Game 26: Ducks vs. Kings 12.1.09 (7:30 PM START TIME)

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net
NOTE: Game starts at 7:30 instead of the usual 7:05.

PERIOD 1: 1 - 2
PERIOD 2: 2 - 3
PERIOD 3: 3 - 4






OPINION:
I was not a big fan of Randy Carlyle putting Hiller in the net tonight. It has nothing to do with Hiller himself, it has more to do with Giguere has been the recent hot hand and he is a big factor as to why the Ducks were in a good process of clawing their way out of the cellar in the West. But Carlyle clung to his "win and you're in" method and because Giguere got a loss in overtime he's out, and in goes Hiller. Hiller did not win tonight so Giguere should be in for the Dallas game on Thursday.

As for the Kings-- I never thought I would live to see the day, but I have to give kudos where they are due, and the Kings played some pretty solid hockey tonight. They are where they are in the standings for good reason. They played really well. Could they make the playoffs? Considering the Ducks being a total dud so far, they could. But I don't think they'll make it far. Not enough playoff experience as a team (...none, actually) for them to do anything spectacular (unless they go for that whole "Cinderella Story" type of thing...).

I'm getting ahead of myself, they could still have a total collapse during the regular season. They would need to collapse and the Ducks would need to go full speed ahead for the situation to turn around, but the hockey season is funny that way... it really could happen.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We had lots of chances with the goaltender out and the power play, but we just couldn’t find a way to put one across the line," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle.

"I thought I had him," Ryan said. "He didn’t go down into that butterfly stance that he normally does. I was trying to shoot for that far corner. I had it, it was going there and he got his shoulder in the way. It seemed like it was going to fall right to the side of him, but it just fell beyond the goal line. We had a lot of shots that seemed like they were that close tonight."

"It was hard because we pulled even," said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer. "But if you look at the game as a whole, we gave them a start there and had to battle back. You can’t count on coming back and winning the game in a shootout or overtime. We were there and had that opportunity, but it didn’t go our way. We have to get back to playing the way we were prior to these last couple of games."

"We gave ourselves a chance," Ryan said. "Todd Marchant goes out and gets us a goal that was a huge emotional boost for us. They came right down and scored not too long afterwards. We’ve done that numerous times this year. It’s something we’ve addressed and gone over a number of times, but it seems to keep happening."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick watches Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ryan Whitney's goal in the second period of a NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. (PHOTO CREDIT: Yahoo Sports)

Game 25: Ducks vs. Coyotes 11.29.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net
Note: There doesn't appear to be any TV coverage of this game at all. Sorry folks.

PERIOD 1: 0 - 0
PERIOD 2: 1 - 0
PERIOD 3: 2 - 2
OVERTIME: 2 - 3






OPINION:
This was a tight game for most of it. Ducks had an uncomfortable 1 goal lead going into the 3rd period where Phoenix managed 2 goals. With under 2 minutes to go in the game Bobby Ryan tapped in a goal from a slapshot coming from Boynton. Perry was there for the assist so he took part in setting the new franchise record of an 18 game point streak. Just in time! I happen to not be a huge fan of 3 point games and even though the Ducks benefitted from it tonight, I still don't like them. Honestly I don't think the losing team should gain a point. It's kind of like passing a student with a D even though they should have an F. Just my two cents. I'll take the point happily, of course, since that's the way the game works and so be it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It’s important to focus on the positives," Giguere said. "We found a way to get a point at the end in the last two minutes, so we should be happy about that. The game didn’t go exactly the way we wanted. We know what we did wrong and what we did well."

"We got ahead and stopped skating in the third," Ryan said. "They dominated the third period. Jiggy made a lot of saves early that you think would depress them at some point and get under their skin, but it didn’t. They just kept hanging around."

"We didn’t move our feet as much as we wanted to," Giguere added. "The whole key to our game is getting our legs going. A team that is down 1-0 in the third is going to skate. You have to match their intensity. We didn’t do that and let them come. They managed a way to score a couple of goals. We can’t do that and have to learn from that. "

"You know their team is going to have a push," Carlyle said. "Similar to the last couple of games, to start of the third period, we were not skating. We were standing around, standing still and trying to make plays. The opposition is putting a push on. Our reaction to it is we haven’t had enough strong plays to move around that pressure."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 29: (L-R) Ryan Getlaf #15, Corey Perry #10 and Scott Niedermayer #27 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate a goal by Nick Boynton (not pictured) in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Honda Center on November 29, 2009 in Anaheim, California. The Coyotes defeated the Ducks 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 24: Ducks vs. Blackhawks 11.27.09 (1 PM START TIME)

