Game 53: Ducks vs. Sharks 2.2.11

OPINION:
Well. 14 seconds was all it took. All it took to show Ducks fans that the Ducks thought they were still on break. Sorry Ducks, break is over. They figured that out by the 2nd period and almost fought back, but almost isn't good enough. A loss to another division rival and this one stings. It was enough for the Sharks to tie the Ducks in the standings while still having a game in hand. All we can do now is hope they lose that game in hand, and then lose some more, and hope the Ducks play just a smidge better and get back to winning.

It's no secret in Anaheim. The Ducks always, and I mean always, come out flat after the all-star break. They really don't do well with extended rest periods. Take last year's olympic break... it completely broke the momentum the Ducks were gaining and it resulted in an extended summer.

I always hate having to update the blog after a loss and it's not because I'm a sore loser. I actually try to employ Randy Carlyle's rule he has for his players. The 10 minute rule. I try to be over a loss within those 10 minutes and then focus on the next game, and then I come here and rehash the game and get upset all over again. Anywho... On to the next one...

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We were lethargic to start the game," Ryan said, "and going down 3-0 to a division rival is a tough hole to crawl out of."

Rookie Cam Fowler, who had a second period goal in the Ducks' comeback attempt, added, " I’m not sure if we were a little rusty after the break, but there are no excuses. We can’t have a start like that, especially in our own building. I thought our guys did a good job of battling back, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough."

"When we scored there in the third, the whole momentum shifted," Ryan said. "We controlled the play for the better part of the third. They did a good job. They held onto a lead that they should have."

"We haven’t played that type of hockey in a long time," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "But those are the things that you have to deal with. We’ll come to work tomorrow and prepare for the next one because we can’t do anything about the one that just went by."

GAME NOTES:
- Koivu's assist on the Ducks 2nd goal gave him his 500th career assist.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Joffrey Lupul(notes) celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

2011 NHL All-Star Game

2011 NHL Superskills Competition 1.29.11

Game 52: Ducks @ Blue Jackets 1.25.11

OPINION:
The game started off with some high energy and showing that there's no love lost between these two teams. Dorsett made a boneheaded move of boarding Perry into the boards and got himself a 5 minute vacation in the penalty box. While he was on that "vacation" the Ducks took advantage and scored two very quick, very straight to the point goals. Of course, Columbus is the team with Nash, and since we've already shut them out this year he was due to score, so he did. Eventually the Ducks had their favorite two goal lead 3-1 and I think we know what happens next. Columbus scores to make it 3-2 and the Ducks fans watching around the globe began wondering when they'll tie the game for overtime. ALAS, by some miracle, they didn't tie the game and the Ducks win! Now how's that for keeping you on your toes?

Now let me gloss over what a success January was. The Ducks finished January 8-3-0. The finished this recent road trip 3-1-0, and although the wins weren't by any means fantastic, they were wins. Am I the only one excited to see how much better we will be once Getzlaf gets back into action? Sure, we've been winning without him... but with him... we might not have these nail biting 3rd periods. Just think of the possibilities. Dare to dream.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Obviously, we've played a lot of hockey," Selanne said. "I always think the break is good, but the team has played well lately. Even those nights when we haven't played that well we've still found a way to win the games. That's a sign of a good team."

"We've played a lot of hockey so far so we definitely could use that break," Hiller said. "Some guys, especially on this trip, have been playing lots of minutes. On the other hand, we're feeling it right now."

"We gave them some chances to come back but we found a way to win," said Hiller, who shut the door down the stretch.

"That's what's required to qualify for the playoffs," [Carlyle] said. "If you look at the success we've had and the points that we've been able to earn, it hasn't really given us any breathing room with that record. It's tight and it's going to be tight. It's going to be a dogfight every game."

"The guys put it on the line," Carlyle said. "Our guys have worked extremely hard to get themselves into the position we're in. We're having some fun right now winning some hockey games and we're winning them different ways."

GAME NOTES:
Selanne, one shy of becoming the sixth player in league history with 100 game-winning goals, has 35 points in 32 games against Columbus. ... Clitsome has been on the ice for six of Columbus' seven power-play goals since he was recalled Jan. 9 to run the point. ... Nash has an eight-game points streak (five goals, six assists). ... Anaheim wrapped up a 3-1-0 road trip. ... Columbus scored multiple power-play goals (2 for 5) for the first time this season. ... The Ducks are 19-0-2 when leading after two periods.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, center, of the Czech Republic, catches a shot by Columbus Blue Jackets' Derick Dorsett, obscured, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio. Anaheim won 3-2.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 51: Ducks @ Canadiens 1.22.11

OPINION:
This was Saku Koivu's big return to Montreal. His first time playing in Montreal since he came to Anaheim. He called Montreal home for 13 years, Captained the team for nearly a decade, so it was a pretty big deal for him to be going to a place where he said "still feels like home". He didn't play his best game, getting 3 penalties and 2 of them resulted in goals for Montreal. I'll go easy on him though, as he was likely nervous and probably numb the whole game from the pure emotion.

