go out there and be aggressive. I don't think it's ironic that we see that 4th line controlling the puck in the Ducks offensive zone! Which brings me to the next point. That 4th line would probably be alot more effective offensively if they played together more. That line gets jumbled up SO much that they never really get to know one anothers habits. Give them the damn time to try and develop SOMETHING!

Okay, so the top line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Erik Christensen. It's wrong. I think Mike Brown should be playing with Getzlaf and Perry. I'd hate to demote Christensen so soon, and I'm not demoting him because I don't think he's a good enough player (I haven't made that distinction yet), but we know that Getzlaf and Perry need a guy who's going to be scrappy and quick...I think that guy is Brown. I've already said that I think he reminds me alot of Kunitz in his style of play...so let's see it happen.

Speaking of Getzlaf and Perry...what the hell is going on there? Getzlaf needs to "KOBE IT UP AND TAKE A SHOT!" (suggestion courtesy of Ramon and Mini). The overabundance of passing is getting old. This team doesn't pass well enough to make that an effective part of their game. (UPDATED -- well I read this on OC Register this morning...it's basically Getzlaf talking about his shooting/lack there of)

Personally, I'd almost rather see Perry hang out in front of the net more. Take some more goalie interference penalties for all I care...but if it means a few more goals get through, so be it!

Here's another obvious for everyone...

The Ducks have an insanely serious habit of letting that first goal get by within the first minute of the game. Here's what that does:

Team gets down...goalie gets down...fans get down...fans aren't loud, supportive, cheering...team isn't motivated, sparked...goalie isn't protected, assisted...goal, goal, goal...by the OTHER team!! It's a vicious cycle, one where after the first goal gets by...everyone on the Ducks side is prepared to throw in the towel. SHAME! BREAK THE CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!

So remember back at the beginning of 2009 I said I was going to be more positive? Well this team is sure making that hard to do.

I want to have something positive to say...but I'll be damned if I can come up with anything.

I have a prediction for the rest of the season, but I won't be sharing until after the regular season is over.

oh yea...GO DUCKS!!! Try not to embarrass yourselves too much the rest of the way.

Ducks in a Row...ig

2009-03-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

Together, I think we can hold of the fat lady for just a little longer...right?

I mean, she's getting close...but I'm not ready to hear her song yet.

This game tonight is up to the fans. The Honda Center needs to be blaring. It needs to be loud, pumped, ear shattering! I have no voice from Friday's game. I did an overabundance of cheering for new guy James Wisniewski's first career goal as a Duck...and an INSANE amount of cheering for Bobby 'Effin Ryan's highlight goal. Add some exuberant car singing to the mix and I now sound like "MAN with a puck". Whatever. I'll be there tonight doing my part...screaming, cheering, rooting, LOVING the Ducks.

I'll need your help though, cause there is no way I can do it alone. Tonight is the fans night. The night that we show the Ducks how much we love and support them, even in lows like this season. The fat lady...she hasn't sung a damn note yet...

I'm personally going to do my best to hold her off for a long as I can!

Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney. If any of the other Ryans feel like stepping up tonight, I wont be upset!

GO DUCKS!!! Our voices may be strained, but we're not ready to let her through!

Doing "THE BOBBBY"

2009-03-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

They're going to have to name that goal move after the kid. I mean come on...it just gets prettier and prettier each time. Taking on...what? 5 defenders! The kid is a stud! Way to come out and represent number 9! Bobby 'Effin Ryan...and I say that with the UP-MOST RESPECT!!!

Some other thoughts before I hit the sheets...

I was/am really impressed by the defense. The Ducks only gave up 16 SOG. "But they let 3 get by". No kidding, I don't think I'll get started on the Jiggy thing just yet. Anyway, Chris Pronger seemed to have a kick in his step. Maybe he wants the organization to think about keeping him around next year. I'd like to see that happen too! But overall, that group seemed to be on it tonight! Even better was seeing James Wisniewski "Wizie Wisky" score that goal was great! (Wizie Wisky, yea, that's the name he's been given for two reasons; 1 - His name is just WAY to crazy to say out loud...it's not fun like Nokelainen and 2 - he got a goal tonight, once you've made a particular contribution, you get a nickname from me.) It gave the Ducks a bit of a boost and even better was seeing a guy sincerely excited to score. I just love those moments. Great job Wizie Wisky...keep it up!

UJ made a great point tonight that I'd like to pass on...