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 1 - 0
PERIOD 2: 3 - 0
PERIOD 3: 3 - 0






OPINION:
Before the game started I was beside myself with how to feel. Were we going to finally get a 3rd win in a row? The Blackhawks are a dangerous team, this game decides where the Ducks stand. The Blackhawks are beatable. Or are they? Anyways, the Ducks did much to help out my frame of mind. The Hawks came in with an 8 game win streak and the Ducks snapped it. With a shutout, no less. The Ducks are way more powerful than their standings position implies. They are starting to get their game going, and really going. They finally have consistent goal tending, other lines than the RPG line are scoring. It's coming together, it just took a while and a little bit of patience.

On another note, Corey Perry extended his point streak to 17 games today which also tied him with none other than Teemu Selanne (who had 2 goals today) for the club record. He's in good company. And making a huge statement of how much he deserves to be on Team Canada for the Olympics.

POST GAME QUOTES:
“It feels really good,” said Giguere in a postgame TV interview, forced to pause after he couldn’t be heard over the roar of the remaining crowd. “Right now we’re playing well defensively, scoring some big goals and everybody’s contributing. It was a huge team effort today.”

"You get lucky once in a while," said Boynton, who has 34 goals in 526 career games. "Bobby is great player and made a good play. Lucky for me, the goalie didn’t see it."

"You could tell the guys were really focused today," Giguere said later in the relative quiet of the locker room. "We knew that we had to play a good game to be able to have success against them. It was one of our better games."

Added Boynton, "Everybody was playing well and Jiggy played amazing. When your goalie plays like that, it makes the game real easy.We hadn’t played a full game yet and we are a quarter of the way into the season. Today, it was nice to get a full game in. To beat a team like that, it’s a good feeling and a good confidence boost."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Teemu Selanne, center, of Finland, celebrates his goal with teammate Corey Perry, left, as Chicago Blackhawks' John Madden skates off during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. PHOTO CREDIT: Yahoo Sports

Game 23: Ducks vs. Hurricanes 11.25.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 0 - 1
PERIOD 2: 1 - 1
PERIOD 3: 3 - 2






OPINION:
Half of this game, actually maybe a tinge more than half of this game was a snooze fest. It took the Ducks almost 40 minutes to notch a goal to tie the game.

Carolina happened to get a goal right away in the game when Jiggy got tied up with his own player, leaving the net wide open. But interestingly enough, if I'm not mistaken, the Ducks record is actually BETTER when the other team scores first. So that goal didn't worry me at all.

Then in the 3rd things got a little more interesting. Ducks got the go ahead goal making it 2-1... towards the end Selanne made it 3 to 1. That's when Carolina got an extra attacker out and responded right away to make it 3-2 and had everyone thinking "Oh man, not another Calgary blunder, please no!" The Ducks held on and the game ends with the Ducks getting the win.

Hopefully they don't eat too much Turkey for Thanksgiving because they are right back at it again on Friday at an interesting 1 (yes, ONE) p.m. afternoon game. It will be against the Chicago Blackhawks who pretty much embarrassed the crap out of the Sharks tonight. So the Ducks will need to put up one hell of a battle if they want to actually start a winning streak of 3 games. Something they still have yet to do this season.

POST GAME QUOTES:
“We were patient the whole game, played our system until the end and Nokie got a big goal for us,” said Ryan Getzlaf.

"Kyle Calder had the puck and I tried to yell at him," Nokelainen said. "I thought he was going to shoot it on the back hand, but he heard me. I got a piece of it, so it was nice."

"It was nice to get a goal and it turned out to be a big one," Nokelainen said of his second tally of the season. "Our line played pretty well tonight, but we have to keep improving. It’s going to help our team a lot if we can score some goals too. We are a more defensive line, but at the same time you have to score some goals too. Hopefully, we can keep doing it."

"We played pretty well tonight," Giguere said. "They were a desperate team and played a good game. We kept with it. There were stretches where it didn’t necessarily go our way, but we didn’t panic. We ended up scoring some big goals."

