Anaheim Ducks Fan Zone

Game 35: Ducks @ Sharks 12.26.11

2011-12-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

Game 34: Ducks @ Kings 12.22.11

2011-12-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Game 25: Ducks vs. Flyers 12.2.11

2011-12-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

Ducks Fire Randy Carlyle; Hire Boudreau

2011-12-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Ducks have announced that they have named Bruce Boudreau head coach, replacing Randy Carlyle. The club has also relieved Assistant Coaches Dave Farrish and Mike Foligno, and Video Coordinator Joe Trotta of their duties. Brad Lauer has been added to the Ducks staff as an assistant coach. One additional assistant will be named at a later date.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. “Randy is a terrific head coach, and did a tremendous job for us for six-plus seasons. We thank him greatly for his hard work and dedication to our franchise, not the least of which was a Stanley Cup championship. At this time, we simply felt a new voice was needed. Bruce is a proven winner with a great track record, and we are optimistic we can turn this season around under his leadership.”

Game 24: Ducks vs. Canadiens 11.30.11

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Game 23: Ducks vs. Maple Leafs 11.27.11

2011-11-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

Game 22: Ducks vs. Blackhawks 11.25.11

2011-11-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
I was really hoping the Ducks would teach me a lesson for missing one of their spectacular games to be a responsible retail worker and attend to the obligatory Black Friday duties, but they didn't. I don't think anyone understands how much it kills me to miss a game. I died a little today after a temper tantrum that included kicking my feet. Life went on and I caught the DVR'd version (I can FF through the bad parts! Yay!) and I think there are positives to be brought out of the game, along with some ever present negatives.

On the plus side, RPG finally made an appearance in this game, in a pretty big way. Our 2nd line continued to do their job. & for 40 minutes, the Ducks played some solid hockey.

On the negative side hockey games require 60 minutes of solid hockey, not 40. And our defense is still figuring out how to defend. The guys had a lead and thought they could sit on it. I'm somewhat thankful they were shown that doesn't exactly work, but at the same time, I wish it would have.

November is almost over. We get to host two teams that don't come here often for the remaining November games. Toronto will be here Sunday and we'll see Koivu's old team the Canadiens on Wednesday. I've come to expect losses around these parts, but if they figure a win or two into those games, I know a lot of Ducks fans who would appreciate it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We came out with the energy that we wanted and got the lead. We didn’t finish the game the way we wanted," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "We are very concerned. This is not something that we’re willing to accept around here. We have to change the mentality. The start of every period, we have to treat it like it is 0-0 and learn how to win those kind of games."

"Right now, we’re finding way to lose hockey games when we have prime position to win hockey games," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "It’s very frustrating and confusing for everybody involved."

"We came out in the third and it was two within a minute. Then, the game just dramatically changes," said Bobby Ryan, who broke a scoring slump with two goals. "You could almost feel the tempo change on the bench. Guys got down. That’s the sign of a team that has been accepting it for a little while. Two goals within a minute span, both on our line, is heartbreaking. If you could put a finger on it, it would be easy to get out of it."

"Maybe halfway through the second period, we started to stop forechecking and started to just receive," Carlyle said. "It turned the momentum of the game around. In third period, it was like we froze. They scored in the first shift and then they scored in the second shift. We froze."

"A little bit of panic sets in when we get scored on," Getzlaf said. "It’s a tough thing for us. We have to find a way to change that. I have never been in this kind of rut in my career so far. Most of the guys in here are with my in that boat. That’s a tough lesson to learn."

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks left wing Bobby Ryan (9) scores on Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, in Anaheim, Calif.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Game 21: Ducks @ Coyotes 11.23.11

2011-11-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

POST GAME QUOTES:
The Ducks were apparently speechless after yet another loss. No quotes.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 23: Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks reacts to referee Mike Leggo after a interference penalty during the thrid period of the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on November 23, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Ducks 4-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Game 20: Ducks vs. Red Wings 11.20.11

2011-11-25T17:02:00.001-08:00

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It’s very frustrating and almost the cruel side of sports," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We made enough mistakes that cost us the hockey game. There is no other way to describe it. We again mounted a comeback in the hockey game, but it just seems that we’re one goal short again."

"It’s tough. It’s a new experience for us here," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "We have to find a way to dig ourselves out of this thing."

"I thought we came out of the gates okay. We still dug a hole," Getzlaf said. "There is no doubt about that. The score doesn’t lie. At some point during the game, we let ourselves get down and get behind."

"I think things picked up when we started hitting them and playing physical," said Andrew Cogliano. "With a team like that, you have to take the body and stall them. That is how we got turnovers and started making more plays. Other than the first 20-30 minutes, we took the game to them."

"It’s not a matter of what I can say now," Getzlaf said. "We are in a situation where we have to play ourselves out of it and that includes me. I just have to keep playing and we have to lead by example. Our group here, who I have been with for a little while, we have a great core of leaders and we just have to keep pushing."

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks Corey Perry, right, celebrates a power-play goal by teammate Teemu Selanne (8) in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Game 19: Ducks vs. Kings 11.17.11

2011-11-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It felt good that we were back in the hockey game," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "We battled back as hard as we could and got the big goals when we needed them. Unfortunately, we gave up one at the end that ended up costing us."

"That is the most frustrating part is we tied the game late," said Cogliano. "With three minutes left, we could either try to win the game or go into overtime and get a point. We let that slip away late and gave them the two points."

"It’s always tough playing from behind and we played from behind most of the night," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We got fired up in the game in the third period. We started to play with that emotion and got skating. It seems we have to get hit over the head to get to that point."

"We have to move on," Cogliano said. "We play Detroit on Sunday. You can’t hang your head."

"We showed a lot of good things tonight," Getzlaf said. "We have to continue to build on those things. I’m confident in this group. If we keep working the way we are, we’ll turn things around."

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 17: Luca Sbisa (L) #5 and Andrew Cogliano #7 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Cogliano's third period goal against the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center on November 17, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The Kings defeated the Ducks 5-3. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 18: Ducks @ Kings 11.16.11

2011-11-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We didn’t really get our game going until the last half of the hockey game and then we played the type of hockey that’s going to be required," Carlyle said. "Our goaltender was called upon to make some big stops for us tonight, and that’s what’s required on the road."

"It's tough to lose a point in that kind of fashion, but I thought the boys played a hard game," Bobby Ryan said. "We had so many chances and Quick was standing on his head, really sucking pucks in and not letting any rebounds or chances for us."

"We found a way to get back into the game and I thought we played well in the third," Hiller said. "I thought I was pretty sharp tonight and saw the puck pretty well. At the same time, I think we did a better job in front of our net to take sticks away and didn't give them second and third chances. In the end it's six players working together in your own zone and I think we did a pretty good job tonight."

"We got the point and we worked hard for it," Carlyle said. "It’s one shot away in the shootout from being a difference maker. Right now things aren’t going our way, but if we work as hard as we did in the last half of this hockey game, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel "

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne, second from right, of Finland celebrates his goal with right wing Corey Perry, right, and defenseman Kurtis Foster, second from left, as Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick looks on during the third period of their NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 2-1 after an overtime shootout.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Game 17: Ducks vs. Wild 11.13.11

2011-11-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

Game 16: Ducks vs. Canucks 11.11.11

2011-11-13T20:57:00.001-08:00

Game 15: Ducks vs. Predators 11.9.11

2011-11-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Game 14: Ducks @ Red Wings 11.5.11

2011-11-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
There's not much left to be said. The ending of a less than thrilling 7 game road trip, in an arena where we have an unsightly 3-25-7 record at wont exactly keep anyones hopes up for the chance of winning in the cursed Joe Louis Arena. For this game, Teemu of all saints, found himself 22 penalty minutes in this building, Corey Perry was apparently the sinner when it came to goaltender interference even though he wasn't near the paint, but Alligator (I call him that on purpose) can skate right through Hillers paint, knock his beautiful Movember mask off, and nothing gets called. So face it, nothing ever exactly goes right in that god foresaking building and no fan should expect great games to come from that building, That doesn't stop us from WANTING a win from there. It just doesn't happen. This game was doomed as long as it's been scheduled to be at the Joe.

Whatever the reason, just come home boys. The real fans are here, waiting for you. If you want them, the wins will come, and this losing streak too, shall pass. It's a long season.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We were flat," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "I don't know. I thought we had decent energy this morning. I thought we felt we were energized. We just didn't have a starting point for our hockey club.
"We couldn't make a tape-to-tape pass. By far our worst game of the year."

"It's an excuse," Perry said. "We can say that but we've got to be ready to play no matter where we are, how long we're on the road, how many games it's been since we've been home.
"It's night in and night out. This league is a grind and teams go through that. You've got to be ready to play."

"We were just doing nothing," Carlyle said. "It was like we were standing still and they were skating. They had their skates on and we were in street shoes."

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

(Photo Credit: OC Register)

Game 13: Ducks @ Rangers 11.3.11

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Game 12: Ducks @ Capitals 11.1.11

2011-11-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Game 11: Ducks @ Blue Jackets 10.30.11

2011-10-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Game 10: Ducks @ Predators 10.29.11

2011-10-28T15:33:00.001-07:00

Game 9: Ducks @ Wild 10.27.11

2011-10-26T11:46:00.001-07:00

Game 8: Ducks @ Blackhawks 10.25.11

2011-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Game 7: Ducks vs. Coyotes 10.23.11

2011-10-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Game 6: Ducks vs. Stars 10.21.11

2011-10-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Game 5: Ducks @ Sharks 10.17.11

2011-10-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

Blake Out 3 Months

2011-10-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

via ducks.nhl.com

Ducks left winger Jason Blake suffered a deep laceration just above his left wrist last night vs. San Jose. Blake was cut by a skate halfway through the third period of a 1-0 win over the Sharks in the home opener at Honda Center.

He was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center for sutures and evaluation (was released from the hospital this morning). Blake was diagnosed with tendon damage, which will require corrective surgery on Monday at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles (performed by Dr. David Hay).

Blake is expected to make a full recovery and return to play in approximately three months.

"Jason is resting at home and doing very well," said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. "This was an unfortunate, freak accident, but we are pleased to hear that Jason is expected to make a full and complete recovery. He's a real character person and teammate, and we look forward to having him back in our lineup when he's ready."

Game 3: Ducks vs. Sharks 10.14.11 HOME OPENER

2011-10-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
So here's the deal. Every year since the Sharks decided to be a relevant team their fans have loaded up busloads and driven down to Anaheim to "invade" our building. They do a damn good job with invasions, I tip my hat to them for pulling it off without fail every year. This year, they had prime opportunity to invade and take over our home opener. Let's be honest hear, Sharks fans salivated at the thought of taking complete control over the Ducks home opener (they're a little obsessed sometimes, I dig it, I like diehard fans, I can accept it). The best moments of these invasions is when the Ducks have their own fun and keep the Sharks fans quiet the whole game by shutting the Sharks out. This happened last season and a favorite of mine, Joffrey Lupul (Now with the Maple Leafs) later took to twitter to tweet"That's a long way to drive to not see any goals #drivesafe." and he was pretty proud of himself when I had told him that was the best tweet ever. It holds true. Drive safe Sharks fans, because tonight, you drowned in the Ducks pond.

The game itself was amazing. The atmosphere inside was intense (we hate being invaded). The Ducks got off to a slow start, as it took them about half a period to even register a shot on goal, but once they got their wheels moving they pretty much dominated the rest of the game and controlled the pace. The penalty kill was superb, and the Sharks had no answers for Jonas Hiller who is in fact back, earning his 12th career shutout. The lone goal came from rookie Maxime Macenauer and it was the first of his NHL career.

First home win is in the books and we now look to Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues. It'll also be "MVPerry Night" where fans in attendance receive a Corey Perry MVP Puck and Poster. It'll be a night to honor Corey Perry for being the recipient of the Rocket Richard trophy and being the league's MVP. Be there. Celebrate #MVPerry.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I felt comfortable out there," Hiller said of his 12th career shutout. "It was a really good game the whole team played. It’s definitely fun, with the crowd and everybody. It gets me excited."