The offense wasn't missing, they're still there and will hopefully be getting stronger. The Ducks got a CONSIDERABLE amount of SOG (38). That damn Turco just happened to be right in front of all but two of those shots. He really saved his team from losing tonight. Which turns me to JS Giguere. I've been giving the guy the benefit of the doubt for the entire season, but enough is enough. If it weren't for Sean Avery's big mouth, we wouldn't have the perfect term here...but lets face it...Jiggy gives up way too many sloppy seconds! There is no way the Ducks are going to make the playoffs if Jiggy is in net. I'm sorry. I wish I could say differently, but it's just not the case right now. I want to love the guy. I want to see the old Jiggy back...and we're just not going to be getting that at this point in the season. There is no way he can carry this team through the playoffs, and right now, I can't imagine him getting the team there to begin with. I wish that were different, but I don't think it is. I love Jiggy, and I was there at the rally cheering for him like everyone else was...but this isn't the same guy. Unfortunately, I don't think he's coming back. I hope I'm wrong. Please let me be wrong.

Overall, I think the Ducks played a good game. I think it's obvious that the team is YOUNGER and FASTER and are showing great signs of improvement.

It's a good thing there is only one team out there with an annoying Turco in net. Okay, maybe there are 20-something teams out there with an annoying guy in net...hopefully the Ducks can just get a couple past them!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...and I'm damn excited about it

2009-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

One of the girls in my office joked with me yesterday that I'm going through the 5 stages of grief.

Those stages are:
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.

Yea, I've experienced them all and I'm glad to say...I'm on stage 5. I've accepted this new team for what it is...the beginning of a rebuild. But one thing is for sure, this team has a much better outlook than the team would have come July 1st. I know you've all read Bob Murray's comments on what his thinking was with this team, and I'll be honest...the man made some smart decisions during a difficult point in the Ducks present/future; even though I was unable to see that clearly at the time. Accepting that this team will be getting new faces in the off-season was one thing, but seeing it happen now is much different. But here is the most important factor...this team just got alot younger, and maybe (maybe) alot more talented. Those things would not have happened if we would have lost the players who were traded away for nothing come UFA season.

I will not/cannot take anything away from what those past guys brought to this team...but it wouldn't be forever and we all knew that. In fact, one day we're all going to see Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan not in a Ducks uni (hopefully because of retirement...but who knows). Sooner than later we're going to see Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger leave for good...and we'll all deny that it's the end, be angry that they've left/ended their careers, bargain with ourselves that they will return, be overly depressed about the loss of great talent and then ACCEPT that things are going to get better...WILL get better! Here's the most important part...the past means NOTHING now. NOTHING. What THAT team did in 2007 is irrelevant to what THIS team NEEDS to do in 2009. What THAT team did at the beginning of this season is put THIS team in a position that is going to require hard work and determination.

The Ducks aren't out of this thing yet, and by no means should the fans give up on this group. They can become a team...a GREAT team. I for one am by no means about to give up on this organization that I love.

Remember: it's all about the NOW. What they can do NOW. Not what's going to happen tomorrow, or on July 1st. Not what happened yesterday or in 2007. NOW. Right NOW, the Ducks need fans who are ready to take on some new faces and new obstacles. Right NOW...I think it's a GREAT time to be a Ducks fan...and I'M DAMN EXCITED ABOUT IT!

So tonight...I think these boys will be a scoring machine!

Ryan Getzlaf...hopefully his face is feeling better (still can't believe how tore up he looks! He MUST feel awful!)

Bobby Ryan...sporting a new number!!! Ramon thinks 9 is jinxed. It's only been worn by one other and like it or not, Bobby Ryan will do the fans proud no matter what digit he's sporting.

I think the new guys are going to do some great things, starting with tonight.

Petteri Nokelainen...by far my favorite new name...just say it out loud, it's fun! Plus he's from Finland...Selanne must be loving that!

and...Erik Christensen. He's going to be up with the big boys on the first line (if it sticks for tonight) and I think it will give him an opportunity to shine. I've heard alot about his potential...and now I want to see it!

Don't mess with me boys...you saw how I've felt about "others"!!!

GO DUCKS!!! NOW IS THE TIME! Do you feel that excitement? Bring it!!!

I think we've been waiting for this?!

2009-03-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

There's a new number in town...

Bobby effin Ryan...

GO DUCKS!!!

Check out the new guys numbers too...eek!