"We were playing against a team that is as desperate as we are and they got one of their big guys back," Carlyle said, referring to Staal's return from injury. "We were fortunate enough that Scotty Niedermayer whiffed on a puck and it went into the top corner of the net on a power play."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks celebrate a goal by Petteri Nokelainen, of Finland, as Carolina Hurricanes left wing Sergei Samsonov, of Russia, skates away during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, in Anaheim, Calif. The Ducks won 3-2. PHOTO CREDIT: Yahoo Sports

Game 22: Ducks vs. Flames 11.23.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 2 - 1
PERIOD 2: 2 - 1
PERIOD 3: 2 - 2
OVERTIME: 2 - 2
SHOOTOUT: 3 - 2





OPINION:
I am so glad Jiggy got his first win of the season. Took way too long for him to finally get the W. The Ducks have some great success against the Flames in our barn. 19 and 1 in the past 20 games they have played in our building. Fantastic! And tonight was no exception. This game should NOT have gone to the shootout though, or overtime even. There were a mere 18 seconds left in the 3rd and Calgary tied it up. 18 SECONDS! You have got to be kidding me. Anyways, Giguere wanted the win SO bad and it was pretty fitting that it went to the shootout where it was all up to him if he wanted to take it or not, and boy...he took it. Stopped all 3 attempts while Selanne notched 1 for the Ducks to win the game. It's good to see a win but I'm still looking for a winning streak. Up next: Carolina. After the embarrassment of losing to Toronto, I'm not going to say anything about Carolina except that we face them next and if you are a hockey fan that keeps up with the up and up you know what this means. (The fact that I brought up the Toronto game should be a hint...)

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It wasn’t always pretty," Giguere said, "but we found a way to win. It was a big game for our team. It was a tough play at the end, but we answered back pretty well. We would have liked to win in 60 minutes, but sometimes it takes a little longer."

"We were under siege pretty much for the whole third period and we basically let them come back at us," Carlyle said. "Our goaltender made a bunch of big-league stops to keep the score 2-1. With 18 seconds left, they score a goal where we allowed them to come through the neutral ice and it deflected off our player into the net. The bench was pretty quiet to tell you the truth."

"We are pretty happy with our effort tonight," Getzlaf said. "There was a little breakdown at the end, but overall we played a good hockey game and we played a good team tonight. We were able to pull it out. We got our two points and move forward."

"It’s been a long time, but it feels good to win," Giguere said. "I’ll soak it in here for the next 10 minutes, then move on and think about the next game. I’m really excited we got the win and everybody in the dressing room is. If we it would have gone the other way around, it would have been a pretty big blow to our team."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Teemu Selanne #8 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates with teammate Jean-Sebastien Giguere #35 goalkeeper after a shootout of the NHL game at the Honda Center on November 23, 2009 in Anaheim, California. Selanne scored the winning goal after a shootout. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Game 21: Ducks vs. Sharks 11.21.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 0 - 0
PERIOD 2: 2 - 2
PERIOD 3: 2 - 3






OPINION:
I had a really heated opinion here, but I have decided to sleep on it and let cooler heads prevail in the morning. Edit: I've slept on this for a few days and have decided that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. So I'll remain mum on this game. >:)

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I saw it, but it was a bang-bang play," said goalie Jonas Hiller, who believed the shot ticked off his stick before going in. "I just missed it by half an inch. I have to watch it on TV again. It was a quick play. I thought I played it quite well and was in pretty good position. That kind of goal hurts right now. It’s those small mistakes that are costing us games."

"They locked it down and played pretty well at the end of the game," Ryan Getzlaf said. "We had our chances. We played really well tonight. For the most part, we were right in there in that hockey game. We were playing a pretty good team, so it’s those little mistakes that end up costing you in the end."

"Any time you give up one late like that, especially against a team like that where they know how to finish games off, it’s very tough," Getzlaf said.

"Our battle and compete level were high," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "It was a high-paced game with lots of action in it. We can’t be faulted for our effort. It’s our lack of execution in that situation [on the game-winning goal]."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks in the second period of a NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. (Photo credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 20: Ducks vs. Lightning 11.19.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 2 - 0
PERIOD 2: 3 - 2
PERIOD 3: 3 - 3
OVERTIME: 4 - 3





OPINION:
This was an important 2 points to grab up to begin the 7 game home-stand. That said, the game should have never gone to Overtime to begin with. The Ducks had a 3 goal lead in the 2nd period and watched it slip to a 1 goal lead in a matter of 18 seconds. Tampa managed to tie it up in the 3rd and then we found ourselves in OT. And Ducks fans know OT should be re-named into Scotty-Time. It's where Niedermayer really knows how to shine. You give him 4-on-4 hockey and he's great, you give him 4-on-3 hockey and he's even better, which is how it went down for this game. Ducks had a power play that gave them a 4-on-3 advantage and Scotty recieved a beautiful pass from Getzlaf to secure the 2nd point and send the Lightning packing. Ducks fans would like to hope that this could be the start to a winning streak that can go further than 2 games, but it wont be easy. They face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, who are currently holding the #1 spot in the entire league. (But we saw how well that worked out for them last season ;-) )