"I want to make a statement every night, no matter what happened last year," Hiller said. "It’s always nice to get these kinds of games and feel good out there. Goaltending is a lot about confidence and it’s easier to play well if you start the season with these kinds of games. I’m definitely happy with the way it went. I also worked really hard to be where I’m at right now."

"I like playing with those two guys (Macenauer & McMillan)," Parros said. "They are small, fast and can chase down pucks. We are clicking, so hopefully we can keep it going."

"That was probably one of the best periods I’ve seen from this team so far," said Hiller, who helped the Ducks improve to 2-1-0 on the season, while the Sharks dropped to 1-1-0.

"You don’t have a chance in the NHL without solid goaltending," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "Jonas tonight provided a little bit more than solid. His ailments are something of the past. Now, we just have to maintain keeping him fresh and give him an opportunity to be able to play night in and night out."

Injury Note:
Winger Jason Blake suffered a laceration of his forearm near the left wrist and received a suture, according to Carlyle. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks center Maxime Macenauer (24) celebrates scoring with his teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against San Jose Sharks, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, in Anaheim, Calif.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Side Note:

2011-10-08T01:25:00.000-07:00

Actually came to Helsinki to see the game so blog updating will resume to normal speed with post game goodies and score updates once I return home! (Last night's game was painful, after all that travel!) The experience here in Helsinki has been nothing short of wonderful so not even a loss can get me down, but let's hope the Ducks rebound tonight in Stockholm (I'm not on that portion of the trip) and get their first W of the 2011-12 Season! These ones count, y'all. Hockey is BACK! LET'S GO DUCKS! See you in America.

Game 2: Ducks vs. Rangers 10.8.11 in STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

2011-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
After a disappointing loss the previous night, this game was MUCH better. They put more effort into the game, and while they did their signature move of letting the other team tie it up in the final minutes, they also held on for the win, which is ultimately what matters the most. The Ducks (and I) get to fly home on a win! Huge thanks to Bobby Ryan for sinking that goal in the shootout to make that happen. Bigger thanks to Hiller for stopping everything else the Ranger's threw at him. It's still early, but it's a pretty safe bet that Hiller is back with a vengence, and that is music to any Ducks fans' ears. On the same hand, it's nails on a chalkboard to any opposing teams fans' ears, & I'll admit, I enjoy it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It wasn't the way it was drawn up, but I'll take it. I'm gonna label it a fortunate miss," Ryan said. "I had one (scoring chance) in the second period that I'd really liked to have back, so I think Henrik and I will trade even today."

"It's a good thing to get the first point out of the way. Now I can just kind of relax and hopefully get that first goal," [Smith-Pelly] said. "I thought yesterday I was a little bit nervous for most of the game. It probably showed in my game. But today I was much more calm, getting a little more confidence with the puck."

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: Wall Street Journal Online

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf (R) congratulates teammate and goalie Jonas Hiller for stopping the last penalty shot against New York Rangers's Artem Anisimov (unseen) after an overtime during their NHL season ice hockey game at the Globe Arena on October 8, 2011 in Stockholm. Ducks won 2-1. (Photo by Jonathan Nackstrand /AFP/Getty Images)

Game 1: Ducks @ Sabres 10.7.11 in HELSINKI, FINLAND

2011-10-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
When you're a Ducks fan you know one thing...Recent history indicates the first game of the season-- allbeit exciting that hockey is finally back-- isn't a game you look forward to. I personally wanted this year to be different since I was on the trip to Finland to see my Ducks open their season in Helsinki, but alas their knack for losing the first game of the year still holds strong. This team just doesn't win for whatever reason (Teemu has indicated it's because of Carlyle's intense training camps) in their first game of the season.

While the trip to Helsinki was nothing short of AMAZING, this loss put this game as the most expensive loss I've gone through as a fan, and I'd have to say it was worth every penny but it's still pretty damn disappointing. I'll forgive them, I always do.

On their game play they were just pure slop. Since I encountered the jetlag they were probably feeling, I'll have sympathy on them. I experienced first hand how tired they probably felt. So I'll let it slide this time. They also made it no secret how tired they were during the fan meet and greet, so I mostly expected the game to go as bad as it did. There's still 81 games to go. Hope for the best in tomorrow's game against the Rangers!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We had some chances that we need to bury," Getzlaf said. "We gotta take that upon ourselves."

"I think our big line dominated the puck control down low for good stretches but didn't score, obviously" [Carlyle] said. "I think the frustration level built in that group."

"Those are opportunities that our power play has to develop where we (score) every time," Getzlaf said. "You know, 5-on-3s in this league don't come around very often, and they can change the whole momentum of a game."

"It was almost eight months since I played a regular season game, so I was excited to be back," Hiller said. "I'm excited that I felt well, but sure, it's a little disappointing. I wish I would have started with a win."

"I thought he was put in some situations where we left him high and dry," Carlyle said. "I think the goaltender's responsibility is to stop the first one. If there are seconds and thirds, it's our responsibility to clear those pucks away."

"I thought he was fine," Carlyle continued. "I thought he looked settled. He made some big stops. If you look at all four of their goals, where were they scored from? The critical area right in front of our net."
Said Getzlaf: "We gotta learn to protect our house. Nobody can score within that 5-foot radius around our net, and they scored a few tonight."

"I just tried to get it to the net," said Guenin, who was acquired from Columbus in a trade last season. "I saw it go in and, yeah, I kind of froze from a moment. It was nice. But I wish it had come in a W."

Source for Quotes & Game Day Notes: OC Register

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selänne reacts during the ice hockey NHL season opener game Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks in Helsinki on October 7, 2011. AFP PHOTO / LEHTIKUVA / Markku Ulander *** FINLAND OUT ***(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

PRE-SEASON Game 8: Ducks @ Jokerit

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

PRE-SEASON Game 7: Ducks vs. Kings

2011-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

PRE-SEASON Game 6: Ducks vs. Canucks

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Game will be Televised on NHL Network, and broadcast on AM 830!

The Ducks haven't released a lineup yet, but here are the 25 players (of the 30 remaining in camp) who skated this morning:

Francois Beauchemin
Matt Beleskey
Jason Blake
Sheldon Brookbank
Andrew Cogliano
Cam Fowler
Ryan Getzlaf
Andrew Gordon
Nate Guenin
Saku Koivu
Maxime Macenauer
Patrick Maroon
Brian McGrattan
Brandon McMillan
Corey Perry
Bryan Rodney
Bobby Ryan
Luca Sbisa
Matt Smaby
Devante Smith-Pelly
Teemu Selanne
Lubomir Visnovsky

Goalies
Jeff Deslauriers
Dan Ellis
Jonas Hiller

PRE-SEASON Game 5: Ducks @ Kings

2011-09-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Tonight's game will be streaming online for local market only CLICK HERE for the live streaming.

If you are not in the local market it will be broadcast on the radio on AM 830!

PRE-SEASON Game 4: Ducks @ Canucks

2011-09-24T17:12:00.001-07:00

NOTE: Tonight's game is televised on NHL Network and CBC.

Tonight's Lineup:
4 - D - Cam Fowler
5 - D - Luca Sbisa
7 - C - Andrew Cogliano
8 - RW - Teemu Selanne
9 - LW - Bobby Ryan
10 - RW - Corey Perry
11 - C - Saku Koivu
15 - C - Ryan Getzlaf
16 - RW - George Parros
17 - D - Lubomir Visnovsky
19 - LW - J.F. Jacques
21 - D - Sheldon Brookbank
23 - D - Francois Beauchemin
25 - D - Matt Smaby
33 - Jason Blake
41 - RW - Andrew Gordon
47 - D - Bryan Rodney
49 - C - Maxime Macenauer
64 - C - Brandon McMillan
77 - RW - Devante Smith-Pelly

Goalies

1 - Jonas Hiller
43 - Jeff Deslauriers

PRE-SEASON Game 3: Ducks @ Sharks

2011-09-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no pre-season Game 2 post, I hated having horrible graphic making tools. Welcome back, Photoshop. Now I can blog happy. Here:

Tonight's Lineup:
4 - D - Cam Fowler
9 - LW - Bobby Ryan
10 - RW - Corey Perry
15 - C - Ryan Getzlaf
18 - C - Mark Bell
23 - D - Francois Beauchemin
25 - D - Matt Smaby
34 - D - Nate Guenin
40 - D - Sean Zimmerman
41 - RW - Andrew Gordon
45 - RW - Brian McGrattan
46 - D - Mathieu Carle
47 - D - Bryan Rodney
49 - C - Maxime Macenauer
57 - C - Nicolas Deschamps
63 - C - Nick Bonino
64 - C - Brandon McMillan
65 - RW - Emerson Etem
74 - C - Peter Holland
77 - RW - Devante Smith-Pelly

Goalies

38 - Dan Ellis
43 - Jeff Deslauriers

PRE-SEASON Game 1: Ducks vs. Coyotes

2011-09-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

(Photo Credit: Kathryn Wong)
(Graphical Edit by Myself, on Picnik.com)

Lost my photoshop over the summer when my computer crashed, picnik.com will have to do for now. :(
The 2011-12 season is upon us.

Let's Do This, Ducks fans!

Tonight's Lineup:
7 - C - Andrew Cogliano
8 - RW - Teemu Selanne
11 - C - Saku Koivu
17 - D - Lubomir Visnovsky
18 - C - Mark Bell
19 - LW - J.F. Jacques
25 - D - Matt Smaby
34 - D - Nate Guenin
40 - D - Sean Zimmerman
42 - RW - Dan Sexton
47 - D - Bryan Rodney
51 - RW - Kyle Palmieri
58 - D - Jake Newton
62 - LW - Patrick Maroon
63 - C - Nick Bonino
64 - LW - Brandon McMillan
65 - RW - Emerson Etem
67 - RW - Rickard Rakell
73 - D - Matt Clark
74 - C - Peter Holland
77 - RW - Devante Smith-Pelly
82 - C - Joseph Cramarossa

Goalies

36 - G - John Gibson
72 - G - Igor Bobkov

Happy Anniversary, Ducks Fans!

2011-06-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

June 6th, 2007.

There really are no words. Except, LET'S DO IT AGAIN! 2012...oh and ONE MORE YEAR, you know who.

Guess Who's Back?

2011-04-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I went MIA on you, and I apologize. And yes, I realize the 2010-11 Anaheim Ducks season ended abruptly on Sunday in an agonizing Game 6 defeat to Nashville. I just want you all to know, I'm still here. And this blog isn't dead yet. On life support, maybe, but it's not dead.

I got caught up in a bunch of traveling toward the end, but kept up with the Ducks myself. Sometimes a blog becomes low on priorities. I promise you all that when the season begins in October (IN FINLAND!) I'll be here with the graphics you know and love, and with as much dedication as I can give to a blog. Until then, let's go over what happened while I was MIA--

Since my last post the Ducks went on an incredible stretch run for the playoffs in only losing 5 more games total, and winning the rest, to finish with 99 points in the season and they leap frogged over Phoenix, LA, and Nashville for the 4th Playoff Spot. Not remarkable? Did I mention it took until the very last game against LA to do so? And took up to the 2nd to last game just to CLINCH a playoff spot? Pretty damn remarkable to me.

They met with Nashville for the 1st time in their Playoff history and ultimately fell to the divers, sorry, I mean Predators in 6 games. Now let's mention how many injuries they were dealing with in doing so-- Both Matt Beleskey and Toni Lydman are set to undergo shoulder surgery soon, and Lubo is plagued with BOTH shoulders being injured and he's unsure of what comes next. Hiller, as we all know went down with Vertigo and is STILL experiencing problems with it. We know Getzlaf and Emery were dealing with "maintenance" issues that stopped them from full practices with the team during the playoffs. Unknown still what they're dealing with.

