Game 7: Ducks at Maple Leafs 10.21.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics
Ducks Win 3-2 in SO

Period 1: 2 - 0
Period 2: 2 - 1
Period 3: 2 - 2
OT: 2 - 2
SO: 3 - 2

I just have to say: PARROS GOT HIS 2ND GOAL OF THE SEASON!!! & when the goal scorers who are supposed to score actually get going, they'll be unstoppable because the non-goal scorers are doing awesome!

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GAME DAY QUOTES:
DUCKS:
“The mind frame we’re in right now, we’re going to take everything we possibly can,” said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, whose club won for just the second time in seven games this season.

“We didn’t play very well, obviously, past the first period, but we found a way to get two points. Previously, we’ve been better, executed to a higher level and yet, come up empty.” Carlyle

“I can’t explain it,” Carlyle said. “If I had the explanation, it wouldn’t be happening, I’ll guarantee you. The frustration from our standpoint is it just seems that the switch goes off for us. We stop skating, and then all of a sudden, every puck we go to clear hits the shaft of a stick. Then we take a penalty. It just seems that the snowball gets larger, but tonight we won. I’m not going to critique a win.“We know we can play better than what we played, and we’re going to have to play a lot better than that to get more points.”

“I just tried to find what was open,” Selanne said. “We haven’t had that much success in shootouts, either, so it was good to win this game. Again, not a very good game for us. “In the second period, we started watching. The legs stopped moving. We started taking penalties again. Here we go. We really made our night very difficult.”

“It was a great feeling — obviously, any time you can put the puck in the net and actually beat the goaltender on a shot,” Parros said. “Usually I just chip ‘em in off the goal line. I just take my shots and get my goals where I can.”

Source for Quotes: OCRegister.com and ducks.nhl.com

Game 6: Ducks vs. Hurricanes 10.19.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics
Ducks Lose 3-1

Period 1: 0 - 1
Period 2: 1 - 2
Period 3: 1 - 3

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GAME DAY QUOTES:
DUCKS:
"I think it speaks for itself," Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer said of the team's slow start. "We are not happy. The first few games in the year we really didn’t play well. The last maybe three we’ve scrambled back and started to work harder. It doesn’t always turn right away. Tonight, we just came out with a slow start. Offensively, we’re not running smoothly."

"It’s unbelievable," Teemu Selanne said of the team's tough luck. "We’re not getting any bounces. The puck was on the goal line, all kinds of things are happening but it’s not going in our favor. I think it was great effort again and we deserved better than this."

"A change of scenery will maybe do us good," Niedermayer said. "We’re in a tough spot right now and not happy with the way things have gone up until now. We have to think positively and work harder than we have."

Added Selanne, "I think this team needs time to hang around together. That is why this road trip is going to be very good. We’re going to have a few days off after the Toronto game. It’s going to be very important for this hockey club right now. This is a great group of guys here. We can turn this around."


HURRICANES:
"It was a little bit different than the Tampa game," Leighton said. "They definitely threw everything at the net and I faced a lot more shots."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

Game 5: Ducks vs. Sharks 10.17.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics
DUCKS WIN 4-0!
Period 1: 1 - 0
Period 2: 2 - 0
Period 3: 4 - 0

Took a little longer than I had hoped to type in "DUCKS WIN" but I finally get to tonight! WOOT! Took away the Sharks undefeated streak to put them at 4-1-0, and notched a win on our belt. Nicely done. Maybe I should mention that it was a SHUT OUT! Giguere stood on his head and boy he showed he wanted that win real bad tonight!

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GAME DAY QUOTES:
DUCKS
“It feels really good,” said Giguere, who had gotten off to a rough start with 13 goals against in three games entering this one. “It was a good night for us. We still have a lot of room for improvement, but this is a good start.”

"It was a big win for us," Pronger said. "It was desperate times, especially with the way we had played the first three games. Tonight, Jiggy held the fort when we ran into penalty trouble there early in the first."