POST GAME QUOTES:
“Unfortunately, we left them back in the game after a good start,” Niedermayer said immediately after the game, “but that’s the way it goes. Getz made a great play to bring the guy with him and it left me alone in the slot. Perrs made a great screen and I just had to get it where the goalie wasn't, and I was able to do it.”

"We weren’t feeling very proud after giving up a three-goal lead in our building, yet we found a way to get the last one to get the two points," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "The positives were we had lots of energy at the beginning of the game. We skated and created a lot more in this game from the outset. That is the most encouraging sign and the building point that we want to take forward."

"We showed some resiliency," Ryan said. "In the past, we would have let those three goals really go to our heart and that would have been a time of self destruction for us. But as a group, we pulled tonight and grinded out the two points."

"We have a good homestand that we want to play well in," Niedermayer said. "We’re not really looking too far ahead. We’ll take each one as they come. It’s nice to get a win tonight."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 19: (L-R) Corey Perry #10, Ryan Getzlaf #15, Scott Niedermayer #27 and Teemu Selanne #8 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Niedermayer's game winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Honda Center on November 19, 2009 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Lightning 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 19: Ducks @ Penguins 11.16.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 0 - 2
PERIOD 2: 1 - 3
PERIOD 3: 2 - 5





OPINION:
Just wanted to point out one thing before repeating myself that this losing gig is getting old.... Last season through 19 games the Ducks were 9 - 7 - 3 for 21 points. This season they are 6 - 10 - 3 for 15 points. That is only a 6 point difference, which yeah equals 3 games they need to win to be where they were last season.. but it's only a 6 point difference. Also, last season they were one of the teams with the most games played, waiting for every other team to catch up-- this season they are one of the teams with the least games played. Most teams have 3 more games played than us. Win those 3 in hand and hopefully some of those teams start losing a few and we're right in the mix of things. The only real difference from last season and this one is that the Kings actually decided to show up this year and give everyone a run for their money. As a Ducks fan, it hurts to see them doing so well, but the truth is that they are. Will they be able to keep it up though? The skeptic in me says no. Not all season they wont. Will the Ducks stink up the ice all season? The skeptic in me says no.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I've been on teams like this before and it's never easy," Marchant said. "It's almost seems like there's never light at the end of the tunnel, but there is. There is time, time to turn this around. We have the personnel, we have the talent, we have the work ethic, we have the character in this room to do it."

(Tight lipped again tonight...yeesh...wouldn't want to be in that locker room.)

Source for Quotes:nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) is screened by Anaheim Ducks' Kyle Calder on a third period shot and goal by Ducks' Teemu Selanne during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. The Penguins won 5-2. (PHOTO CREDIT: sports.yahoo.com)

Game 18: Ducks @ Red Wings 11.14.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 0 - 2
PERIOD 2: 1 - 2
PERIOD 3: 4 - 7





OPINION:
First let me start off with the final score looks worse than what actually happened. It looks like we got bombed, and we did. But the Ducks had battled back THREE times to tie the score (2-2; 3-3; 4-4). Then Hiller let in 2 weak goals, and finally the Wings got an empty netter. So don't judge a book by it's cover, this game was anyone's game up until Hiller fell asleep for the last 5 minutes. The first period was crap. 0 - 2, Really? The 2nd period was better, they got themselves into the game, gave themselves a chance. Then the 3rd came where penalties became the Ducks enemy. They would tie the game then take a stupid penalty and the Wings would regain the lead. As you can see, that happened three times. It gave the wings too much life and they ended up bombing us at the end. It's a simple case of the Ducks getting the fans hopes up then Detroit taking that hope and squishing it like a bug. On to the next...... this losing is getting old.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We got ourselves back up with them a few times but they kept bumping back up," Niedermayer said.

"That's why they're a great team year in and year out," Lupul said. "They know how to win those tough games."

(They were not very talkative tonight, eh?)