--UPDATED--

Also, thanks to OC Register, here is a look at potential lines for tomorrow's game.
Keep in mind, RC is very likely to change these whenever he very well feels like it.

Erik Christensen-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry

Bobby Ryan-Andrew Ebbett-Teemu Selanne

Mike Brown-Petteri Nokelainen-Troy Bodie

Ryan Carter, George Parros, Todd Marchant and Rob Niedermayer were fourth liners.

Wow, what a few hours can do to a team

2009-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

I'm just SPEECHLESS...that's right...no expletives!

Steve Montador is with Boston. Ducks get F - Petteri Nokelainen.

Samuel Pahlsson (OMG...I can't believe they traded Pahlsson! I'm soooo...wow....just speechless!) to Chicago. Ducks get D - James Wisniewski and undisclosed pick (whatever that means).

Kent Huskins and Travis Moen to rival San Jose (WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!?). Ducks get F - Nick Bonino, G - Timo Pielmeier and a Conditional Pick.

Prospect Eric Cole to Atlanta. Ducks get F - Erik Christensen.

WOW! eltoro reminds me...I/we/fans/Ducks asked for this shake up. We all wanted a change and something to offer a spark. I just didn't think it would look like this! I'm stunned, totally surprised. I can't lie, I'm terrible with knowledge on a good majority of non Ducks...but I really don't recognize any NEW names here. One thing I can say is this...this roster just got ALOT younger! But as for analysis. I HAVE NO IDEA!!!

I'm not going to recognize ANYONE at Friday's game!

More importantly I'm beyond sad to see these 2 3 4 5 guys go. It's been one hell of an emotional ~~day~~ week. Seeing Chris Kunitz leave and now Steve Montador, Sammy Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Kent Huskins. I wish them luck, they're all finding themselves on very talented teams with a huge opportunity to win another Stanley Cup. I put my figurative money on Boston about a month ago...I think I'll be keeping it there since they didn't do too shabby here on deadline day themselves.

But more importantly...to the old, new, young, veteran, revamped and refurbished...GO DUCKS!!!

Rumors aren't my thing

2009-03-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

You know what's most upsetting about last nights game?

The Ducks are completely unable to play a consistent 60 minutes of hockey. Wait, they are unable to play a consistent 60 minutes of GOOD hockey, they have no issues with playing 60 minutes of BAD hockey. No matter what, they have one period or 10 minutes worth of time where they COMPLETELY throw the game away.

The first period was a classic example last night of their inconsistency. Ugly hockey.

I'm thrilled they got at least one point...but we all know it's not enough.

But...HOW RANDOM WAS IT THAT BRENDAN MORRISON PLAYED LAST NIGHT?! I just thought it was weird!

"Hey dude, we don't want ya...you know we don't want ya...but oh wait...we need you to play this ONE LAST GAME...give it your all! THANKS!" - Anaheim Ducks

At this point it sounds like Morrison has been acquired by the Dallas Stars. So he'll be at the Honda Center on Friday ANYWAY! Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly thrilled by losing Morrison in this manner. The Ducks are getting nothing for him. Putting him on waivers will clear up cap space, great, but nothing more. I'm disappointed in Morrison. Likewise, it was disappointing with Bertuzzi and Weight. The Ducks/fans expected alot from these players and got very little. Was it fair to expect so much? I think so. I think it's fair to assume that the Ducks were looking for a 2nd line man who could produce, and Morrison was unable to produce at the level needed. The 2.7 million hit to the cap was a bit expensive for Morrison to stay on board as a 4th line center, which is what he ultimately became. Good luck in Dallas...

Also, it seems as though Chris Pronger's name has been taken off the trade rumors table. GOOD! During trade deadline time, it seems as though ANYONE can start a rumor and see where it goes. For the most part I just ignore them. We'll see what's going to happen during the off season with Pronger, but for now, Ducks fans get at least 17 more games with him on the roster. The way I look at it is this; It offers the Ducks the opportunity to get a solid answer from Scott Niedermayer. His off season decision is probably going to be what decides if Pronger stays or goes this summer. Then again...WHO KNOWS!

For the time being, I don't really see the Ducks doing anything crazy here in the last few hours of the deadline. I think we got our move already and we're going to see what the Ducks can do with what they've got now.

I will say this, I AM enjoying Ryan Whitney and new guy Mike Brown. Hopefully they'll both provide a spark!

GO DUCKS!!!

SMILES...

2009-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

No complaints here...