I have to hand it to the Anaheim Ducks. Nobody thought they would make it to the playoffs before the season started, nobody thought they would make it with the way they started (Horrible!), and they fought until the literal very end to make it in, and not only make it in, but claim home ice advantage while doing so. In retrospect, I sort of wish they had let L.A. take 4th. I don't know what would have happened if we faced San Jose instead, but I know we have beaten them before-- and they had trouble taking L.A. down. Things might have been different. I might be updating about a 2nd round. I might still be bitter that they didn't make it out of the 1st round. One thing I'm not is upset. They exceeded all expectations this year, and gave us a bonus. That in itself, is nothing but a win.

Til next season -- Have a great off-season. And I'll be here, on Teemu Watch. That entry last summer involving Scott Niedermayer killed me. I'd rather not have to do the same with Teemu. I'm hoping my Teemu Watch ends with a "He's Back!" kind of post. We'll see! (A wise man once said, "Good things happen...when you believe") ;)

Games 59 - 62 Catch Up Post

2011-02-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

Since ALL these games resulted in the L (and some pretty bad L's at that) I'm not going to waste my time with the fancy game day graphics or put myself through having to re-live them with the post game updates. I'll just post the final scores and say a 5 game losing streak is unacceptable right now. We'll get back on track tonight against Colorado.

Game 58: Ducks vs. Capitals 2.16.11

2011-02-15T00:05:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Hiller has been placed back on IR for at least 3 games (will not play tonight or go on the two game road swing this weekend). He had a reoccurance of dizziness/lightheadedness. Timo Pielmeier has been called up.

Game 57: Ducks @ Oilers 2.13.11

2011-02-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
So many positives about this game, where do I even begin? I'll just roll with it. The Ducks got Hiller back from his mysterious injury/sickness and it couldn't have been any better of a game for him to come back for. Instead of facing a team that would pelt him with 40+ shots, he got to ease back into the game with a team that gave him 14 shots. And since it was only 14 shots Hiller earned his 5th shutout of the season.

Another positive is the Ducks played a full 60 minute effort, even against the Oilers. In past games they've been guilty of playing themselves down to the opponent and not taking the weaker teams seriously. And they got burned in doing so. Not this time. This time they went in to play hockey whether the Oilers wanted to play or not. And they got the result they wanted. Bobby Ryan had 2 goals on the night and was looking for his 3rd hat trick of the season. (Is it just me, or are Bobby and Perry in an unsaid competition on who can score the most hat tricks this year? No complaints from me, the more hat tricks the better, I say).

The Ducks sailed through this game and won 4-0 and ironically come home from the road trip a perfect 4-0. I said early in the season that if they could figure out how to win on the road, they would be fine. And ladies and gentlemen, I believe they have figured out how to win on the road. I'm looking forward to the final stretch.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Shot-wise it might have been one of the easiest shutouts of my career," said Hiller, who now has 11 for his career. "But not getting a whole lot of shots, does sometimes make it tougher to stay focused. They did have a couple of chances. There were a couple of odd-man rushes, and things like that, so it wasn't an easy night, but it wasn't a whole lot of work."

"When you score early like that, it really set the tone for us," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

"I thought we got guilty of being too cute at times, but then got a big goal and the game started to go in our direction and we were fortunate we caught a tired hockey club tonight," Carlyle said.

GAME NOTES:

The Ducks outscored their opponents 16-7 on the road trip, which included shutouts at Colorado (Feb. 5) and at Edmonton (Feb. 13)...Anaheim is now tied for the division lead with Dallas (the Stars have one game in hand).

The Ducks have won six straight games on the road, the longest current streak in the NHL and equaling the third-longest streak in the NHL this season. The streak is the club's longest road win streak since a six-game stretch from Mar. 19 – Apr. 4, 2009 (club record is seven games).

The Ducks road trip sweep (Colorado/Vancouver/Calgary/Edmonton) marked the third time in club history the team has won every game on a road trip of four games or more

Selanne's goal was the 100th game-winner of his career...he becomes the sixth player in NHL history to achieve the milestone, joining Gordie Howe (121), Phil Esposito (118), Jaromir Jagr (112), Brett Hull (110) and Brendan Shanahan (109).

The Ducks allowed only 12 shots tonight at Edmonton - the fewest shots allowed in a shutout in club history...the previous low was 14 (Bryzgalov, Oct. 28, 2006 at Chicago, 3-0 win).

Anaheim has won four straight games overall…the team is 8-2-0 in the last 10 contests, 11-3-0 in the last 14, 14-4-0 in the last 18 and 19-8-1 over the last 28 games.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Saku Koivu (11), Teemu Selanne, center right, and Jason Blake, right, celebrate Selanne's goal against Edmonton Oilers' goaltender Devan Dubnyk (40) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Edmonton.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 56: Ducks @ Flames 2.11.11

2011-02-09T22:04:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
These are the kinds of games that show a fan that their team is serious about wanting to win. The Ducks battled back from being behind twice in this game. They fought for every goal. They didn't give up when they went down. The climbed right back into it. These games are the games I love to see. It doesn't only boost the teams confidence to be able to come from behind and battle back to win, it boost the fans confidence in knowing that they can do it. I don't think I was the only one doing a happy dance in the living room when Teemu Selanne scored the tying goal that would send the Ducks to overtime, and I don't think I'm the only one who let out the loudest possible yelp when Cam Fowler (Get in on the #Fowler4Calder hash tag on twitter if you have one, this kid is worth it!) scored the winning goal with just seconds left in overtime. Amazing win by an amazing group of guys. This game has me saying: These Ducks are for real now. They aint playin' around no more. In it to win it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Luckily it went in," the 19-year-old Fowler said. "I didn't get as much on it as I would have liked and it looked like it fooled him a little bit. They always say that backhanders are the hardest to stop."

"Cam Fowler is an amazing hockey player," said Selanne, who assisted on the winner. "It's unbelievable that young guys like that can come into the league and dominate in pretty much every area. If this guy doesn't win the Norris Trophy one day, it's going to be a crime."

"When we watch guys like Fowler and all the young guys play like that, we feel younger too," Selanne said.

"This was huge for us," Fowler said. "If we drop this one, Calgary jumps ahead of us in the standings and now we bump up to fourth. You can just see the degree of difficulty that's involved in a conference like this. Every game is huge and all the points matter and we're lucky to come out of here with two."

"Curtis has been real strong with us," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "He's had more of an opportunity with us than he had with the Flames because of the situation he's in."

GAME NOTES:
Calgary LW Alex Tanguay (neck) missed his second game ... Selanne's three assists gives him 690 in his career, moving him past Maurice Richard and into 53rd on the NHL's all-time list ... Calgary D Cory Sarich played in career game No. 800 ... Anaheim D Francois Beauchemin was in the lineup for the first time since Wednesday's trade with Toronto. Beauchemin spent four seasons with the Ducks before signing with Toronto as a free agent in July 2009. ... The Flames play in Vancouver against the Northwest Division-leading Canucks on Saturday night.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Teemu Selanne, right, from Finland, and Saku Koivu, from Finland, celebrate the team's win over the Calgary Flames during overtime of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011. The Ducks won 5-4.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 55: Ducks @ Canucks 2.9.11

2011-02-08T17:43:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
What a day today has been for Ducks fans. In the morning news broke that we had traded Joffrey Lupul (with prospect Jake Gardiner, and a conditional draft pick) to Toronto for a familiar face-- Francois Beauchemin. In my own opinion I am sad to see Lupul go (Again) but I'm thrilled that Beauchemin is back home. He hasn't fared well in Toronto but he knows how to play here. Anaheim is where he fits. I think it's a great move. It's just unfortunate that Lupul is gone as he's always been one of my favorites. I've always been intrigued by the fact that you can spell his name forward and backward with the same result. Good luck to you in Toronto Lupul. And I completely understand why you're pretty bitter about it.

Beauchemin flew in to Vancouver today to join the team but he did not suit up for the game. We can expect to see him Friday for the game against Calgary. We DID get to see someone else suit up though. Our Captain Ryan Getzlaf returned to his first game since going out with a facial injury in December. He made his return known in more ways than one. He helped put up points and he got himself involved in what I guess is now a "controversial" hit. I don't see the controversy, it was a clean hit in my opinion, and just unfortunate that Humhuis went down so awkwardly as a result. My sincerest hopes go out that he'll be ok. Injuries are no fun any way you cut the cake.

In this game the Ducks never lost their lead. It was a solid and rare 60 minute effort that got us the W we desperately need to stay in the top 8. And with the Canucks leading the entire league in points it's not like they exactly needed the win, so we'll take it. Up next is a surprisingly red hot Calgary team that had a rough start to their season. They have an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 and have surged their way into 8th place as of tonight. The Ducks sit in 7th. If you have been taking notice of the standings, you'll know it's not exactly safe. One day you're in, the next night you're on the outside looking in. The final stretch is going to be a doozy. The Ducks just need to keep winning.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was huge to respond after our line had just been scored on and Burrows pulled them within a goal," Ryan said. "You can respond one of two ways. You can cower and play a tight defensive game or you can go on the attack."

"They are going to charge at you, we know that, but we were guilty of standing around trying to make plays, too," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "We have a tendency to keep things exciting right to the end."

"This building has been a nightmare for a lot of teams, so we've got to feel good," Carlyle said.

"I don't want to hurt anybody out there," said Getzlaf, who also had an assist in his first game back after missing six weeks because of nasal sinus fractures. "I didn't leave my feet, I kept my shoulder down and he was just following through on a pass. It was an unfortunate accident. He turned as he made his pass and he was well aware that I was coming."

"I was the only one in the building that knew that one was coming," Ryan said. "That's why he's one of the best playmakers in the league."

GAME NOTES:
Anaheim was 10-4 without Getzlaf after he took a puck in the face during a game on Dec. 28 game. ... Canucks LW Aaron Volpatti replaced smaller Jeff Tambellini for added grit and toughness on the fourth line. Rookie D Chris Tanev took the place of Ballard, who will be out 3-to-4 weeks.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf, from left, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne, of Finland, celebrate Ryan's goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday Feb. 9, 2011.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 54: Ducks @ Avalanche 2.5.11

2011-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Corey Perry. Corey Perry. Corey Perry. He single handedly won this game for the Ducks notching all 3 goals for his 2nd hat trick of the season and 2nd of his NHL career. Honorable mention to Curtis McElhinney who stood his ground minding the net for the Ducks for his 2nd shutout of the season and 2nd shutout for his NHL career. It was a good day for seconds and a great start to the road trip the Ducks will be on for 2 weeks.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Unselfish," Perry said. "That's how we're continuing our success, unselfish play." [On Marchant giving up the opportunity to get his 1st goal of the season by passing to Perry so he could notch the hat trick with the empty net]

"We keep pushing, and guys are all getting together," said Perry, who has 28 goals and 28 assists in 54 games this season.

"The goaltending on our hockey club has been one of our strongest suits," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "Today is another example of proving that."

"I feel good right now. I feel comfortable," said McElhinney.

GAME NOTES:
Avs F Peter Mueller has resumed skating again. He has been sidelined by a concussion all season. ... Anaheim was the last Western Conference team to play Colorado this season. ... The Ducks have won eight of nine against Colorado. ... This was Anaheim's first shutout in Colorado since December 1998.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks center Saku Koivu, left, of Finland, congratulates right wing Corey Perry, right, after a hat trick by Perry to win an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, in Denver . The Ducks won 3-0.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 53: Ducks vs. Sharks 2.2.11

2011-01-31T23:42:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-30T02:44:00.001-08:00

2011 NHL Superskills Competition 1.29.11

2011-01-29T00:17:00.000-08:00

Game 52: Ducks @ Blue Jackets 1.25.11

2011-01-24T16:38:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-21T20:48:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-21T20:47:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-12T01:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

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! :)

Game 41: Ducks vs. Flyers 12.31.10

2010-12-31T00:55:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Happy New Year! It's a rare game from the Ducks when you see them use the full 60 minutes to play hockey, but we got that from them tonight. Once again I say, I think the meetings Randy Carlyle held before the Phoenix game could have been just what the doctor ordered. After a pretty rocky road trip they have played the past two games the way they need to keep playing for the 2nd half of the season.

