Thursday, March 26, 2009

They can't all be Colorado

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!!!

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