Brendan Morrison on waivers

Ducks in a Row

2009-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Game 6 of this crazy road trip ends tonight...

Trade deadline ends in a little more than 24 hours...

Tonight...

Chris Pronger (who will hopefully still be a Duck in 48 hours...one can hope right?)
Teemu Selanne (twice)
Ryan Getzlaf (who is hopefully looking/feeling better than he did on Saturday...ew!)

Also, last time the Ducks were in Chi Town I did a little Q&A with Second City Hockey's Committed Indian. This time around Earl Sleek and I both contributed and you can read his answers on Battle of California. Mine are posted below.

Your season has seemed like a bout of drunken sex, hard, tiring, and not all that productive. Why has this been?

Personally I think the biggest short coming has been on defense. The Ducks have essentially been training rookies all season and missing Beauchemin has been the biggest curse/blessing the Ducks could have received. If Beach stays, Bobby Ryan probably gets traded (due to cap issues), but the Ducks D might have been stronger. And of course, you are seeing what happened with losing Beach...we got to see Ryan in action (which has been fabulous) but are suffering on D. I think overall, it may have exposed some potentially weak goal tending, and likewise, Jiggy has had a rough personal season as well. It's definitely been a head scratcher.

Are you really gonna move Pronger? Who else might go?

I think the unfortunate answer here is yes. If not here at the deadline it, maybe over the summer...but ultimately, I think it's going to happen. Pronger is extremely valuable and for a team like the Ducks, who have just had such an awful time this past season, they are trying to get younger and looking for a long term solution...it does make sense. Do I want to see him go? Hell no. As for other moves...I think Bob Murray might just continue to shock us all, we still don't know what he's made of.

Bobby Ryan has really taken off, what's been most impressive about his game?

I think what is most impressive about Ryan is that he's DAMN IMPRESSIVE! It's not that he's doing anything we don't expect to see, it's simply that he IS doing it! He's doing what we all hoped he would do, he's living up to the expectations wonderfully. He's got great speed, he's an insane puck handler and turning out to be a great team player. I don't think anything is impressive about what he's doing, it's what we've all expected from him to begin with. It's so much fun to see.

Hiller has clearly outplayed Giguere. Giggy has a big cap number, might he hit the exit door too?

I don't know that this is entirely true. Hiller has had some great games, and I feel confident that the Ducks have a good chance when he's in net, but I wouldn't say that either guy is out playing the other. They both seem to be giving up soft goals which is something we didn't used to see too much from Jiggy in the past, at least in my opinion. I think what is most surprising is that the team hasn't been able to rely on their goal tending so much this season, and it's truly shown a weak side to the defense that I don't think many were aware of or prepared for. Jiggy has a NTC, so I doubt we'll be seeing him go. The organization still has alot of faith in him.

What did you make of the Kunitz-Whitney deal?

Hm, I was a bit upset about it. I'm sure in the long run it has the potential to be a positive for the Ducks, but it will be hard to say until we really see what Whitney can bring to the team. There is a strong chance he'll be leading the Defensive core next season, and I think that's when we'll all know what this trade was worth. I have a fear that Tangradi will be amazing and that might be the most damaging part of the trade. For me, Kuni was just a stand up guy, faithful to his teammates and a hard worker. The Ducks need more hard workers right now.

Are you guys gonna make the playoffs? Is there any point?

That's the million dollar question in Ducks land right now. Honestly, with how tight everything is in the West, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. The problem is we're all still waiting for this team to catch fire. With so few games left (especially for the Ducks), that fire better be now. Is there any point? Probably not. The Ducks have had serious issues with first place AND last place teams this season. I can't foresee them upsetting any of the top teams in the West.

GO DUCKS!!!

Eye didn't think it would be like that!

2009-02-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

There was so much to yesterday's game that I kinda don't know where to begin.

Lets just say this. The Ducks really know how to gets one's emotions going. It was so great to see them playing so solid during the first 20 minutes. They looked good. I felt good about the game.

But wait! This is the 08-09 team we're talking about. They're bound to come back out onto the ice and feel like they have everything under control and take themselves a little break. And they did. And it was ugly. That Mike Ribeiro...he's got the Ducks number. It seems like every time they play Dallas, that guy just kills the Ducks. He definitely didn't help them win today, that's for sure.