"Right off that goal, we got a lot of life, " Pronger said. "We really started to bear down and cinch things up defensively."

"I’ve been working pretty hard in practice," Giguere said. "Eventually, these things are going to turn around. I believe that you create your own luck and that the bounces are eventually going to go your way. Tonight, the bounces went my way."

"We got our first win and we’re happy with it," Giguere said. "The last game (a 3-2 loss to Edmonton) was a starting point. Now we just have to keep going forward and try to put some good games together."

SHARKS
"They capitalized on their chances. We had a ton of shots and generated a lot of offense, but I don't think we got good quality scoring chances," San Jose defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said.

"They worked real hard and earned their breaks," said San Jose coach Todd McLellan who suffered his first loss as an NHL head coach. "It wasn't that we just mailed it in. We competed pretty hard and it just didn't go our way."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com and sharks.nhl.com

Game 4: Ducks vs. Oilers 10.15.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics

Ducks Lose. 3-2.
Period 1: 1 - 1
Period 2: 2 - 2
Period 3: 2 - 3


Looking for a win.... PLEASE! <--- Thanks a lot.....not.

There's good news with this loss.... they actually showed up and played! The game was anybodies game and then a penalty on Perry caused the 3-2 lead for the Oilers and they won. This game had me thinking "this is the team I know".... it was a hard fought loss. Hows that for perspective?

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GAME DAY QUOTES:
DUCKS:
"Tonight was tremendously better than the other nights," said Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf. "We were moving the puck well. We were getting chances. Right now, the puck is not bouncing in for us. We had many scrambles around the net, but we just couldn’t get in there. We had opportunities. We just couldn’t bury them."

"It’s something to build off of, no question," said Ducks center Brendan Morrison. "I thought we showed a little more desperation tonight. I thought we initiated a little more. Ultimately, it’s the result that we’re after. The process was better."

"It's frustrating, but it was a good effort overall," Selanne said. "We have to stay positive now. Tonight's effort was a good step forward, but we still have to find one more notch to win games."

"I think the frustration level is starting to show, we expect more from that group than what we've got," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "We're going to have to work with them to find a way to bounce one in off a shin pad or something to get the ball rolling."

OILERS:
"The first half we have to give them credit, they played real good. The second half, we took it from them and played better," Garon said. "We worked hard and took more shots on net, that's how we are going to score goals."

"It was my first shot. The coaches were saying after the second period to shoot more," said Visnovsky, acquired in a trade this summer after playing his first seven seasons in Los Angeles. "It was very important for our power play and for my confidence in our next game."

Source for Quotes: ducks.nhl.com

Game 3: Ducks at Kings 10.14.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics

Ducks lose. Again. 6 - 3.

This game determines who is really in "last" place in the Pacific. For the love of all things Hockey, it better be the Kings.

That worked out real great. Ummmm.... hey Ducks? Did you forget the season started? It's not pre-season anymore.... hello? Anyone out there?? No? Okay then.... I hope you feel like playing tomorrow... you have a game...


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PRE-GAME QUOTES:
DUCKS:
"Teams have success in this league by playing as a team, everybody knows what each other's doing, and you're playing the system. When you're playing that well, you have good results. Right now, we're really not doing that as five guys on the ice." Scott Niedermayer

"We need to go in there and step it up a notch," goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. "We need to not be going in there and being afraid to lose."

Kings:
"I really liked the way we played, especially in the second half of the game," he said. "The third period was tremendous. We started to see something I hadn't seen yet, (they're) starting to work hard for teammates." Murray

"It felt like I hadn't played a game in four or five months, but felt better as the game went on," said O'Sullivan, fourth on the team in scoring last season with 22 goals and 31 assists. "I'm glad to get that first game out of the way and live past the fact that I missed training camp. There's definitely some positives and I have a lot to improve upon, but it's definitely something I can develop."

