Game 49: Ducks vs. Flames 1.17.10

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net





OPINION:
What an emotional roller coaster this game was! Ducks go down 1-0, turn around and make it 3-1, Calgary comes back within a goal at 3-2. And that was all just in the 1st period. 2nd period hasn't been a strong point for the Ducks this season and it showed because they left the 2nd without their lead, trailing 4-3. Going into the 3rd period Calgary was 20-0-1 when leading after 2. However, the Ducks have their own special record. Calgary hasn't beaten Anaheim IN Anaheim since BEFORE the lockout in January of 2004. Needless to say Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan helped the Ducks keep that record alive, a franchise record of 11 games at home beating Calgary. So Calgary's cute little record of 20-0-1 when leading after 2, is now 20-1-1. You're welcome. Bobby Ryan's goal was huge because the game was tied at 4-4 until he scored, and he just took the chance he had and ran with it with a beautiful goal that only a pure goal scorer could pull off. It's not often that a team who scores 3 goals all on break away chances will lose the game (3 of Calgary's 4 goals were from break away opportunities) but it happened tonight. The Ducks had no quit in them or in their vocabulary. Absolutely fantastic game.


POST GAME QUOTES:
"It’s one of those things where we have guys who are big parts of our lineup and different guys just have to step up," Perry said. "We got that tonight."

"Both were firsts," Bodie said of the goal and the hit. "I’ve never dumped anyone in there like that (on dumping Adam Pardy into the Ducks bench during the game). But the goal takes the cake. It’s good that we have everyone contributing. That is what you need. It was a good team game."

"It was nip and tuck, every inch and every bounce," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "It was one those games where in the beginning I thought it might be a 6-5 or 8-7 game. We found a way. Once we got settled down in the third, our big guys delivered for us."

"We knew what was at stake," Perry said. "We’re looking at the standings and we know what is going on. It’s up to us. We have to go out and get every point we can. Those two points are huge for us. It was one of those games where we had to find a way to win."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry, left, celebrates his goal as Calgary Flames' Eric Nystrom skates off during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The Ducks won 5-4. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)