Somehow though, the Ducks managed to pull through. Corey Perry tied it up with an interesting wrap around when he beat his ultimate foe, Marty Turco, and then practically celebrated the goal in his face, priceless! More impressive was Andrew Ebbett playing solid defense causing Dallas to turn over the puck. Ebbett sends the puck to Teemu Selanne right in Turco's kitchen and the Ducks find themselves in that 4-3 position.

Then the clock took forever!!

An extremely positive note was JS Giguere. He was solid Jiggy style there in the last 5 minutes or so when the Ducks were playing scrambled egg defense. He made some HUGE stops once Turco was pulled and even provoked a bit of a fight between Travis Moen and Steve Ott at the end of regulation. There is ALOT of interesting stuff going on right now regarding this fight.

You're going to have to do some decision making on your own. Here's what's going on...

He was pretty aggressive with Scott Niedermayer there at the end of the game. One thing to take note of is that is NO ONE is allowed to mess with Scotty, plain and simple. I don't care who's on the ice when that happens, someone is going to step in and take care of it. Well in this case, Jiggy saw it, and Jiggy tried to be the one to stop it. He was rough with Ott and Jiggy was given a 2 minute roughing penalty for it (big woop, game was over). Scotty turned around to take care of his own business and that's when Moen stepped in. Now here's the tricky part. Ott isn't allowed to fight because he's got a broken hand, wrist, finger, whatever...therefore he's wearing a cast and not allowed to fight with the cast on. So basically Ott gets pummeled by Moen. In his own self defense, Ott apparently tried to gouge Moens eye. Accident or not, the league considers something like that to be "intent to harm" and it's going to cause Ott to be suspended. His hearing is on Monday. I'm hoping he gets a few games because the Ducks have to play them again on Friday, and it would be nice to have him out of the lineup.

Speaking of Dallas...Kuni and his Penguins are in town tomorrow, and it will be a GREAT thing for his former team if Pittsburgh wins. Keeping Dallas down right now is VERY helpful to the trying-so-desperately-to-make-the-playoffs Ducks.

The Rumor mills are churning like crazy. Of course alot (most ALL) of the talk is surrounding Chris Pronger. I would lead you to such sites, but I don't want to. haha, I'm a firm believer of, I'll believe it when I see it (apparently I'm like a 4 year old child today too).

Did anyone see the bashing that Detroit got from Nashville? I mean, that doesn't help the Ducks out too much...but I'm just glad that their 8-0 beating looks way worse than the Ducks' 6-0 loss to the Bruins, and the 8-4 loss to Atlanta and the first 4 games of the season...yea this could just go on and on.

Anyway, one game left on this road trip so...

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-02-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

There is no time like today boys...(well, there WAS plenty of time before this day, but you've managed to completely squander that time away...)

Because I'm going to miss him terribly...

Congrats to Chris Kunitz for making a statement in his first game as a Pittsburgh Penguin yesterday. With a goal and an assist in the first period, I'd like to think he gave the Ducks a bit of the middle finger. Deservedly so if you ask me. Good for him though, he looked very happy there.

So for the Ducks today, it will be the first time I get to SEE new guy RYAN Whitney (yes, that makes 4 Ryans on the Ducks roster). Just remember dude, starting today you get the benefit of the doubt...don't mess it up, you don't want to find yourself on a list with Brendan Morrison (or Bret Hedican, who is quickly finding himself on the very same list).

Today we'll go with...

~~Chris Kunitz~~, Bobby Ryan, Andrew Ebbett and Chris Pronger. Throw in an assist for the NEW GUY.

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row...Push for Points

2009-02-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

Finally.

Don't get me wrong, I got my hockey fill this weekend...but I'm ready for some Ducks hockey! Or, something like that anyway.

It's too bad for Bryz that he is giving up 4 goals tonight. But I'm okay with it.

Goals by Getzlaf, Ryan, Ebbett and Pronger.

GO DUCKS!

wow

2009-02-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

There are not enough profanities or expletives to describe this day in Ducks history.

Moment of silence...

2009-02-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Chris Kunitz has been traded to Pittsburgh.

I'm VERY sad to see him go.

VERY SAD.

Mini is EXTREMELY sad...and that's an understatement

------

I'm still feeling a bit shocked by this one. I think that's the way it goes when one of the guys you actually enjoy seeing on the team gets the boot.

Chris Kunitz was the one guy I would consider the spark of the Ducks roster. If there was one thing I could say about Chris Kunitz...he was ALWAYS working hard. There was rarely a time when I felt like he wasn't putting 100% out there. He was a spitfire with tons of spirit, passion and a great work ethic. He was also in my favorite all time Ducks fight(yea, I did enjoy a FIGHT).