The Ducks entered the 3rd period with what's affectionately known here in Anaheim as the dreaded two-goal lead. I just said a few posts back that we're used to the other team tying up the game in the waning seconds of the third, and to no surprise, it happened again tonight. It made for a thrilling overtime period and suspenseful shootout. The Ducks once again had Jonas Hiller and Bobby Ryan come up huge for them come shootout time and the victory became ours.

A few hours before the game I was a guest on a Habs online radio show. I was asked to be on a couple days ago and it was my first time as a guest for a radio gig. The guys were great Habs fans and it was good to chat with them. I'm not sure if the actual spot I was on at can be re-played but their radio gig is once a week from 3 to 4pm EST and can be found here: Chat Habs Thanks again guys for having me as a guest!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It's a big two points for us but it didn't go the way we planned, with them getting the tying goal at the end and myself getting three penalties," Koivu said, "but at the end I'm happy that it's done."

"You give up a lead like that late in the third and it adds to it, obviously," Ryan said. "Saku's a very, very well respected individual in our room, obviously you can tell by the emotions of him and the fans tonight that he was very well respected here - we certainly wanted to win for him and we're glad we did."

"We kind of let them back in the game by taking those penalties," Hiller said. "It shouldn't have happened but that's the way it goes. I think the difference right now is we still found a way to win. At the beginning of the year we let the other team come back and we would end up losing."

"There's not really words to describe the feeling that I had out there, and then at the end after the game," said Koivu, who repeated the gestures when he was named the game's second star. "A great night - it's going to be a memory that's going to go with me through the rest of my life. It's a good feeling right now."

GAME NOTES:
Koivu faced the Canadiens for the first time last season in a 4-3 loss to Montreal in Anaheim on March 7. ... C Kyle Chichura, D Paul Mara and D Sheldon Brookbank did not dress for the Ducks. ... Canadiens C Jeff Halpern missed his second straight game because of an upper-body injury.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Saku Koivu skates by sign reading "KOIVU #1" before an NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. Former Canadiens captain Koivu admits he is a little nervous about playing his first game in Montreal since he signed with the Ducks in 2009.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 50: Ducks @ Maple Leafs 1.20.11

OPINION:
Not many teams make it look easy to lose to celler dweller teams. The Ducks do, though. With losses to teams like the Islanders, the Devils, and the Oilers, it seems only natural for them to add the Maple Leafs to that list. It's unexplainable. Except well, we all know what's happening. The Ducks are notorious for lowering their level of play to the opponent. They are notorious from not learning from experience that that kind of thing doesn't work. They are notorious for losing to teams in the basement. I'm not gonna lie, the loss was indeed expected. It doesn't make it hurt any less. Losing to these kinds of teams is what decides if you make the playoffs or if you don't. Come April, this game-- and the Islanders and the Devils-- will really sting.

On the absolute flip side and in a rare moment, you'd be hard pressed to find any Ducks fan that wasn't at least a little bit happy to see none other than John-Sebastian Giguere get the win for the Leafs. I think we all know from experience, he's no slouch. Congratulations Jiggy, we still miss you.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"(The Leafs) got embarrassed last night and they came out pretty good," Ducks forward Teemu Selanne said. "They played better than us."

Added Ducks coach Randy Carlyle: "We played about 12 minutes of hockey tonight. You can't play 12 minutes of hockey and expect to win in the NHL."

"I wanted to just have a strong game," said Giguere, who made 26 saves. "Not because I'm bitter or anything like that. You want to play well against guys you know. It's a fun challenge. Seeing them this morning, you can have a little laugh, but when the game comes they want to score and I want to make a save. Thankfully, I made more saves tonight."