Can you believe that this game wrapped up the first half of the season for the Ducks? It feels like it just started after a really long summer that took it's time ending, and yet here we are, half way through. Of course, there's only one other team who has made it to game 41, and that'd be the Atlanta Thrashers. With a top heavy first half, the Ducks players can look forward to a somewhat lighter back half. The fans can start looking for other teams to catch up with their games in hand, and the standings will start to look a little more real.

Can you also believe that this was the first time the Ducks have won a new years eve game? We FINALLY get to enter the new year on a happy note! Hello 2011. Be good to the Ducks, k?

POST GAME QUOTES:
"With Getzlaf out, it’s a huge hole for us to fill," Blake said. "We knew they played last night [7-4 win in Los Angeles] and we wanted to jump on them right away."

"I’m very happy to have 100 goals in my 10th season," Visnovsky said. "I look at the [game notes] paper before the games. Everybody knows how many games and how many goals you have. I knew two more goals and I would have 100. I’m very happy I scored them before the start of the New Year."

"Our guys battled back and got the goal back," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "That was our mindset. We had to go out and win the third period. It didn’t matter what was happening, we had to win that period. That was what our goal was and we went out and did it."

GAME NOTES:
-The Ducks have improved their record at home this season to 12-6-1, earning 25 of a possible 38 points. Anaheim has posted a 5-2-0 record at Honda Center over the last seven contests.
-Tonight marked Jonas Hiller’s fourth career assist. His recorded his last assist on Mar. 17, 2010 vs. Chicago at Honda Center. --Over the last 11 games, Hiller has gone 6-3-1 with a 1.87 GAA (20 GA/643 MIN) and .945 SV% (345-of-365).
-With two assists in tonight’s contest, Teemu Selanne has moved to within one assist of a share of 55th in all-time assists (Bobby Smith, 679). In 1,218 career NHL games, Selanne has earned 616-676=1,294 points, now sitting just six points away from the 1,300-point marker. Selanne has 0-6=6 points over the last five contests.
-Lubomir Visnovsky’s second goal on the night was the 100th of his career (100-285=385). It was his first multi-goal game since Mar. 19, 2010 vs. the New York Islanders (2-0=2) and the seventh multi-goal game of his career. Visnovsky has 3-1=4 points in the last six contests and 4-6=10 points in the last 11.
-Tonight was Jason Blake’s first multi-goal game (2-0=2) since Dec. 3, 2009 with Toronto at Columbus. It was the 22nd multi-goal game of his career (has 6 career hat tricks). Blake is now just two goals away from the 200-goal milestone.
-With an assist in tonight’s game, Brandon McMillan has his first career point streak (0-2=2 over the last two games). In addition, McMillan has 1-3=4 points over the last five contests.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, center, of the Czech Republic, reacts with right wing Teemu Selanne (8), of Finland, after Visnovsky scored in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. Visnovsky scored his 100th career goal as the Ducks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2.(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

Game 40: Ducks @ Coyotes 12.28.10

2010-12-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
After Coach Carlyle held one-on-one meetings with the players yesterday, they showed in the 1st period tonight that the message was received loud and clear. The first period was all the Ducks needed to clinch the 3-1 victory over the Coyotes. In the 2nd period Getzlaf got hit square in the face with a shot by Doan and left the ice immediately. Heaps of blood left behind on the ice. 10 stitches to the forehead later, he did not return to the game. A scary injury, and I hope he's not out for very long.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We talked about some of the things we thought were grieving them and some of the things they thought were grieving us," Carlyle said. "We felt better today. Obviously the coaching staff makes the final decisions, but it doesn't hurt to get some feedback."

"We have to show that when we play well we can play with any team in the league," Hiller said. "Our problem is we haven't shown that every night."

"We can't do that," Carlyle said of the two-man advantages. "Those are things where we're very fortunate to get out of here with two points."

GAME NOTES:
Phoenix had one shot on their second, 37-second two-man advantage. The crowd also might have been boosted by a $1 beer promotion. Ryan Getzlaf took a puck to the face 4:31 into the second period and bled profusely before he was helped to the dressing room. Ducks personnel said Getzlaf had a laceration above the eye and was feeling better by the third period, but he didn't return. He will be evaluated Wednesday morning.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right winger Corey Perry (center) celebrates with teammates Ryan Getzlaf (left) and Matt Beleskey (39) after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010, in Glendale, Ariz.(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

Game 39: Ducks @ Kings 12.26.10

2010-12-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
I showed up for this game. In enemy territory. The Ducks, on the other hand, did not. After a scoreless 1st period, the Ducks got lost in the 2nd period. The Kings got on the board first, but the Ducks (Belesky) answered right away with a tying goal. After that, they went to sleep and the Kings scored 3 more unanswered goals. With only tallying 3 shots on goal in the entire 3rd period, the Kings sailed to the victory. And when you're a Ducks fan in Kings territory when they win, you get quacked at. They think it's insulting, or something. I think it makes them look like morons. What can you do?

POST GAME QUOTES:
“We made too many critical mistakes with the puck," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We didn’t execute anywhere near our abilities and it seemed like we couldn’t get anything going.”

“It was a tough game," Hiller said. "The ice was bouncy, the pucks were bouncing. It was tough to control rebounds. The pucks were all over the place and it wasn’t easy to play tonight. We gave them way too many chances in our slot. I probably should have stopped some and no one would talk about it but it wasn’t good enough tonight.”

"It’s always deflating to see them get three goals in a row," Carlyle said. "We fumbled the puck and we should have had someone in position to recover it. They made a shot that nine times out of 10 our goalie would have stopped but he didn’t tonight."

GAME NOTES:
See "Game Log" in the link provided below.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Los Angeles Kings left wing Kyle Clifford, left, and Anaheim Ducks right wing George Parros fight during the second period of their NHL hockey game, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2010, in Los Angeles.(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

Game 38: Ducks @ Sabres 12.21.10

2010-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
The only game this season not televised due to Versus exclusive broadcasting, so I don't have much of an opinion. The score makes the game actually look better than what it sounded like. Ducks got 2 toward the end so it wasn't a complete shamble but nonetheless it sounded like a game where we're glad it wasn't televised. I can't remember the last time the Ducks have sent their fans into Christmas with a win, so this one is nothing new. The follow up one of their best games of the season with one of the worst.

POST GAME QUOTES:
None.

GAME NOTES:
The Ducks recalled LW Josh Green from Syracuse of the AHL after C Nick Bonino injured a foot against Boston. He day-to-day. … Sabres C Tim Connolly missed the game due to a fractured nose sustained against Tampa Bay on Saturday. He will be out at least a week. … Rivet, Buffalo’s captain, returned after being a healthy scratch for 11 straight games. … Miller got engaged over the weekend to Noureen DeWulf. … Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf and Sabres C Cody McCormick fought immediately after the opening faceoff in the second period. Five seconds later, Anaheim’s Kyle Chipchura and Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad also fought.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Buffalo Sabres' Tyler Myers (57) battles for the puck with Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf (15) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. The Sabres won 5-2.(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

Game 37: Ducks @ Bruins 12.20.10

2010-12-20T15:29:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
One of the better games we have seen from the Ducks this year. Easy to say when they shutout a team like the Bruins, but it's true. Of course, it could have just been one of the worst for the Bruins. Either way, I'll take it. Take wins any way you can get them.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"If we play like that every single game, with guys out there blocking shots, we've got a good chance to win," [Jonas Hiller] said Monday night after stopping 45 shots to lead the Ducks to a 3-0 victory over the Boston Bruins.

"Jonas was in a zone and really stole the show," Ducks forward Bobby Ryan said.

GAME NOTES:
NOTES: McMillan was sent down to Syracuse on Nov. 22 and recalled from the AHL two days later. ... The Bruins have beaten Anaheim in regulation just once in their last nine games. ... Anaheim D Andreas Lilja played in his 500th game, and Ryan Getzlaf played in game No. 400. ... Ducks D Toni Lydman got hit in the face with a shot late in the first period, but he was back for the second. ... Referee Dan O'Halloran was knocked to the ice when he got caught in the middle of a big Bruins hit. He was able to continue.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks center Brandon McMillan, right, celebrates his goal during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Boston, Monday, Dec. 20, 2010. At left is Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Paille and at center is defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.(Photo by Yahoo Sports)

Game 36: Ducks @ Canes 12.18.10

2010-12-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
One of those "made ya look" moments, but in reality, it wasn't that great. Getzlaf actually did start the scoring for the game just minutes into the game. But that was about all he could do (for at least until later, where he realizes if he wants to win, it's up to him). After the Ducks got the early lead that mislead fans to believe "maybe this won't be that bad of a game, we stand a chance" they just slapped Ducks fans silly with reality. There's a certain player over there in Hurricane land who answers to the name of Staal. Careful you got the right one, because there are quite a few Staal brother's out there playing in the NHL. It gets a bit confusing. So here in Hurricane land, Staal the captain decided this night would be a great night to go for the NATURAL Hat Trick. I mean let's not sit here and disagree with his abilities. He's fantastic which is why he's the Captain of the Hurricane's squad. He knows exactly what he's doing.

Anyhow, within the last 2 minutes of the game that is when it decided it would get interesting. Let me set up the scene-- The Ducks enter the 3rd in a posistion where they normally make their opponents enter into. They were up against the dreaded, cursed, damned, what have you 2-goal lead. And they actually came inches close to proving why it's so deadly. But apparently that only happens when it's AGAINST the Ducks. So for our team, I'd prefer them to go for the lead and then, oh I don't know, defend it and hold onto it for the win.

POST GAME QUOTES:
The opportunities were definitely there, and Cam (Ward) played the way he can," Getzlaf said.

"We have to play that strong forecheck game, and we had it after we got motivated," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "But we were down two goals, and then we got one back, and we had numerous chances, but just didn't get it across the line."

GAME NOTES:
Carolina is 6-0 when scoring at least two power-play goals. ... The Hurricanes are 8-4-2 against the Western Conference, the best record among Southeast Division teams. ... RW Teemu Selanne was back in the lineup for Anaheim after missing four games and nine of 13 with a strained groin. ... The Ducks sent RW Dan Sexton to Syracuse of the AHL.

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry (10) and Ryan Getzlaf celebrate Getzlaf's goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010, in Raleigh, N.C.(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Game 35: Ducks @ Islanders 12.16.10

2010-12-17T03:33:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
What is there to say when you lose to the Islanders? I'm pretty speechless right now, along with embarrassed.
Third time this year the Ducks have lost to the worst team in the NHL. Maybe they'll learn to stop underestimating their opponent? Or maybe not.

Also pretty amusing (in the I'm not so amused, way) is it took all of 99 seconds for the Islanders to win the game. 3 goals, in 99 seconds to be exact. And it was only their 2nd win in a span of 22 games. Tell me you're not embarrassed....

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Tonight, things were tough around here," Blake said. "We have to forget about it and move on."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

UNIONDALE, NY - DECEMBER 16: The Anaheim Ducks sit on the bench during a time out as an ice girls cleans the ice during the game against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on December 16, 2010 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Ducks 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Game 34: Ducks @ Capitals 12.15.10

2010-12-15T03:51:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
It's always nice when the Ducks win. It's nicer when they win on the road. It's even better when it's against one of the best teams out there. Yes, the Capitals were on a 6 game losing streak before this game, but losing streaks happen to everyone and does not measure what kind of team you have. Unless it becomes a habit. I'll save my witty snipe at the Islanders because of what happened the next night and I'm updating this post late.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We just (have) to keep scratching and clawing," Getzlaf said. "We're not going to blow anybody out. Tonight, we had to take an extra five minutes, but we were able to get it done."