Now, the questions will begin. Who's next? Will they move anyone else? Pronger and Niedermayer? What about that first line? Who plays alongside Perry and Getzlaf?

All I know is this. I wish Chris Kuntiz the best. Southern California, The Ducks, Chipotle in Orange, Mini and myself will all miss him greatly. Mini probably more than anyone.

GOOD LUCK KUNI!!!

Ducks in a Row...doing the IMPROBABLE

2009-02-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Ducks look to go 3 in a row. Not impossible. However, improbable.

They haven't won 3 in a row since the end of November.

I wont be watching...will you? There is a web site that MIGHT work (it's never worked for me). Give it a shot. If it DOES work...feel free to send me some messages via Twitter @SKeleven
Of course now that I've checked into the site, I haven't seen the Ducks game listed. Hopefully that will change later today.

Tonight, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan.

GO DUCKS!!!

They did something well...again!

2009-02-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's so nice to know that I don't have to...well ya know!

So I didn't get to see the first period, but it sounded okay. For some reason I actually felt calm while watching the 2nd and 3rd periods. I don't think it was because of how fabulous the Ducks were playing (I don't think it was THAT great to be honest), but something seemed to be clicking and it made me feel calm. Well...until the end of the third when the Ducks saw themselves a man short.

If you were watching the game at one point while Corey Perry was in the box, VS. showed a graphic that the Ducks were the most penalized team in the league (yea, no kidding?) with 351 minor penalties! So I looked into what that meant time wise...953 minutes in the box (obviously fighting majors and other penalties thrown into the mix). Ironically, it's not the 1007 PIM that Vancouver has served...and way more than last on the list Detroit with only 652 minutes. It does help to explain why the Ducks are looking into it.

Perhaps all of the current team bashing by Bob Murray is playing a role in the current 2 game win streak (I know...I'm glad I was sitting for that one too!). Because I was listening to the radio I got to hear much of the same interview that he gave on the TV telecast during Sunday's game. Same things said...they need to pick it up...we'll see where we're at...no one is safe...too many penalties...yada yada. SOME people think he's needs to man it up a bit more and really get on the teams case for everyone to hear, you know -- Brian Burke style (personally, I think Murray's one lint covered Werthers Original away from being your charming grandfather -- I don't think he'll be Burking up any time soon). Hey, maybe it would work wonders to let EVERYONE know what he's feeling about this team right now. Getting it out there in the open might encourage the team to step it up.

So, no say on what happened to Ryan Getzlaf there at the end of the game. It looked like some hard core face to face action actually (not the kind I'm sure he's used to). But whatever it was...it resulted in TONS of BLOOD! blah! Keep your eyes peeled for news on that one.

I do want to mention this...I'm very much enjoying the Andrew Ebbett, Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan line. I think those 3 are just what the Ducks have ordered. No one has been able to match Selanne's speed since Andy Mac left and I think it's nice to see Ebbett stepping into that role and making big plays for both Ryan and Selanne...and for Ebbett himself. My mention of it last night was that it seems like Selanne is actually playing better because of it. I mean, of course, you're only as good as your weakest player...(enter your own Morrison bash here).

JS Giguere looked good. Not great, but definitely better than previous games. There is a strong possibility we can see him returning to true Jiggy form here in the coming games. Wouldn't that be wonderful? It would really do something for a teams confidence to know their net minder is on top of it all!

Exciting enough was to see Mike Brown (the one WITH the beard) get a goal. He seemed genuinely happy about it. I love that about the guys who don't score too often...they're always so excited as if it's their first goal all over again! But even better...it means I got that part of my prediction right. I'm kinda questioning whether or not Chris Kunitz (the one WITHOUT the beard) got a tip on that Todd Marchant goal...who was ALSO very excited. The Ducks need these things when the Perry-Getzlaf line is too busy resting their bones in the box!

Okay...so I think one pardon can be given to Perry for that crazy "shooting the stick" penalty. This goes back to the lesson that you never know what you'll see while watching sports. He got a penalty for shooting his own goal tenders stick BACK TO HIM. Interesting. First time for everything I suppose?

No matter what, I like what the Ducks were able to do last night. GET 2 POINTS! This is huge right now. Every game, every point is HUGE! They know that, we know that, the standings show that!

I can't wait to watch the next game...

oh right...not on TV.