GAME NOTES:
Giguere's only other start against Anaheim came Dec. 29, 1999, when he backstopped Calgary to a 3-1 win. ... Maple Leafs forward Mike Brown served the final game of a three-game suspension. ... Toronto tough guy Colton Orr smacked his face on the ice at the end of a first-period fight with George Parros and didn't return to the game.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 20: Jean-Sebastien Giguere #35 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates the win against the Anaheim Ducks during game action at the Air Canada Centre January 20, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

Game 49: Ducks @ Senators 1.18.11

OPINION:
This win wasn't pretty, in fact it was pretty much stolen. It took a Bobby Ryan goal in the shootout to settle the score, and if it weren't for Jonas Hiller and a Corey Perry goal (quite a beautiful goal, really) the Senators would have had the win in the bag. Most of the team didn't show up to play. I'm really not satisfied with how they play when they go on the road. They are almost pure dominance at home, but as soon as they hit the road they become almost pure garbage. They really need to figure that out as they'll be on the road for a while. Every point is important in this tight Western Conference, so we really need to be winning day in and day out. It's too close for comfort in the standings.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I don't know if he earned a star tonight but he certainly won a game," Ryan said. "We got outplayed in a lot of aspects of that game and he did his job. It was incredible."

"We found a way to win," Perry said. "Hillsy played pretty well for us tonight and he stole a game again."

"I don't think it was that good a game from us," said Selanne, who has 99 game-winning goals. "We looked pretty sluggish there and I think they had more scoring chances than we did, but obviously Jonas was great in the net. He made some big saves and gave us a chance to win so we'll take these two points but I can't say we're very happy with how we played."

GAME NOTES:
Ducks enforcer George Parros and Ottawa's Matt Carkner fought in the first. ... D Paul Mara was Anaheim's lineup for the first time since Dec. 18. He was a healthy scratch for 15 of the last 16 games. ... C Kyle Chipchura and Ds Andreas Lilja and Sheldon Brookbank did not dress for the Ducks. ... ... Senators C Peter Regin was left out of the lineup.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry, second from right, celebrates his first-period goal against the Ottawa Senators during an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 48: Ducks vs. Oilers 1.16.11

OPINION:
As they say, it doesn't matter how you win, just that you win. Another lackluster effort, but they at least TRIED tonight and that little bit of effort they used, was enough to beat the Oilers. Things got a little hairy at the end when the Oilers had a fantastic opportunity to tie the game, and if they had tied the game it would have been no surprise to Ducks fans. A team tying the game in the wee moments of the 3rd period is all too familiar and haunting. I, for one, am glad it didn't happen. They held on, and they won. That's all that matters in the end.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We take the two points," said Teemu Selanne, who had two goals in the game, "but we are not very happy how we got them."

"Third period they were much better," Selanne said. "They were aggressive, they were skating, they won the battles, and and we had a goalie that stopped everything. Without him this would be ugly.

"It was one of those things where I knew I would go back out there as soon as I got stitched up, so it wasn’t that bad," McElhinney said. "I went to cover the puck and I just kind of fell on the heel of somebody’s skate, I believe. I knew I was cut open but it didn’t feel that bad. As soon as I saw the blood I thought I would just go get it checked out on the bench."

"We thought this was going to be easy, but there are no easy games in this league," said Selanne. "If you can’t play 60 minutes of solid hockey, you are going to be having some problems. And it showed again tonight."

GAME NOTES:
-Anaheim has won four straight games at Honda Center and has gone 10-3-0 at HOME over the last 13 contests. The club is 17-7-1 at HOME this season, earning 35 of a possible 50 standings points. The Ducks currently lead the NHL in wins at HOME in 2010-11 (third in win percentage with .700).
-The Ducks have gone 29-for-30 on the penalty kill (96.7%) dating back to the third period on Dec. 28 at Phoenix (spanning nine games).
-On the power play, Anaheim has a 50% success rate (9-for-18) over the last five games. The club has gone 24-for-91 (26.4%) on the power play at HOME this season, ranking second in the NHL.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Teemu Selanne, right, is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif. , Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 47: Ducks @ Coyotes 1.15.11

OPINION:
Ducks fans never know which team they're going to get. You would think it would be fairly simple being that it's really only one team, but these Ducks have a twin. An evil twin. Recently, we haven't seen this evil twin, but it came to play tonight in place of the good twin. Now back to reality. They played like they were hung-over. A complete 180 from the performance they gave against the Blues. I don't know what it is. It could be that they were on the road, their natural enemy this year. It couldn't be fatigue, there'd be no reason for it, Phoenix is a mere hour away by plane, so it's not jet lag. It was just uninspired hockey. The kind the Ducks evil twin likes to play.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"What I told the team is we weren't getting involved," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "We weren't offering all that much resistance."

"And the first line I juggled got scored on," Carlyle said. "It was just one of those nights. I don't have an explanation for it but we have to find one in a hurry."