"It was definitely not our best period (1st)," Hiller said. "They put a lot of pressure on us. We gave them way too many turnovers and chances."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 15: Jonas Hiller #1 of the Anaheim Ducks defends the goal against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center on December 15, 2010 in Washington, DC. The Ducks won the game 2-1. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Game 33: Ducks vs. Wild 12.12.10

2010-12-11T23:16:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
This was by far the most exciting game I have been to as a regular season game in years. I don't know how often you get to see a penalty shot, AND a hat trick in ONE game, but that was the greatest thing ever. Even more so because Perry actually scored on his penalty shot, and it was Perry who got the hat trick. And let's not forget, Getzlaf was on his way to his own hat trick as well. That would have seriously been awesome. And then you get Bobby Ryan scoring with Koivu's stick. No, not Saku! It was Mikko's stick! In an awkward moment where Koivu grabbed Bobby's stick out of his hands, Bobby found Koivu's on the ice and seconds after, he scored with it into a wide open net. Even stranger was Koivu's stick is for lefty and Bobby is a righty! It was a big night for the Ducks who wont be returning to their home building until New Years Eve, to take on the Flyers. It was a great send off for the fans who now have no where to go for two weeks. Or maybe that's just me.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was just a matter of finding that groove and going with it," Perry said about the win. "Everything was going our way tonight. Hopefully, we can continue to play that way."

"It’s been a long time coming and it is pretty special," Perry said. "When you have a lot of two-goal games, that hat trick feels nice. There were a lot of guys in here that helped with that tonight. It’s something I won’t forget. That is for sure."

"It’s been awhile since we’ve had one where we had a three-goal lead and we didn’t make it interesting in the hockey game," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. Minnesota played last night in L.A. and won a big hockey game. They exhausted a lot of energy in that and then they were short-staffed. They didn’t have Madden or Cullen. We had a lot of energy tonight."

"There was some kind of tangle up in the corner. I looked down and saw my own stick," Ryan said. "I knew I wasn’t holding it. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. The puck came out and I just picked up the first thing that was there. It was (Koivu’s) and the puck came right to me. The only ref I talked to at center ice was also talking to Havlat. He said he had no idea and never had seen anything like it. As far as he was aware, there was no rule against it. I will take them any way they come right now."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) watches hats fly onto the ice after he scores his first career hat trick against the Minnesota Wild in an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010. Ducks won the game 6-2.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 32: Ducks vs. Flames 12.10.10

2010-12-11T01:06:00.000-08:00

Game 31: Ducks @ Canucks 12.8.10

2010-12-07T23:56:00.000-08:00

Game 30: Ducks @ Oilers 12.7.10

2010-12-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Another game, another 2-goal lead blown, but only the 2nd shootout of the Ducks season. It took 10 heart wrenching rounds and none other than the phenomenal rookie Cam Fowler to seal off the victory! I have a love/hate relationship with the shootout. I love it, because it's thrilling and brings the game to a whole other level of intensity. I hate it, because it's really a toss up for who gets the extra point and I'd really rather the winner of the game get 2 points and the loser go home empty handed. I think players of all teams get all too content to "just make it to overtime" if there is a tie in a game, because then they at least got a point. And yes, even when the Ducks escape with a point from overtime or shootout losses, I still believe the loser should actually go home with 0.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I wanted to shoot," Fowler said. "I didn't want to risk putting a move on because Khabibulin had already made some really nice saves on guys that have way better moves than me. I thought my best chance was to go in and pick a spot. Luckily it found the back of the net."

"Any coach will take a win, it doesn't matter how you get it," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We're not going to critique a win from our standpoint. After being shut out two games in a row, it was nice to get a couple. We actually missed some other opportunities."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 7: Teemu Selanne #8 and Cam Fowler #4 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate a marathon shoot-out win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place on December 7, 2010 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Game 29: Ducks vs. Coyotes 12.5.10

2010-12-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Two shutouts in a row is downright embarrassing. Embarrassing to the team, and embarrassing to the fans. In the Ducks defense, going up against Howard (Det) and Bryzgalov (Phx) is nothing to sneeze at. However, being shutout back-to-back is unacceptable. That's really all there is to say about these past two games. I hope Edmonton is ready because I have a feeling the proverbial ketchup bottle is ready to BURST. (Or maybe I just hope it is, same difference, right?)

On a brighter note, Joffrey Lupul made his return to the hockey scene tonight, sporting the number 19 when he used 14 last season. Welcome back, Lupes! It's been a year since he's last played a game when he went out with his back spasms, and then the surgery, and then the infection. You all know the story. It doesn't matter who the hockey player is, it's always good to see them return from such a scary injury like that.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It’s frustrating when you’re out there trying to work as hard as you can and things aren’t happening," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "It’s not a matter of putting the puck in. It’s a matter of all those other little things that we’re not doing properly. We have to reach back here and start doing those again."

"It seems like we don’t really have a starting point in any of the games, specifically the last two," said coach Randy Carlyle. "We started both of them, the first 10-12 minutes we were playing defensive zone coverage and not on the attack. It seems like it takes 10 minutes for us to get warmed up and that is not acceptable."

"It seemed the frustration level got us and we couldn’t execute," Carlyle said. "It seemed liked everywhere we turned, there was a white sweater tonight."

"It was enjoyable just being back around the guys," said Lupul, who switched to uniform number 19 after wearing 14 last season. "We’re here to win games. I’m glad to have the first one out of the way. Hopefully now, I can just join the team and go about business as usual. I felt good before the game. I was pretty excited. Once the game got going, it was just hockey again. If I had any nerves, they were gone by the first or second shift. It was not the result we wanted. It’s frustrating. I can play better and everyone can play better."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Joffrey Lupul skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010. The Coyotes won 3-0.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Game 28: Ducks vs. Red Wings 12.3.10

2010-12-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
At the beginning of this game I thought I might have made a wrong turn somewhere on the way to the arena and ended up in Detroit, but apparently, I actually was in Anaheim. There's a few things in hockey that can really piss a fan off such as - the rival fans, being shutout, being outnumbered in your own building- and all of the above applied tonight. Outnumbered being the thing that hurt the most. Not so much for me, but I can't help but get upset about it because I'm sure it doesn't make our players feel very good. I mean, hearing "Let's Go Wings!" being chanted when you're playing at home? It can't feel too good.

And things that feel worse are being shutout, so, once again, the players don't feel too good because they didn't give THEIR fans something to cheer about in THEIR fans home building. Both sides of Duck coin lose tonight. The fans - for being outnumbered. The players - for playing a crummy game and getting shutout. Lose/Lose.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It is frustrating," said a quiet Corey Perry afterward. "We battled hard tonight, but we just couldn’t find a way to get the puck past Howard. It was just one of those nights where things just didn’t go our way."

"We did a lot of good things in the hockey game," said coach Randy Carlyle. "We controlled a lot of the play. We weren’t able to find a way to score a goal." (side note: Only THE most important part of a game, Randy)

"I didn’t actually see the puck," Hiller said. "I tried to get back to the post and I couldn’t see it. It was a bad turnover in our zone that led to the whole thing. It’s tough to be down that early in the game, especially against a team that plays such solid defense as Detroit does."

"We had a couple of turnovers, a couple of mental lapses there and we’re down 2-0," Perry said. "They got the third one at the end of the period that was heartbreaker."

"If we play as hard as we did tonight in every game this year and be as effective on our forecheck for stretches of the game, we’ll be alright," Carlyle said.

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, right, of Switzerland, makes a glove-save as Detroit Red Wings left wing Tomas Holmstrom, of Sweden, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports)

Game 27: Ducks vs. Panthers 12.1.10

2010-12-01T01:58:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
George Parros?? George Parros!! I don't know Parros was a sniper ;) He had his first multi-goal game in his NHL career and it was thrilling for everyone in attendance to see if he could actually pull off a hat trick. He was only an assist away from the Gordie Howe hat trick as well. Wouldn't that have been a sight to see? The Panthers are a struggling team, and what most teams consider to be "beatable". We all know how the Ducks do with the "beatable" teams, so I didn't go into the game overly-confident. I'm glad they were able to get the 2 points out of the whole thing though, because that's how it should have gone. What would have been a boring, quiet (the arena was less than half-way full), Wednesday night tilt, turned into a frantic and loud (well...loud whenever Parros touched the ice) arena. That's just the fan power that our beloved Parros has on us. He made the game exciting. Viva la Moustache! I don't think I was the only one in there who really, REALLY, wanted to throw a hat.

POST GAME QUOTES:
“I was feeling really good,” Parros said to a television reporter on the ice, barely heard over the roar of the crowd that stuck around to watch him get First Star honors. “It seemed like the pucks were coming to me tonight.”

"We wanted to go out and have a nice cycled shift and get things going," Getzlaf said, "and we were fortunate enough to put one in the back of the net and changed momentum back to us."

"It was great, obviously tonight and any other time George can chip in offensively – and he also had a big fight to follow his goal," Getzlaf said. "Not a lot of guys follow up a goal with a fight right off the face off, but that was good for our group and creates energy for sure."

"It was an awesome feeling," Parros said. "You could hear them getting crazy every time I touched the ice in the third period. It was a good feeling and I appreciate it. I wanted the hat trick for sure. It was great feeling, glad our line could finally contribute. We can’t rely on the top two lines every night. It definitely helps to chip in."

"We’ve got to take every point we can get in this building," Perry said. "If we can win home we are going to have a better chance of making the playoffs. Things don’t change, we’ve got to go out and play the same way every night."

Said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, "We definitely had the right approach. We started the hockey game very, very well. We were very workmanlike. And anytime you have a player like George Parros go out and score a couple of goals, everybody feels real good for him, and that kind of led the way."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 01: George Parros #16 of the Anaheim Ducks reacts to the fans after being named the first star of the game against the Florida Panthers at the Honda Center on December 1, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Panthers 5-3. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 26: Ducks vs. Kings 11.29.10

2010-11-29T02:30:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
Well, as a Ducks fan nothing makes me happier than watching the Ducks shutout the Kings. Their bandwagon made its way into Honda Center and nobody would be the wiser because the Ducks gave them absolutely nothing to cheer about. They say silence is golden, and when it comes to keeping Kings fans quiet, it really is. Hiller was absolutely on fire, and completely robbed Kopitar at the end for what I consider the game winning save. The entire 2nd line was beastly and a force to be reckoned with, and Cam Fowler (Still can't believe we got him in the 12th round when he was projected to go as fast as 3rd!) had his best game in a Ducks uni, in my opinion. Absolute great game.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We didn’t play too well the last few games at home, and we wanted to show we could play better," Hiller said. "Everybody played quite well tonight. If we play like that every night, we’ll always have a good chance."

"He (Hiller) played outstanding and made some great, timely saves," Blake said. "In the first period, they came out with more energy and established their game plan. He bailed us out."

"I just stepped on the ice and the puck came to me," Blake said. "We had some great opportunities in the second period and the third. I was just fortunate that it went in."

"That’s the type of game our hockey club has to play night in and night out," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "It was a good one for us. We had an effort from every member of our group. That is what is important. The true display was at the end of the game, when people that were on the ice were sacrificing their bodies to block shots and get into shooting lanes to protect that shutout for Jonas Hiller."

"We found a way and didn’t back off," Hiller said. "We can be happy with this win and it’s something we can build on."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Teemu Selanne #8 and Jason Blake #33 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Blake's third period goal against the Los Angeles Kings at the Honda Center on November 29, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Kings 2-0. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 25: Ducks @ Coyotes 11.26.10

2010-11-29T02:28:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
The first half of the game looked like it would be more of the same...the other team getting the right bounces, and pulling a fast one on the Ducks. The second half of the game, after the Ducks went down 3-1, Bobby Ryan said "not so fast". With his 2nd career hat trick, Bobby Ryan helped propel the Ducks into the lead. McMillan with his first career NHL goal also wanted to pitch in to the rally. So did Corey Perry.