Whatever!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here's hoping that tomorrows post doesn't require me to type either of the following 2 words:

PROFANITIES and/or EXPLETIVES (thanks eltoro).

With that...

Chris Kunitz (who DOESN'T have a beard), Mike Brown (who DOES have a beard), Bobby Ryan (who probably CAN'T grow a beard) and Travis Moen (who'll probably be scoring big in the "becoming a dad soon" category. My dad has some suggested names...Grunt N. Moen and Letme Hearya Moen, classy right?).

EXPLETIVES!!! (I said TOMORROWS post...)
GO DUCKS!!!

They've done something well...

2009-02-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

The Ducks win a game -- finally, right?

I watched the games in two parts...the 1st period live and the 2nd and 3rd via TiVo this morning.

Here were some thoughts...

Who gave these guys a swift kick in the pants because they were VERY ferocious out there for a change. I can't recall the last time I watched a game and didn't feel the urge to yell...MOVE YOUR FEET!

JS Giguere -- clearly not your puck handling goaltender. There were a couple of flounders there in the 2nd. It was a good thing I already knew the score and didn't find myself freaking out about it...but still...just stay in your crease buddy, I don't need a heart attack at 26.

Someone I enjoyed watching was Mike Brown. That guy has some speed and he's feisty like Chris Kunitz. In fact a couple of times I thought it WAS Kunitz, until I saw the 3 on his back.

Turning point of the game? Corey Perry's goal in the 2nd period...add Kunitz's goal in there too. After having killed ALL those penalties, both of those fire powered goals really managed to give the Ducks a spark.

One thing that can be said about the game was that the Ducks' PK was clearly on fire. Taking SO MANY penalties, it's VERY hard to win games when they are so often short handed. Duh right? Well it seems as though the Ducks are concerned about it and have taken to some investigating this current trend where the Ducks are being penalized so much more than everyone else.

Oh, and I'd prefer it if Ryan Getzlaf stopped blocking shots...watching him hobble off to the locker room makes me queasy.

Okay, so the Ducks win 1 here on the road...I'll just leave it at that.

Let's talk trade issues. GM Bob Murray basically sets some rumors straight, Randy Carlyle is last on the list of people to be moved from the Ducks' organization. So those of you in favor of a coaching move, don't hold your breath (::exhale::). The only other interesting thing that he said was this...

"He has a big decision to make this summer, not only for the Ducks, but the Olympics next year. I know Team Canada wants him, he's a leader, it's in Vancouver. I mean, it's going to be tough for him to say no, but he hasn't said a word. I've talked to him and I think Scott will be straight with me, we wont go through this long drawn out process, I think he'll be straight with me right off the bat when the season is over."

Basically, Scott Niedermayer has a decision to make for himself this upcoming off season. He has a decision to make about the DUCKS and the Olympics. Sounds to me like he doesn't intend on moving Scotty if he thinks this off season decision is going to affect the Ducks.

In the end...I'm glad my predictions for the Blue Jackets were WAY off!

GO DUCKS!!!

Ducks in a Row

2009-02-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Game two of this back to back brings us this...

Steve Mason is FABULOUS in goal (as he has been all year seemingly)

Rick Nash get's a hat trick........

OH WAIT...DUCKS in a Row...not Blue Jackets in a Row...

ummmmmm, well...

Hiller tonight? Jiggy? Which one can possibly be better than Mason? Who knows

Perry, Selanne and Montador.

GO DUCKS!!!

Step Right Up!

2009-02-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

So start talking people!!

Anyone want to make some trade guesses, wishes, requests?

Come on...I know you've ALL got opinions.

Want mine?

I don't give a tiny rats @$$ what they decide to do...just DO SOMETHING ALREADY!!!! What are they waiting for?! 14th place? We're almost there!

Ducks in a Row

2009-02-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

For tonight's game, I don't know if I should predict from my head or my heart.

Ironically they're both 50/50.

My head says that realistically, with the way the Ducks have been playing, they are going to get smashed tonight. My head's also telling me that the Ducks play so much better when their opponent is better.

My heart on the other hand is telling me that this season is over and it doesn't really make a difference. However, my love for this team won't let me give up on playoff hopes!

So...prediction goes like this.

Recent call-up Brian Salcido is going to get his first NHL goal in his first NHL game tonight. Mostly because Brett Festerling didn't get one in the 37 games he played with Anaheim this season and because there is probably no chance in hell that it's going to play out this way.