Source for Quotes:nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry (10) scores a goal against Detroit Red Wings' goalie Jimmy Howard, center, during the second period of their NHL hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Detroit. (PHOTO CREDIT: sports.yahoo.com)

Game 17: Ducks @ Blue Jackets 11.13.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 1 - 1
PERIOD 2: 2 - 2
PERIOD 3: 2 - 2
OVERTIME: 2 - 2
SHOOTOUT: 2 - 3





OPINION:
The Ducks started off on the right foot with this one, but ended on the wrong one. Bobby Ryan helped the Ducks strike first in the game and then Columbus tied it up right before the end of the 1st. In the 2nd Todd Marchant would make the score 2-1 early on, but that wouldn't be enough because Columbus would strike back minutes later. The game got sent into OT where the Ducks found themselves with a 4 on 3 advantage but didn't capitalize. The game went to a shootout where both Getzlaf and Perry missed their chances, and Rick Nash would be the game decider. Since Cheechoo has since gone to the East coast, Rick Nash is now taking over as the official Ducks killer. Without fail, he will score on the Ducks every single game. The Ducks wont have it any easier tomorrow when they face the Detroit Red Wings. Actually, if they play like they did tonight, stick a fork in them because they are already done. They will have to find energy within them somewhere and really go for it. No holding back with the Red Wings, they are a lethal team.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We are desperate for a win on the road," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "I didn't think we played that poor a hockey game. But we will take the point and move on. It's not easy to win on the road."

"We missed a chance in overtime when we had the four-on-three," Carlyle said. "We didn't really create much from it."

"We did a good job staying in this hockey game," Getzlaf said. "We were right there ... unfortunately it didn't come out the way we wanted it to."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Columbus Blue Jackets' Anton Stralman, left, of Sweden, and Anaheim Ducks' Scott Niedermayer fight for a loose puck during overtime of an NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets defeated the Ducks 3-2 in a shootout. (PHOTO CREDIT: sports.yahoo.com)

NHL Reinstates Samueli

The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that Anaheim Ducks Owner Henry Samueli has been reinstated as an active NHL owner. Co-Owner Susan Samueli, who was abiding by the terms of her husband’s suspension (June 24, 2008), is also returning to her ownership role. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued the following statement:

“We welcome Henry and Susan Samueli back as fully reinstated owners and members of the NHL community,” said Commissioner Bettman.

Henry Samueli will return to his role of Club Governor, with Co-Owner Susan Samueli and Chief Executive Officer Michael Schulman acting as Alternate Governors. Schulman, Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray and Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Tim Ryan will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the club, with Murray and Ryan reporting to Schulman.

“Susan and I are very happy to be returning to work with the Ducks,” said Henry Samueli. “We are thankful to have had great leadership in place that successfully operated the team during this time and look forward to reestablishing contact with the organization. Our goal remains the same – to be a championship-caliber organization both on and off the ice. We are also pleased to be able to return to a more active role in the many philanthropic efforts that the Ducks have undertaken throughout the Southern California community.”

Henry and Susan Samueli purchased the club on June 20, 2005. The Ducks became the first California-based club to win the Stanley Cup (2007) and have qualified for the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. The club has won more playoff games since 2005-06 (34) than any other team in the NHL with the exception of Detroit (43 wins) and has played to Honda Center crowds at 95.2% of capacity during that time.

SOURCE FOR ARTICLE: ducks.nhl.com

Game 16: Ducks @ Devils 11.11.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 0 - 1
PERIOD 2: 1 - 3
PERIOD 3: 1 - 3





OPINION:
Special teams? It didn't appear like the Ducks had their power play unit with them for this game. 6 chances with a man-advantage (a.k.a. power play) and nothing? The whole game was a little bit of a snooze fest to be honest. I don't know if it was jet leg playing it's part but whatever it was, it was evident in the game. No energy, no urgency, nothing. They appeared to be just going through the motions with this game. Problem is they're not exactly in a position to be so complacent with themselves. They NEED the urgency and energy, they NEED these points to catch up with the rest of the Pacific Division crew. Hopefully they can get back onto the right tracks with their game at Columbus on Friday. We'll have to wait and see.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We didn't win any of those loose-puck battles on the power play," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said after his team went 0 for 6 with the advantage. "We didn't create much until the last one when we started to shoot the puck more. When you've got an opportunity, you've got to take the most of it. Giving up the short-handed goal took a lot of momentum away from us."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Whitney (19) gets hit by New Jersey Devils' Dainius Zubrus (8), of Lithuania, as they battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. The Devils defeated the Ducks 3-1.(Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com)

