Game 22: Ducks vs. Blackhawks 11.25.11

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 22: Ducks vs. Blue Jackets 11.19.10

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 22: Ducks vs. Flames 11.23.09

Graphic Credit: BuckyHermit @ duckscentral.net

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





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

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

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

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

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

Source for Quotes:ducks.nhl.com

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

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

Game 22: Ducks @ Stars 11.22.08

Ducks WIN 2-1 in SO!!