Likewise, let's give a goal to George Parros and...wait for it...Brendan Morrison. Why not throw Ryan Carter in there too, since he's likely to be a scratch again tonight...which will actually just send me on a tantrum of other topics...so we'll move right along.

That being said. It's possible the Ducks can win tonight, it's possible they can score these goals...it's possible that these gentleman can be the ones to score them...but the likelihood of any one of these things happening is very doubtful.

So I'll be using the 50% of my heart that will never give up on this team and the 50% of my brain that thinks it knows better.

GO DUCKS!!!

Thinking thinking thinking...changing...still angry!

2009-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

I'm still pissed off from last night...I'm just channelling it much better today.

So I was thinking more about all of this madness on my way to work. I have one heck of a drive every morning and way more than enough silence to fill in my head…so I did a lot of thinking about this today. I also want to point out, I’m numbed by the way this Ducks season has gone off and I think it’s time to take action!

Here’s what I’d like to clarify…I think that NO ONE is safe. In making my point about letting Carlyle go last night, I’d also like to make mention, that I don’t think that would/could be the only possible answer, but I’m not against it happening.

This Ducks GROUP (they’re a group, not a team), has some serious issues. I don’t believe that anyone can really be pardoned. Actually, I take that back, in all honesty I feel that Bobby Ryan has stepped up beyond imagination and rightfully so…he had A LOT to prove to the Ducks organization, the fans and the NHL. I believe that he has done just that. He may not light up the scoreboard EVERY NIGHT, but for all purposes here, he is always out there skating hard and playing the type of game fans expect to see coming from this TEAM! That cannot be said about everyone else. Too many times discussions here have gone from how great a player has performed one night, to how ridiculous he’s played the next. No one has been consistent, and no one has given the 100% needed to take this GROUP to the playoffs. Yet on the same note, something can be said of these guys trying to do TOO much individually (take Scotty’s actions last night for example).

It just seems that there have been an overabundance of excuses and false promises of getting back to the basics and doing what needs to be done…yet, we’ve seen nothing.

When the trade rumors started, I was against moving anyone. Now, I’m for it. I’m actually looking for it. Anything, SOMETHING.

What is going on here isn’t working. The work ethic is NON EXISTENT. Too many All Stars? Too many guys playing on their own? TOO MUCH OF A BAD THING!

Something must be done, this organization can NOT afford a complete meltdown…and we’re getting close to seeing that happen.

Are you KIDDING ME?!

2009-02-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM IS (well, I have a thought, and I haven't mentioned it until now, but I think it's time for Carlyle to go).

I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS TEAM...THESE AMAZING PLAYERS...CAN HAVE SUCH AN AWFUL SEASON!!!

We're not talking 1 or 2 weeks of crap here people...we're talking MONTHS of crap. It's so...It's just...and...they just...I just...

I HAVE NO FLIPPIN' WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Find a page gentlemen...get on it together...NOW!

Ducks in a Row

2009-02-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

ohhhhhhh, how I hope tonight goes better than Sunday did.

Since the 1st line was completely MIA on Sunday, they're going to have to show up tonight. Perry and Getzlaf, 1 apiece.

The 2nd line was OUTSTANDING on Sunday-- there is the ONE positive thing I have from Sunday, I'm going to give them at least one goal. I don't care who gets it...Bobby Ryan, Andrew Ebbett, Teemu Selanne...just one of them. But with that being said...and since we know what Ryan can do to those guys just up the freeway...wouldn't it be great if he got a hat trick on his OWN ice? I'D LOVE IT!

Jiggy again I think. Although Hiller was strong in previous match-ups. Jiggy.

GO DUCKS!!!

Still FUMING!

2009-02-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

So I was going to sit down, write something ~~nice~~...write something. Anyway...after seeing what the Kings were able to do to Atlanta last night, I just became infuriated all over again and profanities starting spewing from my fingers once more. Therefore...I'm going to put as much effort into this post as the Ducks put into their game on Sunday night...

...
...
...
...

...and there you have it.

If the playoffs started today...the Ducks would be out. I've mentioned this elsewhere, but to think, at the beginning of the season I was worried the Ducks weren't going to make it to 100 points. Now I wonder if they're going to make it to 80!

UGH!!! (insert your own profanities here...)

!

2009-02-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

3 hours later...

I'M STILL TRYING TO CALM MYSELF ENOUGH TO MAKE A POST THAT ISN'T FULL OF PROFANITIES!

Don't expect one in the near future.