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POST GAME QUOTES:
DUCKS:
"We know we're not playing well," said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer. "We know the mistakes we're making and we know we can't do that. That's the bottom line. We just have to be ready to commit to our game plan and basically outwork the other team. Right now we're not doing that."

“We’re not anywhere near accomplishing the things we’ve set out to do," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "We’re not getting anything done in the work ethic side of the game. We’re swinging away and we're not working in the tough areas to get enough done.”

"It's a game of penalty kill and power plays, so you can't win by being in the box," Giguere said. "And I'm guilty of it tonight. I took a bad one and it kind of got their game going."

"It's not rust. There's no viable excuses. We're just not working as a team," said goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who has allowed 13 goals on 87 shots in three starts. "We need to work together and rely on each other and be confident that the guy beside you is going to do his job. Right now we're just lacking that confidence."

"We can't win taking so many penalties. We've got to be careful," Giguere said. "It seems that too many times we get undisciplined. Then we get frustrated, start giving up goals and it just down downhill for there. So we've got to be a lot smarter, in that sense."

Source for Quotes: nhl.com, ducks.nhl.com

Game 2: Ducks vs. Coyotes HOME OPENER 10.12.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics

Ducks Lose 4 - 2.
Period 1: 0 - 1
Period 2: 1 - 3
Period 3: 2 - 4

Home Opener! There will be pre-game activities including the Ducks players arrivals on a red carpet entrance. Fun starts at 1pm.

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That most certainly was a hard one to watch. I was hoping that the game on Thursday was a fluke bad game and that they'd come out swinging for their home opener! They didn't. Not even close. They came out and played the same way they played on Thursday. Silly me to think that 3 days could change the way they play. I'm more annoyed this time around because they didn't answer their problems... they stayed the same. What a great message they're sending out right now. Oh well. Time to look to Tuesday...

GAME DAY QUOTES:
DUCKS:
"There were a lot of things that weren’t how we need them to be," said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer. We’re just not where we need to be mentally with our focus. We’re working, but we’re not working smart and we’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’re chipping when we should be passing and passing when we should be getting it in. That seems to be pretty much how our game is going right now. It’s back to basics. We’ll start from scratch and make an improvement that way."

"It was disappointing and not for lack of effort. I thought we tried," said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. "The frustration level seems to go up early here for our group when we lack execution. We just seem to be turning the puck over far too many times. It seems toward the end of the game we got more involved emotionally."

"We know we can be better," Scott Niedermayer said. "When you have two nights like we’ve had in the first two games, it’s not very fun."

Said Teemu Selanne, "It’s frustrating right now. The good thing about this league is we’re going to have a game Tuesday again. There are a couple of things we have to fix and just be better."

"We always talk about sticking with the plan," Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne said. "Again, we didn't stick with the plan. We started forcing plays. In the second period, the coaches said we had 25 turnovers. That's not the hockey we should play.
"Obviously there are a lot of things we have to do better, and be smarter. There's no excuse. The players, we have to take responsibility, and we will."

"We had pucks bouncing away and stuff," Getzlaf said. "It's not like we weren't trying. Guys try to rally around each other and get things going.
"Ice conditions get poor pretty quick. We just have to bear down, and make those plays a little bit quicker and a little bit easier — maybe not look for that second or third pass, throw a few more pucks at the net. We'll get it going."

"It happens, especially when you're frustrated a little bit like we were at the end," Getzlaf said. "Emotions get going."

COYOTES:
“Every day is a learning experience for us,” Head Coach Wayne Gretzky said. “To get wins like this is a big step. Listen, we have a long way to go and we know that, but we’re very proud of where we are right now.”

“We had a very positive trainging camp even though our record wasn’t very good,” Jokinen said. “This past week was very good for us. We practiced for five straight days (before the opener) and found some good line combinations. We’re a good skating team and we’ve been using our speed. I don’t know what it was like before I got here, but we believe we have the chance to win every game.”