Game 15: Ducks vs. Coyotes 11.7.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 1 - 0
PERIOD 2: 3 - 0
PERIOD 3: 4 - 3





OPINION:
For most of the game the Ducks held their own. Most being the key word. Going into the third period I think most Ducks fans were thinking "hey, Hiller is moving towards his second shutout in a row, wouldn't that be great" and then into the third that turned into "Holy crap! What's going on here? Please don't have a Minnesota Wild (See Game 3 of the season) repeat." Getzlaf happened to make a huge error by passing directly to another player. It was a great pass, mind you, it was to the wrong team. That pass resulted in a goal, and that goal resulted in a breakdown by the Ducks and a surge for the Coyotes who went on to score two more goals to make the game interesting at 4-3. A far cry from what the game was in the first two periods. The good news is the Ducks had JUST enough of a cushion in goals to squeak past the Coyotes for the 4-3 win.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Considering how the last few weeks have gone here, it’s good to come out with a couple of wins here at home," said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer. "Home ice is important and you want to take advantage of it. We haven’t been able to do that, but the last two we have. We’re heading in the right direction right now."

"You have to give [Phoenix] credit," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "They did not go away."

"Some of our losses earlier in the season were bad bounces," said James Wisniewski, who returned after serving a two-game suspension for a hit in that last game in Phoenix "I don’t think we played all that poorly, but sometimes if you don’t get the right breaks at the right time, then you’re not going to win games. Now, with our hard work, dedication and the way we’re playing by keeping it simple, getting pucks in deep and grinding it out, breaks are coming out way."


"In the middle of the third period, we went out and gave them life," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "It was almost like we stood around and watched them skate. That is what happens in these games. The momentum swings back and forth. You can’t critique a win. We won the hockey game. We’ll take the two points and move on."

"We want to get on this road trip now and continue to get better," Niedermayer said. "We are playing better hockey and that is why we’re getting some results now. We have to continue to build on it."

Added Wisniewski, "It’s perfect with us getting two wins in a row at home, where we were struggling. It was surprising because we were at home for such a long time. Now, we go on a tough road trip with four games in six days. It might be a good thing for us because of how well we’re playing. We’ll see what we can do."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, of Russia, in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. (Source:Yahoo Sports)

Game 14: Ducks vs. Predators 11.5.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

PERIOD 1: 1 - 0
PERIOD 2: 1 - 0
PERIOD 3: 4 - 0





OPINION:
This 4 - 0 shutout of the Nashville Predators was well deserved. Jonas Hiller made it known early on that he was on his game and that nothing would be getting by him. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but when a goalie is going to shutout a team there seems to be a certain aura in the building. A confidence that you as a fan can feel. Selanne (2), Marchant (1), and Ryan (1) were the goal scorers for the night. The first two periods only saw a lone goal from Selanne, but the third period they threw in 3 bombs that would make the final score 4-0. Now we all sit here and cross our fingers that they can use that as the starting point to string together some more wins for an actual winning streak, which they have yet to see this season. Up next is the Phoenix Coyotes which they played just 3 games ago (a week ago exactly tomorrow, when they play) that resulted in a Wisniewski 2-game suspension for his hit on Doan. Wiz will be returning for this game, it could get interesting folks!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We played pretty solid defensively," Hiller said. "I gave up a couple of rebounds, but our defensemen were doing a great job tonight clearing those. I’m definitely happy about the win. If we play the way we did tonight, we’ll always have a chance to win."

"We have to start building the confidence from little things," Selanne said. "This team can play way better than we did. The good thing is we found a way to win the game and that is all that really matters. Jonas gave us a chance to win and the special teams were good."

"We have had some really good games and so many good chances, but the puck has not gone in," Selanne said of his play with Koivu. "It’s a little frustrating. We have been playing well, but have not been rewarded. I really hope tonight’s game is going to give us the confidence boost we need."

"It was a nip and tuck game until the third period," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We found a way to score some goals in third period to give us some breathing room."

"We knew we had to do something," Hiller said of Anaheim's penalty kill. "We were struggling a little on it in the beginning of the year. We worked hard at it in practice. Everybody was working hard. We just have to keep it up and do the same job the next game."

"From our standpoint, we did a lot of good things in the hockey game," said Carlyle. "The penalty killing came up large. When you’re penalty killing is shutting the other team’s power play out, usually your goaltender has a good part of the responsibility for that. Jonas stood in there and made some big stops for us at key times."

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller stops a shot by the Nashville Predators in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. The Ducks won the game 4-0. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)