I love these kind of "come from behind" type wins, but it also leaves me shaking my head wondering "where was this team last game?" I guess they felt as fed up as the fans did with the losing and decided to do something about it. The thing I think they finally figured out is that it was time to get back to basics to get the win. No fancy passes, no dipsy-doodles-- just crash the net, shoot the puck, and goals will come.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I'm just happy to join the club," Ryan said. (About his goal being the 11th hat trick scored in Jobing.com arena this season)

"I would say our penalty killing bailed us out," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said, "and then our big guys that get paid all the money scored some goals for us."

"It came right to me," [Ryan] said. "They weren't sure who the first guy was supposed to be back and gave me a little room, so I just tried to do what I know how to do and that's shoot. I'll take the lucky ones, that's for sure." (on his break away goal)

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 27: Bobby Ryan #9 of the Anaheim Ducks warms up before the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on November 27, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Game 24: Ducks vs. Blackhawks 11.25.10 (1 PM START TIME)

2010-11-29T02:27:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
While the Ducks started off the game with a bang by revealing their new 3rd jerseys, they ended with a thud by losing 4 - 1. In an almost traditional match up with the Blackhawks after Thanksgiving, where they traditionally win (4-0-1), it seems they had too much turkey for dinner the night before. The Hawks, however, seemed to have skipped on the turkey because they came out to the game guns a-blazing. The team got Hiller pulled after leaving him out to dry and the whole game it looked as if they were just going through the motions rather than trying to win the game. Frustrating loss for the fans who spent their Friday afternoon off from work watching the team put out a lousy effort. Tryptophan 1, 3rd Jerseys - 0.

Selanne sat out his second game with a groin strain. This was the Ducks 6th loss in a row, after winning 6 in a row. Back at square 1.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It didn’t look like they had to work too hard to get their chances," said Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller, who gave up all four Blackhawks goals. "We gave away too much. It’s just not possible against such a good team."

"I thought I made the save and I couldn’t find the puck so I just didn’t want to move," Hiller said. "It is really hard to get scored on a power play and take a short-hander. I still don’t know how it went in. We were unable to react after that."

Getzlaf called the [short-handed] goal, "huge," adding that it was "not only a goal, but our power play unit was terrible tonight. We were. Our line, not Saku’s line, our line was terrible tonight. Our power play is designed to give us momentum, whether we score or not it’s got to give us momentum and we killed it tonight. That was the difference in the hockey game."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 26: (L-R) Saku Koivu #11, Cam Fowler #4 and Dan Sexton #42 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Sexton's first period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Honda Center on November 26, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 23: Ducks vs. Oilers 11.22.10

2010-11-20T20:44:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
Horrible.
That's all I have to say.
Pathetic, even.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Getting 40 shots isn’t relevant if you’re just taking shots from the boards and the blue line," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "We’re not doing a good enough job of getting pucks and people there."

"We had our fair opportunities, but again I don’t think we got into that dirty area to create that second and third opportunity," said coach Randy Carlyle. "In the second period, we didn’t execute with the puck to get through the neutral ice. We gave them momentum. We got back in the hockey game and tied it up 2-2. I thought we’d be able to find a way and reach back in the third period."

"The effort is there, but we have to bear down," Getzlaf said. "We’re playing on a little homestand where we have to take advantage of it. We’re going into a break. We have to learn from the mistakes and go forward."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks center Saku Koivu (11), of Finland, celebrates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period of a NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 22: Ducks vs. Blue Jackets 11.19.10

2010-11-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
I'll be honest, since it took me so long to update this I've forgotten how I felt about this game. Completely. I'm stumped. The only thing I can think about is how embarrassing it was to lose to the Oilers. So, uhh, Go Ducks!

Oh yeah, Selanne got hurt this game. That's right. Well, he left the game with a sore groin, on the side of caution.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"When you get 50 shots, you need more than three goals," said Bobby Ryan. "That falls on us, not him being so good."

"When it rains, it pours," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "When you’re scoring, all those things go in all the time. It’s just a situation where you have to keep after it, keep shooting pucks and they will go in. The third period we really needed a push. We got the start we wanted and we just couldn’t get another one past him."

"We didn’t play with the desperation that was necessary for 60 minutes," said coach Randy Carlyle. "It seemed like we got up 2-1 and sat back. They didn’t change what they were doing. They just played a grinding road game."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 19: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at the Honda Center on November 19, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The Blue Jackets defeated the Ducks 4-3. . (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 21: Ducks @ Wild 11.17.10

2010-11-16T23:38:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
*Big Groan* It's amazing isn't it? The Ducks went from 6 game win streak hero's, to 3 game losing streak zero's. Except not exactly 0's. They did eek out a total of two points on this road trip in which they won 0 games. Thank you, overtime. It's a tough pill to swallow. This team is beyond brilliant when it's on its home turf. But as soon as they fly away to a place unfamiliar it's like they forget how to play.

Here's my opinion, and it's only that. It's all I can think of to try and answer the "why?". Carlyle. I'm not calling for heads to roll. I'm just pointing out a probable cause. He gets the match ups he wants when he's got the home ice advantage. As soon as they go on the road, he stops getting the match ups he wants and starts getting out-coached.

So there's my possible answer to the why? Unfortunately, I don't know how to solve that particular problem. I'm not the coach that's being out-coached on the road. That one is up to Carlyle.

POST GAME QUOTES:
None Available.

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks goalie Curtis McElhinney, center, does not see the puck as a shot by Minnesota Wild winger Antti Miettinen (20), of Finland, gets past him during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, in St. Paul, Minn. Ducks winger Bobby Ryan (9) defends on the play. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

Game 20: Ducks @ Stars 11.16.10

2010-11-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Just like all good "undefeated in regulation" streaks, it had to come to an end sooner or later. Would have preferred "later" but oh well. Time to make a new streak. If the Ducks had buried their chances, the outcome would be different. I counted 4 solid opportunities in the 1st period alone (Selanne, Marchant (breakaway), Carter, and Bobby) all should have had a goal in the 1st. But should, woulda, coulda doesn't win games. Unfortunately.

And I'm not usually one to pick on the refs. It takes special games to get me fired up against the refs. One of those is tonight. I'm not going to go into too much of a rant about it, because we've all heard it before and I hate being the stereotypical Ducks fan whining about the ref, but damn! THREE times the Stars could have been called for too many men, alone. The missed tripping call at the end of the game could have helped too. They were really letting the Stars get away with bloody hell out there in terms of penalties.

On to the next one.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We had our fair share of chances," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "It wasn't like we were devoid of chances, we came up empty. Even more-so, we had lots of good chances on our power play, too. ... We're just not really sharp offensively. We got to think 'shoot more,' be a little more selfish."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Dallas Stars right wing Krys Barch, right, lands a punch to the head of Anaheim Ducks right wing George Parros, left, in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, in Dallas. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports )

Game 19: Ducks @ Blackhawks 11.14.10

2010-11-13T23:27:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
Well, there goes the win streak, BUT the Ducks remain undefeated in 7 games in regulation. That's something. Like always, I'll take the point, but I really wanted both points. I'm sure you feel the same way. Hiller had some amazing saves that made him look absolutely brilliant and I'm going to say he's why the Ducks got the point. Why the Ducks didn't get both points is because the Ducks played a little too much passing in the overtime period, which they went into with the man advantage (4-on-3). They passed too much, toying with their advantage, and didn't shoot enough. That advantage dwindled and the Hawks took their advantage of surviving that penalty kill. It is what it is. The Ducks now go to Dallas, looking to start a new streak, and keep the unbeaten in regulation streak alive.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We didn't play the way we really wanted to play," Perry said. "We haven't played that way in a while. Got a point out of it, got to take the positive out of that game. They took it to us in the second and third."

"You never want to give up opportunities on the power play," said Hiller, who needed stitches to close a cut above his left eye after he was struck by a puck during practice Saturday. "I think they have enough great players out there, they make a difference."

"We didn't have very much energy tonight, we looked tired," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We've played an awful lot of hockey, and we didn't look like we had the crispness, but we still found a way to get a point."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' Corey Perry (10) gets a pat on the head from Jason Blake(33) after Perry's goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Noiv. 14, 2010, in Chicago. Lubomir Visnovsky is at left rear. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 18: Ducks vs. Stars 11.12.10

2010-11-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
Don't look now, but that's a 6 GAME WIN STREAK we're looking at. Always a team for the dramatics, it came down to the wire (Selanne said they like to keep it interesting). Bobby Ryan sealed the win with an empty netter, but in the very last minutes Dallas came on very strong and it could have easily been tied and gone to overtime. Thank goodness Bobby found the empty net!

The Ducks are now 7-1-1 at home and go on a 3 game road swing visiting Chicago (the defending Stanley Cup Champions), a little how do you do? in Dallas, and then up to Minnesota, before returning home a week from now to play Columbus. I'd just like to thank the schedule makers for making that retarded. It'd make more sense to hit Minnesota after Chicago and then go to Texas, but I'm just sayin'. They had to throw that loop in there. Pfft. I'm not a fan of the Ducks on the road, and their record out on the open highway can tell you why. I don't even want to post it. I'll take the win streak continuing, thank you very much. At least for this road trip, they'll go with confidence and momentum.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was a huge night," Ryan said. "Tonight we didn’t give them a whole lot of momentum swings, which we’ve done in the past few games. The guys played hard in front of Hillsy [Jonas Hiller, who had 27 saves]. He earned the win tonight for us."

"When Getzy buried that goal, it was huge," Ryan said, then alluded to the line of him, Ryan and Corey Perry. "The three of us fought the puck a little bit early in the game, so it was nice to get rewarded for sticking with it. We’ve figured each other out and we’re rolling right now. It’s evident. It just needs to stick."

"I just tried to stay on my feet as long as possible," Hiller said (about facing the penalty shot). "He was coming in pretty slow. I thought he was going to deke. He made a good move and I was able to move my leg out. I felt pretty comfortable."

"Any time you can get out and have the number of shots that we had in the first period, we were trying to take advantage," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We knew they played a tough game last night. These are opportunities that you get that you have to take advantage of."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Bobby Ryan celebrates his empty net goal against the Dallas Stars during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Nov. 12, 2010. The Ducks won 4-2. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports )

Game 17: Ducks vs. Islanders 11.10.10

2010-11-10T17:30:00.001-08:00

OPINION:
Who said all wins have to be pretty? It wasn't pretty, but it's a 5 game win streak the Ducks are holding right now. When two weeks ago they couldn't string together 2 wins in a row. It's pretty nice! I don't know about you, but I think tonight's game was a total snooze fest. Both teams played horrible, but one of them had to win. I'm stoked that went in the Ducks favor because that would have been a hard loss to stomach. It just adds to the Ducks win streak, and adds to the Islander's baffling now 8 game losing streak. I'll take the win streak, thank you very much.

They don't always have to be pretty, but as long as the Ducks are in the win column, who the hell cares how they got there?
And Congrats goes out to Curtis McElhinney posting his first career NHL shutout! He is definitely McGlovin!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We knew it was going to be tough," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. " We were playing a young, energized Islander team. Having played last night in San Jose, we knew it would be a tough struggle. These are the type of games that you almost have to win. In our situation, we couldn’t accept anything other than a win. That was our focus."

"It’s never easy to play back-to-backs, especially when the other team had a couple of days off," Koivu said. "They were fresh and were coming hard at us in the first period. You were able to tell that we didn’t have the jump that we usually have. When you have a tough schedule, with a lot of games and travel, you’re going to have nights where you’re not going to feel your best. Good teams find ways to win these games. We did tonight."

"It feels great," McElhinney said. "The last couple of games I’ve played it was five goals each night. This was a nice turn of events. To come back after a big game in San Jose last night and be able to keep the winning streak alive felt good."