GAME NOTES:
Anaheim outscored its opponents 14-4 in the three games before Saturday. ... Phoenix RW Radim Vrbata had two assists to give him 300 points in his career. Coyotes C Vernon Fiddler went to the dressing room after a fight with Beleskey less than 2 minutes into the third. Yandle slashed Perry across the right hand in front of the Phoenix net, and Perry responded moments later by shoving Yandle to the ice immediately before Fiddler and Beleskey squared off. ... Yandle took stitches to his left eye after being high-sticked by Selanne in the first period.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 15: (L-R) Cam Fowler #4, Bobby Ryan #9, Andreas Lilja #3 and Matt Beleskey #39 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate after Beleskey scored a first period goal against the Phoenix Coyotes during the NHL game at Jobing.com Arena on January 15, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Game 46: Ducks vs. Blues 1.12.11

OPINION:
The game started off awesome, the Ducks went up 3-0 in the 1st and the thought was "smooth sailing", but every Ducks fan KNOWS there's no such thing as "smooth" sailing and the Blues came back into the game 3-2, after that the 3rd period arrived and basically all hell broke loose. We started to cream them again, and their mentality turned into "if you can't beat em, beat em up"... and having that mentality against the Ducks doesn't work very well. The Ducks know that strategy all too well, you see. In the end the score was 7 - 4. It was a spectacular game that included a Bobby Ryan hat trick, the 3rd of his career and 2nd of this season.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was a weird play," Ryan said [Of his 1st of 3 goals]. "It came off the cycle and I tried to push it low. Lupul made a great play through the slot area to find me. I had a lot of net to shoot it."

"I was in the right spot at the right time," Ryan said [Of his 2nd goal].

"He’s a goal-scorer and he scored goal-scorer-type goals," coach Randy Carlyle said of Ryan. "It’s nice to see that he’s finally being rewarded in the last little while."

"We’ve realized that on a homestand you really need to come out and put your best foot forward," Ryan said. "The month of December was a little bit ugly. We’ve gone on streaks all year long. We need to come out at home, establish the forecheck and our identity."

GAME NOTES:
-The Ducks have won three straight games (3-0-0), six of their last seven (6-1-0) and have gone 11-5-1 overall in the last 17 contests.
-Over the last three games, the Ducks have outscored their opposition 14-4. Tonight also marked Anaheim's first seven-goal game since Apr. 11, 2010 vs. Edmonton (7-2).
-Ryan’s 3-1=4 points tonight is a career high. He has a three-game goal (point) streak, scoring six goals (6-1=7) in that span. Ryan has reached the 20-goal plateau (21-14=35) for his third consecutive season.
-Jonas Hiller had his scoreless streak snapped at a career-high 178:34 minutes. The Ducks scored 10 straight goals during his scoreless streak. Hiller’s scoreless streak was the 11th-longest since the lockout (start of 2005-06 season). Over the last three games, Hiller has gone 3-0-0 with a 1.33 GAA (4 GA/180 MIN) and .959 SV% (94-of-98). He also has a .956 SV% (219-of-229) and 1.43 GAA (10 GA/419 MIN) over the last seven games (6-1-0).
-With two assists tonight (0-2=2), Teemu Selanne now sits just one point shy of 1,300 points in his career (618-681=1,299 in 1,223 career games). He has 2-3=5 points in his last four games and 2-9=11 points in his last 10 games. Selanne’s 1.05 points-per-game ranks 12th in the NHL. He is five years older than anyone else in the top 15 (TB’s Martin St. Louis ranks fifth with 1.20 points-per-game and is 35 years old).
-Rookie Cam Fowler has 0-5=5 points in his last three games. His 0-2=2 points tonight marked his fourth career multi-point game. Fowler leads all NHL rookies in assists and ranks tied for fifth in points. He also leads all rookie defensemen in points.

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 12: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks stands amongst the hats following a hattrick by teammate Bobby Ryan #9 (not shown) against the St. Louis Blues at the Honda Center on January 12, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Blues 7-4. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Catch Up Post! Games 42 - 45

Let's get this out of the way and move forward before I fall more behind, shall we?

Game 42: Ducks vs. Blackhawks 1.2.11



Game 43: Ducks vs. Predators 1.5.11



Game 44: Ducks vs. Blue Jackets 1.7.11



Game 45: Ducks vs. Sharks 1.9.11



Okay then....3-1-0 in those last 4 games. Awesome. All I have to say is Jonas Hiller is a beast! Now let's get back to our regularly scheduled blog posts and stop falling behind! :)