Game 52: Ducks @ Blue Jackets 1.25.11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

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

Game 52: Ducks @ Blues 1.23.10

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net





OPINION:
The TV shared a piece of info before the game started. The Ducks are bad on the road. Ducks fans know this. But they were 2-7-0 on the road in the last 9 road games. I thought about it, and those 2 wins were when Selanne was in the lineup. So you'll understand why things looked dreary when the Ducks went down 3-0 in the 3rd period. I'll admit it, I wanted badly to change the channel and turn the game off. But out of all honesty I had a thought before hitting the clicker... "what if the Ducks had a comeback and I missed it because I couldn't stick with them through the full 60 minutes" .. that thought is what prevented me from changing the channel, and right after that thought, Niedermayer scored off a sweet pass from Perry. Alright so it was 3-1... still a grim outlook with 13 minutes left... From my experience, that's more than enough time to get 2 more, but could the Ducks pull it off? The answer is obviously yes if you caught a look at the final score before reading this. They could and they did. Bobby Ryan was the man of the hour getting in 2 goals. His 2nd coming with literally just seconds left on the clock with the extra man advantage as Hiller was on the bench. The shootout went to a staggering 7 rounds and who other than James Wisniewski to steal the win? Yep. Wiz was the 7th shooter for the Ducks. Perry scored, Getzlaf scored -- Ryan, Sexton, Beleskey, and Artyukhin couldn't convert -- and then came Wiz to win the game. Impressive comeback win doesn't seem to adequately explain it. St. Louis should be checking their wallets and their purses, because they just got robbed.

POST GAME QUOTES:
"He's (Wisniewski) a confident guy and those situations don't rattle him," Carlyle said. "He made a hell of a move."

"I said, 'Give a defenseman a try,"' Wisniewski recalled. "We never get an opportunity. When I saw it go in, it was a pretty good feeling."

"It was a surprise pick to me," said Ryan, who leads U.S.-born players with 24 goals. "We play breakaway games every day (in practice) and he's always one of the guys that scores."

"This was monumental," Ryan said. "It was like a playoff game. This shows that we're a very resilient team, able to bounce back in the face of almost everything."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Anaheim Ducks' James Wisniewski celebrates after teammate Bobby Ryan scored to tie the game 3-3 during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, in St. Louis. Wisniewski ended up scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout to defeat the Blues 4-3.(Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

Game 52: Ducks @ Avalanche 1.30.09

Ducks Win 4-3!!!!
Selanne celebrated a personal milestone - he became the Ducks' career leader in games played Saturday - by scoring the winning goal in Anaheim's 4-3 win over the struggling Colorado Avalanche.

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GAME DAY QUOTES:
"I think it's very important," Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller said. "First, he's a great player and second, in the dressing room, he's a great guy and the young kids can learn from him. He knows how to score. He showed it again there in the third and it was the game-winner." [On Selanne]

"I think we got a pretty good breakout and a couple of good bounces and I wound up with a puck in front of the goalie," said Selanne, who has appeared in 617 games with Anaheim, one more than Steve Rucchin. "I got off a pretty good shot. It was nothing special."

Source for Quotes: nhl.com