"Talk to me again after 20 games, but at the same time, we have the capabilties of being really special," Doan said of the team's successful start.



Source for Quotes:Anaheimducks.com and OCRegister.com and coyotes.nhl.com

Game 1: Ducks at Sharks 10.9.08

© Arnold Cheng Graphics
Ducks Lose 4 - 1
Period 1: 0 - 0
Period 2: 0 - 2
Period 3: 1 - 4

Let's get this season started on the right foot!
Scott Niedermayer was named Captain. Pronger and Getzlaf will sport the "A"s.

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Looks like we started off the season on the left foot...that isn't the way the Ducks wanted to start the season is it? Good thing it was only the first game of eighty-two! They HAVE to stay out of that damn penalty box, they have to show up for the full 60 not the last 10. It's only the first game so I wont be too hard on them. For the record, the Ducks usually seem to have a hard time opening the season with a win, they're just holding up that stat.

GAME DAY QUOTES:
SHARKS:
"I don't know if there's anything close to a perfect game, but it was a nice feeling when the buzzer went," McLellan said. "Throughout camp, we never had a chance to play our full team (because of injuries), but some of the principles we stressed during camp were showing up out there on the ice, and that's great to see."

"You look how talented and fast our forwards are, and our job is to get the puck in their hands and then follow the play," said Blake, who's in his 19th NHL season. "(Anaheim) got a little behind by taking some penalties, and it throws you off your rhythm when that happens."

DUCKS:
"They came at us and worked the power play after the first goal," Scott Niedermayer said. "Both teams were playing tight until then. You're not going to win many hockey games when you give the puck away. We should be able to deal with a bad play and stay with our game plan, but we got away from that."

"We like to play on the edge, and I love that we play that way," Giguere said. "At the same time, we need to keep our mouths shut and stop yapping at the officials. They're not all bad calls. We have to take it upon ourselves to be more disciplined."

“I felt the way we started the game was great,” Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. “We had a good first period. When they stepped it up a notch, it almost surprised us. We should have known better, being a veteran team. That’s not something that should have surprised us.”

“It takes three periods to complete a hockey game,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We weren’t very good after the first period, for whatever reason. We started turning the puck over. We must have turned the puck over close to 10 times in the first five minutes of the second period. It seemed like they got another gear going, and we stood around and watched. Then they came at us in waves, and we started to take penalties.”

“It was a giveaway,” [Scott] Niedermayer said. “It wasn’t a strong play. You know, a couple of those – they took advantage of that one. After that, we seemed to revert to a lot of our bad habits.”

“It’s the first game of the year – what are you going to do?” Carlyle said. “We’re going to go back to work. We’re going to analyze what we did, accept the responsibility for it and prepare for the next one.”

“I’ve only been here a week, but we had a lot of (exhibition) games,” Klee said. “There was a lot of learning for me. I feel good. It’s the start of another NHL season. I’m real excited about that. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s your 14th year, your first year, your fifth year – it’s just cool.”

“I’ve been excited since we started, since I got here, since I even got to Orange County a month and a half ago,” Montador said.

“We look at it that we have interchangeable parts,” Carlyle said.

Source for Quotes: NHL.com and OCRegister.com

PRESEASON: Ducks @ Canucks

@

Ducks win 4-3 in OT!

WHEN: Sunday October 5th, 2008
WHERE: Vancouver, BC
TIME: 7pm
TV: n/a
RADIO: anaheimducks.com

PRESEASON: Ducks vs. Coyotes

vs.

Ducks Win 4 - 1!

WHEN: Friday October 3rd, 2008
WHERE: Anaheim, CA
TIME: 7PM
TV: n/a
RADIO: anaheimducks.com

PRESEASON: Ducks vs Kings

vs

Ducks win 3-2 in OT

WHEN: Wednesday October 1st, 2008
WHERE: Anaheim, CA
TIME: 7:00pm
TV: n/a
RADIO: anaheimducks.com