"We didn’t play our best," Koivu said, "but when you get two points that is what matters. We have to keep working on things that we can improve."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 10: Saku Koivu #11 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates his goal for a 1-0 lead over the New York Islanders during the third period at the Honda Center on November 10, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) )

Game 16: Ducks @ Sharks 11.9.10

2010-11-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

OPINION:
It's games like these ones. Games like these ones where you for sure know they don't deserve the win, but somehow, like a GREAT team, they figure out how to pull it off. Sure, it wasn't in regular time. But they got it figured out before the shootout. They stole two points from San Jose, and nothing makes me feel happier right now.

4 GAME WIN STREAK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all that needs to be said.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It's always fun to play against San Jose,"Hiller said. "It's kind of a rivalry. They have a good team. They're always a lot of shots and a lot of work."

"Hiller was outstanding," coach Randy Carlyle said. "The best player on the ice. But that's what it takes to win on the road in these tough buildings."

"It was a great face-off," Visnovsky said. "I stayed in my shooting lane and the goalie doesn't know where the puck is. The guys in front of me did a great job. I just shot the puck."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 09: Lubomir Visnovsky #17 of the Anaheim Ducks is surrounded by teammates after he scored the winning goal in overtime of their game against the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion on November 9, 2010 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Game 15: Ducks vs. Predators 11.7.10

2010-11-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but it's a win! And with only 1.7 seconds to spare, the Ducks basically swiped that almost free point right out from the noses of the Predators (Much like some shenanegan a Datsyuk fellow pulled on the Ducks a couple weeks ago, only much cooler and with a better result). Bobby Ryan directed a pass straight to Paul Mara who took on the role of sniper and snapped the puck in the back of the net like it was no big deal, and Honda Center went NUTS. Grumbles were all around before this play with the likes of "why can't they just hold a lead" or "overtime, again". People preparing themselves for an overtime period, when this beautiful play unfolded. I am sick right now, and spend most of the game frustrated that I had no voice to cheer for, and yell at, the Ducks. With that game winning goal I hollered as loud as I possibly could! Now I really have no voice. I'll take it though, that was worth it. Thank you, Ducks!

Before I forget to give out my Kudos to Selanne and Koivu, here it is! KUDOS YOU FINNISH DUO! Selanne is hot lately and Koivu is right behind him (2 goals tonight, for his 700th career point!) Not too shabby, boys! Don't look now, but the Ducks are on a winning streak! And have fought their way to .500. Awesome!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Two points is two points," Carlyle said. "We’re not going to lament any other part of it. It was one of those games that seemed like we had to work for every inch. Every time we got a lead, they came back. We sure kept the fans in the building."

"I knew going out we didn’t have a whole lot of time," Ryan said. "It worked out for the best. Paul made a great play jumping in with a nice finish. The defenseman was trying to cut across and just got a piece of it, maybe a little too much. It came right to me. Everything came just the way we needed to there."

Added Mara, "I looked up at the clock and I saw there were eight or nine seconds left. Bobby got it and I just kept jumping to the net. It was bouncing right there and I just put it into an empty net. It was a great play by those guys. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"It was an ugly game, certainly not one we want to put in the archives, that's for sure." Ryan said. "We have to do a better job in front of Hillsy [goalie Jonas Hiller] and a better job managing the puck through the neutral zone. It’s something we’ll focus on."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks players Ryan Getzlaf(notes) and Bobby Ryan(notes) celebrate after Paul Mara(notes), center, scored the winning goal against the Nashville Predators in their NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010. ( AP Photo/Christine Cotter)

Game 14: Ducks vs. Penguins 11.5.10

2010-11-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
What a way to win! There's not much I can say about this one, they went out there and basically owned the show for the night. The 3rd the Pens tried their damnedest to force the comeback, but to no avail. I loved this game. If you missed this game, you oughta be kicking yourself in the butt. What a geat, high energy, passion driven game tonight. Loved every minute.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Hopefully it’s a stepping stone and we can get some confidence," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We’ll feel a lot better about ourselves tomorrow morning again. That is what we’re trying to do, something to build on here. We want this building specifically to be a tough place to come into and play. We’ve accomplished that in these last two games."

"We were overdue," Ryan said of that second period. "We had some chances in the first that didn’t quite find the net the way we wanted them to. When you stick with the basics, they are going to come back around for you. We did that in the second."

"That was a big goal for our line and the confidence for us," Koivu said. "We’ve been having some great chances in the last four, five games. We’re trying to capitalize on those chances. It’s hopefully the start of something good."

"The first and the second period were really strong for us and they pretty much took it to us in the third period," Koivu said. "The great thing is we got that win and two points that were big for us."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing Bobby Ryan (9) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period of a NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Nov. 5, 2010. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 13: Ducks vs. Lightning 11.3.10

2010-11-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
I wasn't sure what to expect from playing Tampa Bay tonight. I've been keeping my eye on them this year because I have a certain Stamkos fellow on my Yahoo Fantasy Team and I knew they're pretty legit. They're especially good in the 3rd period, which I thought the Ducks might have some trouble with. They found a way though. Selanne was on a mission tonight, he had bountiful scoring opportunities tonight. I counted 6 goals he should have had, only 1 went in though. And then there is Kyle Palmieri who was called up yesterday. What's he going to do in his very first NHL game? He's going to score a huge game-tying goal with just minutes left to spare, that's what he's going to do! It was a huge goal that forced an overtime, where the Selanne on a mission zipped, or rather FLEW, up the ice and fed a beautiful pass to Getzlaf who potted that sucker into the back of the net. A thing of pure beauty.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was a big game for us," Getzlaf said. "It felt like we played pretty well tonight for the most part. We were able to come back at the end. The kid (Palmieri) scored a big goal in his first game and that is exciting."

"It was unbelievable," said a grinning Palmieri, the former Notre Damer, who had an AHL-leading seven goals with Syracuse before his recall. "I was so excited. The whole play seemed like it was slow developing. I saw the puck come across from Bobby. It squirted around to my stick. He banked it off me. I didn’t have to do much. It was unbelievable. To explain, I really don’t have any words right now. It hasn’t really sunk in. Right now, I’m just excited."

"It was a dream come true," Palmieri said. "Even just being there and out on the ice, it was an honor. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid playing hockey back in New Jersey."

"We played against a hockey club that could really skate and is playing with a lot of confidence right now," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We’ve had our fair share of turmoil and lack of consistency. Tonight was one of our more inspired games. Overall, our effort was way up there. We should feel good about ourselves."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 03: Kyle Palmieri #51 of the Anaheim Ducks receives high fives from the bench after scoring his first NHL goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Honda Center on November 3, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks defeated the Lightning 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 12: Ducks @ Sharks 10.30.10

2010-10-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
All I have to say is: WHERE WAS THIS TEAM THAT PLAYED THOSE LAST TEN MINUTES, FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE 50 MINUTES PRIOR. I don't like when they have a lightbulb turn on and they right their ship when there's only fractions of a period left to go. It's that TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE scenerio that I DON'T LIKE. I don't like when they do it because then they get my hopes up even though I know better and know it'll still be a loss. I can't handle games that work that way. Unless of course it actually worked out where they did steal the win. BUT NOT TONIGHT THEY DIDN'T.

San Jose? We played with San Jose? I didn't see any SJ game, did you?

Bah Humbug.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We didn't play the way we needed to right off the drop," Getzlaf said. "We can't get scored upon on a faceoff play."

"There's obviously an animosity developing," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We didn't seem to get involved in the game. There's always going to be fatigue, but it didn't look like we had much structure."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right wing George Parros (16) and San Jose Sharks left wing Frazer McLaren (68) get into a fight in the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. (Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 11: Ducks vs. Devils 10.29.10

2010-10-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
Hmm. Where have I seen this before? The Ducks losing to the worst team in the league? Oh yeah, happened last year too when we played Toronto. When it comes to the Ducks and battles with the last place teams, the Ducks like to lose. And it's highly embarrassing. I don't know how to explain it... they downplay their game to the worst teams, and manage to lose. Then when they play the higher ranked teams, they somehow win. I don't get it, it must be a law of physics I'm not smart enough to understand, but it happens. Without fail.

I don't have much more to say other than that except one thing. What was Randy Carlyle thinking putting Voros on the top line? What was he doing anywhere near the top line? Carlyle has lost his marbles.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"We knew they were going to come out hard and try to start a winning streak," Blake said. "For us, we were just trying to keep the ball rolling. We had a great win in Dallas. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the win tonight. I thought we had some great chances. We were facing a great goaltender."

"We didn’t have a lot of momentum going our way until later in the hockey game, after they got the 2-1 lead," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We just didn’t execute. Our power play was pretty much on the outside. We scored one goal with Jason Blake that was a power play goal. But the other group didn’t get much done from an offensive standpoint."

"We knew they were one of the teams in the same situation as us, not playing as well as they are supposed to," Hiller said. "It was almost a must-win. We just couldn’t find a way. Every time you think we’re going to get it going, we play a game like tonight and lose again. It starts all over again. We have to find a way to win tomorrow. It would be great if we could get a streak going. It just makes it easier."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 29: Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils makes a save in front of Saku Koivu #11 of the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at the Honda Center on October 29, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Game 10: Ducks @ Stars 10.26.10

2010-10-26T01:33:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
If we cut out the 1st period, this was a solid game for the Ducks. I don't know what the 1st period was, but we'll forget it happened. Whatever was said in the locker room during 1st intermission worked because they came out for the 2nd and 3rd a completely different team than the one that came out in the 1st.

Bobby Ryan netted 2 goals and everyone watching was just waiting for the hat trick. It didn't happen, but we did get to see Parros score on a break away! I think if you saw that mustache darting toward you, you'd let the goal in too. Also, Teemu netted 1 to get his 800th career point as a Duck, and Perry added to the total when Dallas had a little brain fart forgetting to have somebody in the penalty box to serve Robidas' major penalty for a boarding hit he nailed Beleskey with. (Later reported that Beleskey is fine, after he left the ice looking a little more than woozy).

Great game, and the Ducks get to head home for Friday's match against the New Jersey Devils, who have been having the same kind of rough start the Ducks have been dealing with. And a great win to put the heartbreaking loss to the Wings three days ago into the distant memory bank.

(PS; Ducks scored 5 goals tonight, head over to ducks.nhl.com to get your coupon for FREE Hooters wings! Valid for 24 hours.)

POST GAME QUOTES:
"I've met (Hull) many times, and I never imagined I'd score more goals than him," said the 40-year-old Selanne, who also had an assist to give him 801 points with the Ducks. "It's unbelievable, when you look back at your career, the numbers. Good things happen when you play long. When I read my name in the same story with Bobby Hull or somebody else, it's a big compliment. I'm thankful for all these years."

Selanne said he was aware of NHL greats when he was a kid learning the game in Finland. "Automatic, you know those names," Selanne said. "I used to have Guy Lafleur skates."

"It got us started," Ryan said of his first goal. "It's a morale boost. You're sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself, that kind of turns the tide."

"At times he (Ryan) looked like the best player on the ice," Carlyle said. "He was skating and when he does that, he's a dynamic player."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks right winger George Parros takes a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010. Parros scored on the shot. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

Game 9: Ducks @ Red Wings 10.23.10

2010-10-22T23:12:00.001-07:00

OPINION:
Tonight's game was pretty much case in point of why I personally hate it when the Ducks have to go to Detroit to play. (And I'm thinking there's not very many Ducks fans who would disagree with that feeling). The first period was ridiculous and it's always pretty ridiculous in that building. No matter what the Ducks do, they just CAN'T win there. And it's not for lack of trying. They get penalized for things they didn't do, the Red Wings don't get penalized for squat. They score goals, but they don't seem to score enough. You would think 4 goals would be enough.

One thing, actually TWO things we can be happy about after this game. That's the last time the Ducks have to go to Detroit this season (unless they make the playoffs and face the Red Wings) and that means it's the last game they have to play in Joe Louis Arena ever (unless they make the playoffs and face the Red Wings), because that baby is being replaced. I'm not sad to see it go. I'm actually pretty stoked about that.

And I don't think I'm the only one... Teemu had some good words about the game, that he could potentially be fined for. I don't think he's worried about a fine, and I am quite pleased that he, and Carlyle, spoke out about how the game was officiated last night. And Kronwall can thank his lucky stars he had a Red Wings logo on his chest last night for the ELBOW he delivered on Teemu, and leaving his feet to do it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"That guy (Kronwall) is dangerous out there," Selanne said. "One of these days somebody's going to get him, for sure. I know that. It's just a matter of time when. For sure his elbow hit in my face. I didn't see the replay but I know how it felt."

"He (McElhinney) played good for us, he made some stops," coach Randy Carlyle said. "That's two good games in a row. You think we could get more than one power play in this building?"

"It is a joke," [Selanne] said. "As long as I have played here, it's always happened. You almost know. They get at least three power plays every first period. ... Like 50-50 calls are going to go in their favor. We knew. It's not a secret for anybody. Plus, there's a young referee who's pumped to do the games here. The calls are going to go in their favor."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan (9) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

Game 8: Ducks at Flyers 10.21.10

2010-10-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
In a game where the Ducks were desperate to get their first win on the road, being 0-4-0 on the road thus far, they found a way to win. They did everything they could, and pulled it out and won the game. They started fast in the first period with a quick goal to start the game on the right foot ( as opposed to their usual left foot starts ). They left that period ahead by a goal at 2-1.

Their second period got a little slopping, and they lost themselves a bit, but not enough to leave the period only in a tie game at 2-2. They entered the 3rd knowing they needed to pull out all the stops to get that winning goal, before overtime was needed. And then it happened. In a quick play of crashing the net, Getzlaf managed to squeek the puck past the Philadelphia goal crease. It had to be reviewed but the review showed very clearly that the puck did cross the line completely and the Ducks were credited with the goal, which would be the game winning goal.

It wasn't easy, and I don't think anyone thought it would be, but they managed to hang in there and walk away with the victory. Their next stop on Saturday is at the same arena they started their season in. Eveyone say it with me-- the always unfriendly Joe Louis Arena. I really don't have high expectations on this one, just given their experiences in that building, but hey... if they want to prove my expectations could be higher, I welcome it.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"The initial shot, he stopped with his stick and I was able to get another swipe at it," Getzlaf said. "I saw it go in, and judging from my reaction, you could tell. It was one of those things where we caught a break at the end. It was a big relief for us. We've been working pretty hard and not necessarily getting the bounces, so this helps."

"It doesn't matter how it goes in," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "It went in. I don't care if it was an end-to-end rush, a fluke from center, whatever it is. We're desperate for wins. We found a way to get the job done."

"When he shot the puck I tried to stop it, but it slid right by me," said the 22-year-old rookie [McElhinney], who made his fourth start. "The team lost and I feel like it's my fault. I have to play better. We must win the game."

"It felt great," [McElhinney] said. "There were some nerves early on, and a couple of rebounds that got away from me. As the game went on, I felt more comfortable. Everybody collapsed well and did a tremendous job in front of me. It was an all-around great effort from everybody."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: Sergei Bobrovsky #35 of the Philadelphia Flyers surrenders a first period goal against the Anaheim Ducks as teammates Chris Pronger #20 and Matt Carle #25 look on on October 21, 2010 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Game 7: Ducks at Blue Jackets 10.20.10

2010-10-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

OPINION:
The road is not being kind to the Ducks to start this season. They are now 0-4-0 on the road. It wont be getting any easier with Philadelphia tomorrow and those blasted Red Wings again on Saturday, in the very unfriendly Joe Louis Arena.

My gripe tonight is with Hiller. Not how he's playing, he's standing on his head and doing the best he can given the circumstances. But for the millionth time this season he let in 2 quick back-to-back goals. I don't know why that's happening, and I know it's not all Hiller. I just know he's getting some rotten luck with back-to-back quick goals and it's getting irritating to see it happen almost every game. It's almost guaranteed that when 1 goal comes, another 2nd goal wont be far behind. That really needs to stop.

POST GAME QUOTES:
“We did some things very well but we made some mistakes,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. “We give up a goal to MacKenzie, a slap shot into the pads; that’s a mistake. Then the next thing you know, Nash gets a goal and it kind of goes off our defenseman.”

“The power play wasn’t effective tonight,” the Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf said. “Those things kill you in games. You have to win those special teams’ battles.”

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 20: Teemu Selanne #8 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates a third period goal with Saku Koivu #11 while playing the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 20, 2010 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus won the game 3-1. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Game 6: Ducks vs. Coyotes 10.17.10

2010-10-16T21:38:00.001-07:00

OPINION:
This was a good game. High energy, do what it takes to win, win. On that note, I'd like to point out Shane Doan. I'll refrain from calling him the names I'd like to call him here and keep it PG at PUNK. Minutes after Cam Fowler scored his first NHL goal, he was a goal line away (literally, it landed right on the goal line) from scoring his second. And that's when Shane thought it'd be a good idea to pummel the kid face first into the boards. Cam left the game and never returned, with a broken nose, two black eyes, and a neck strain. Thanks Shane.

Not too far along into the game after that happened, Shane attacked again. This time he decided a blindside hit to Dan Sexton would be ok. Well news flash, Shane. That's the exact play the NHL said it would be cracking down on this season, and you sir get to sit out for 3 games. Don't like it? Tough. You did it. You're extremely lucky Sexton wasn't injured with that reckless play of yours.

In spite of Shane Doan, the Ducks pulled off the win, 3 to 2. Not without trying to show their fans, once again, that the 2 goal lead is dangerous. That one is for you, Cam. Get well soon, we need you!

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Bobby made a great play in the defensive zone," Perry said. "He battled for the puck and made a great play to get it to Getzy. The two of us were just trying to get to the net as fast as we could. Getzy found a way to get it through and I got a stick on it."

"We did a lot of good things in the game to give ourselves a two-goal lead, but we can’t slip in the third period like that," said coach Randy Carlyle. "I don’t have cuticles left, so that is the way it went. It got to a hairy point there. The bottom line is we won the hockey game."

"If you just check my stats from previous years, I haven’t been doing that too much," said Lydman of his first career goal streak. "It’s nice to put a couple in there. Especially when we win, it feels so much better."

"It was huge to get back in the win column and have that feeling going on the road," Perry said. "We know we can win in crucial times. We showed it tonight. We found a way to win. That is how we have to play."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 17: Cam Fowler #54 of the Anaheim Ducks leaves the ice with an injury alongside Paul Mara #23 the Phoenix Coyotes during the second period at the Honda Center on October 17, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Game 5: Ducks vs. Thrashers 10.15.10

2010-10-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
This game started out very promising. The Ducks controlled most of the game, and looked sharp. Then, they set out to prove how dangerous the 2 goal lead is. Doing their signature move of trying to protect the lead, they let it go. As disappointing as that was. What looked like a sure 2 points, dwindled to being happy they at least got 1 out of the deal.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Any time you lose in your own building, it’s disappointing, especially when you have the lead going into the third," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. "We worked pretty hard all game long. We needed to close it out of the end and we didn’t."

"We’re upset with losing the point tonight," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "That is probably as emotional as I have been in losing a shootout because there were mental mistakes that we made that cost us the point, not their effort. They worked and tried. Some nights shootouts go for you, some nights they don’t."

"We just need to keep pushing," Getzlaf said. "We have a big game coming up on Sunday and we know it. We’ll come to work tomorrow like professionals and get ready."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 15: Toni Lydman #32 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates his second period goal against the Atlanta Thrashers at Honda Center on October 15, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The Thrashers defeated the Ducks 5-4 in a shootout. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 4: Ducks vs. Canucks 10.13.10

2010-10-11T13:55:00.001-07:00

OPINION:
OK the high from the game is gone, I can clearly think out an opinion. Mine goes along the lines of it was a game where in the initial period one might think "oh my God, not this again!". I'll chalk the first period of the home opener up to nerves and excitement from our guys. That's normal and they had a normal reaction.

The 2nd and 3rd period on the other hand actually started to look like we had a team that knew what they were doing. Not only did we finally have a game with numerous goals, but we had a game in which we won. AND that win wasn't easy. After getting the lead early in the 1st, they quickly lost it, and it was an uphill battle the rest of the game. Going into the third period trailing 3-2 mean the Ducks needed 2 goals to force the win. And they did just that.

It was like a light bulb turned on and all of a sudden, the top line knew exactly what they needed to do to get those goals that the Ducks desperately needed. The Ducks gained their lead back in the 3rd and still had a hefty amount of time afterward to try to hold on to that lead or improve it. Well, they didn't improve it, but they did manage to hang on long enough to protect it. And with that, the Ducks marched on with their first victory of the 2010-11 season, and fans were able to walk away saying "about damn time" (ok that was just me...) Fans were able to walk away thinking ... maybe it's not that bad afterall. It really was only 3 games. And now, it's only been 4.

This brief sigh of relief and contentment can only be held onto for so long. The Ducks are back at it again at Honda Center on Friday the 15th, to take on the Atlanta Thrashers. They, and us fans, will be looking to stay in the winning column of stats.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"It was nice to be able to calm things down and play hockey," Getzlaf said. "It didn’t matter what the score was. We’re coming home where we’re comfortable. We love this building. The fans and everybody showed us what it’s going to be like all year. We’re excited about it."

"It was time for it," Getzlaf said of the production of his line. "We have been working hard the last few games. We knew it was just those one or two bounces that we needed our way. We were lucky enough to get them tonight. When our line is effective, we slow that game down and are able to play with the puck more."

"When they scored, I thought to myself, Something good has to happen here," Ryan said. "Something had to break because in the past it hadn’t. It finally did."

"It wasn’t pretty," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "I don’t think we’re going to frame that one and say that is the way we want to play every night. But at least it’s a starting point for us. It’s been difficult for us over the first three games that we started on the road. We got our game going as this game went on. Our players are to be credited because they were frustrated."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 13: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrates a game tying goal in the third period against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center on October 13, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Game 3: Ducks @ Blues 10.11.10

2010-10-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

OPINION:
My opinion is likely along the same lines as your opinion. I'm just going to point out the obvious and move on with life:
A. We need defense, badly. An 18 year old is outshining everyone else. Cam Fowler, you're doing great bud. I wish the rest of the team was on board with you.

B. We also appear to need offense. On paper, you wouldn't think that at all. On ice, we've got 2 goals. 2 goals from Saku Koivu. The top line that has 3 players combining for just above $15 million in payroll, yeah that top line isn't doing a thing. Thank you Saku for at least trying.

C. Somehow we've got a great penalty kill. That was 100% today, and if you saw the game, you know that's no small feat. But it managed to be at 100%. Even with that awesomeness, there were still 5 goals not in our favor. Hiller got pulled after 4. He has a sound 4.0 GAA. And a 4.0 only looks good if it's your GPA. I'm not saying all of them are Hiller's fault, but he does need to be better.

D. Maybe it's time for a new coach. I'll give RC a few more games before I jump on that bandwagon. But I usually end up on it at some point during the season, he just never gets the boot. This year might be his year...to go.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"Obviously, the sun is going to come up tomorrow - we hope," [Carlyle] said. "What you have to do is take a self-analysis of what we can do better. There's lots of areas for us to improve in as a team."

"It's only three games," Perry said. "There's 79 more to go. But it's tough to start the season 0-3. "They had 50-some shots today, too, and that doesn't help. The puck's going the other way. We just need to get some of those on our stick and get the garbage goal we need to get us going."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

St. Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, of Slovakia, makes a save on a shot by Anaheim Ducks' Bobby Ryan, left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Oct. 11, 2010, in St. Louis.Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports