On The Duck Pond - An Anaheim Ducks blog
The Ducks finished up a three game Canadian jaunt with a 4-2 win over the Canucks. That gives Anaheim a total of 11 out of 12 points in their past six games.
Not bad for a team that could not string together more than a win every couple of weeks. Still not good enough to climb out of 29th in the NHL. But it certainly is progress.
The Ducks third line was huge in the defeat of Vancouver.
Jason Blake scored two goals and added an assist as well. Having missed the majority of the season with a lacerated forearm, he has clearly recovered well enough to be pitching in. Blake has now scored in two games in a row since returning the line up on January 4.
Blake had previously been with the second line alongside Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, but his injury forced a change to the line combinations. When Niklas Hagman was acquired, the second line eventually became an all Finn line.
After Blake's return, he was placed on the third line and with Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino, there are the beginnings of good chemistry and a potential for depth scoring. The Ducks have not had that kind of depth in a long time and if it continues, it can only bode more good things for the team.
Bonino got the scoring going at 6:48 of the first period. Cory Hodgson tied up the game at 10:48. The rest of the way, Anaheim seemed to be in control.
The Ducks limited Vancouver to five shots on goal through the second period, although the Canucks made up for it in the third period. Jonas Hiller made 21 saves on the evening, not a particularly taxing one. Even more amazing was that no one named Sedin scored any points.
Bobby Ryan extended Anaheim's lead at 2:21 of the second period, just after a power play had expired.
Blake finally was rewarded with his first of the evening at 13:08 to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead. He then sealed the deal for his team with his second goal of the night at 12:40 of the third period.
Mason Raymond made it 4-2 at 17:04, but despite pulling Roberto Luongo, it was as close as the Canucks could come.
Blake could not have been happier at the outcome, considering the severity of his injury.
"They doctors did a hell of a job," Blake said. "Obviously the stage of my career and my age (38), it was tough. "You don't wish this on anyone. You wanted to go out there and participate and contribute and help the team and you had to sit by the sidelines. There were a lot of days it was frustrating."
Now Blake can get his frustrations out on the ice and help contribute to a team that struggled mightily for most of the season.
The Ducks are now back home for a game against Phoenix on Wednesday night. They will hope to continue earning points and if not digging themselves out of a hole, at least prevent themselves from sinking any further in it.
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Not bad for a team that could not string together more than a win every couple of weeks. Still not good enough to climb out of 29th in the NHL. But it certainly is progress.
The Ducks third line was huge in the defeat of Vancouver.
Jason Blake scored two goals and added an assist as well. Having missed the majority of the season with a lacerated forearm, he has clearly recovered well enough to be pitching in. Blake has now scored in two games in a row since returning the line up on January 4.
Blake had previously been with the second line alongside Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, but his injury forced a change to the line combinations. When Niklas Hagman was acquired, the second line eventually became an all Finn line.
After Blake's return, he was placed on the third line and with Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino, there are the beginnings of good chemistry and a potential for depth scoring. The Ducks have not had that kind of depth in a long time and if it continues, it can only bode more good things for the team.
Bonino got the scoring going at 6:48 of the first period. Cory Hodgson tied up the game at 10:48. The rest of the way, Anaheim seemed to be in control.
The Ducks limited Vancouver to five shots on goal through the second period, although the Canucks made up for it in the third period. Jonas Hiller made 21 saves on the evening, not a particularly taxing one. Even more amazing was that no one named Sedin scored any points.
Bobby Ryan extended Anaheim's lead at 2:21 of the second period, just after a power play had expired.
Blake finally was rewarded with his first of the evening at 13:08 to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead. He then sealed the deal for his team with his second goal of the night at 12:40 of the third period.
Mason Raymond made it 4-2 at 17:04, but despite pulling Roberto Luongo, it was as close as the Canucks could come.
Blake could not have been happier at the outcome, considering the severity of his injury.
"They doctors did a hell of a job," Blake said. "Obviously the stage of my career and my age (38), it was tough. "You don't wish this on anyone. You wanted to go out there and participate and contribute and help the team and you had to sit by the sidelines. There were a lot of days it was frustrating."
Now Blake can get his frustrations out on the ice and help contribute to a team that struggled mightily for most of the season.
The Ducks are now back home for a game against Phoenix on Wednesday night. They will hope to continue earning points and if not digging themselves out of a hole, at least prevent themselves from sinking any further in it.
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Apparently the Ducks arrived in Canada sooner than their offense. While they were unable to generate any goals in a 1-0 overtime loss to Calgary, the offense finally caught up with the team in Edmonton.
It was worth the wait.
Facing an Oilers team that has been burdened with injuries to young, productive players, the Ducks happily trounced on them with a 5-0 shut out.
The shut out was also Jonas Hiller's 100th NHL win, and a nice milestone for the netminder, who has had his struggles this season. Hiller made 33 saves in the performance.
"That probably means more than the shutout tonight," said Hiller of the win. "It's great to get up to 100 wins. I always said I don't want to just be here to be here -- I want to be part of the team and do what I can do. I think 100 wins definitely helps that."
Jason Blake got his first goal of the season at 8:00 in the first period. He missed the majority of the first three months with a lacerated arm. While his hand is still numb from the nerve damage, the rest of him felt pretty good at putting the puck in the net behind Nikolai Khabibulin.
Khabibulin was celebrating his 39th birthday, but the Bulin Wall he was not.
The other old man in the building, Teemu Selanne, made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 1:46 of the second period. Selanne became only the third person after age 35 to score more than 200 points. He makes it look easy.
When Bobby Ryan made it 3-0 at 10:54, coach Tom Renney had seen enough and Khabibulin got to sit down on the bench for the remainder of his birthday game. Devan Dubnyk stepped in.
Edmonton nearly got on the board after Selanne's goal, but the ref had a case of premature whistle. The puck did go in behind Hiller, who had not covered up the puck. However, because the ref lost sight of the puck and thought it was covered, there was no goal. To the Oilers credit, it should have been, and they had every right to be frustrated.
That was as close as Edmonton would come.
Corey Perry added two more goals to give him an even 20 on the season. The first came at 13:36 of the second and the next one at 17:18 of the third. Perry's second goal, on the power play, was originally credited to Selanne, but Perry managed to get a stick on it.
Ryan Getzlaf finished the evening with no goals, but assisted on four of the tallies, so not a bad evening for the captain, either.
"Points have been tough to come by for everybody," said Getzlaf. "The more scoring we can have in games like this, the better. It adds a little bit of confidence to our group. We've worked really hard and the numbers have shown it. We haven't allowed many goals against, and the wins have come. We have to go out there and outwork the opposition, and we've been doing that as of late."
The Ducks get to try to add more points on Sunday when they face the Vancouver Canucks, the final game of their Canadian jaunt. Anaheim has earned gone 4-0-1 in the past five games, earning nine out of ten possible points. Certainly something to build on.
Let's just hope that the offense in Edmonton gets on the plane with them to Vancouver.
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It was worth the wait.
Facing an Oilers team that has been burdened with injuries to young, productive players, the Ducks happily trounced on them with a 5-0 shut out.
The shut out was also Jonas Hiller's 100th NHL win, and a nice milestone for the netminder, who has had his struggles this season. Hiller made 33 saves in the performance.
"That probably means more than the shutout tonight," said Hiller of the win. "It's great to get up to 100 wins. I always said I don't want to just be here to be here -- I want to be part of the team and do what I can do. I think 100 wins definitely helps that."
Jason Blake got his first goal of the season at 8:00 in the first period. He missed the majority of the first three months with a lacerated arm. While his hand is still numb from the nerve damage, the rest of him felt pretty good at putting the puck in the net behind Nikolai Khabibulin.
Khabibulin was celebrating his 39th birthday, but the Bulin Wall he was not.
The other old man in the building, Teemu Selanne, made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 1:46 of the second period. Selanne became only the third person after age 35 to score more than 200 points. He makes it look easy.
When Bobby Ryan made it 3-0 at 10:54, coach Tom Renney had seen enough and Khabibulin got to sit down on the bench for the remainder of his birthday game. Devan Dubnyk stepped in.
Edmonton nearly got on the board after Selanne's goal, but the ref had a case of premature whistle. The puck did go in behind Hiller, who had not covered up the puck. However, because the ref lost sight of the puck and thought it was covered, there was no goal. To the Oilers credit, it should have been, and they had every right to be frustrated.
That was as close as Edmonton would come.
Corey Perry added two more goals to give him an even 20 on the season. The first came at 13:36 of the second and the next one at 17:18 of the third. Perry's second goal, on the power play, was originally credited to Selanne, but Perry managed to get a stick on it.
Ryan Getzlaf finished the evening with no goals, but assisted on four of the tallies, so not a bad evening for the captain, either.
"Points have been tough to come by for everybody," said Getzlaf. "The more scoring we can have in games like this, the better. It adds a little bit of confidence to our group. We've worked really hard and the numbers have shown it. We haven't allowed many goals against, and the wins have come. We have to go out there and outwork the opposition, and we've been doing that as of late."
The Ducks get to try to add more points on Sunday when they face the Vancouver Canucks, the final game of their Canadian jaunt. Anaheim has earned gone 4-0-1 in the past five games, earning nine out of ten possible points. Certainly something to build on.
Let's just hope that the offense in Edmonton gets on the plane with them to Vancouver.
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The Ducks were on a scoring and winning streak, having won three in a row and scoring 16 goals in the process. The game against the Calgary Flames did not highlight more offense. It highlighted goaltending.
Jonas Hiller, who came back after missing a game and a half with a lower body injury, was impressive in net for Anaheim, although he did not have many shots to face, especially the first two periods. Miikka Kiprusoff was equally impressive at his end, edging out Hiller by gaining the shut out.
It would be lovely to report all the scoring and highlights of the first three periods, but there were none. There were a couple close calls, however.
At 9:32 of the third period, Saku Koivu came this close to adding another goal to the bevy he scored on Tuesday night. The puck went through Kiprusoff's legs, but the goalie was able to cover it up before it crossed the goal line. At least that is what the review determined. It could have gone in. It might have stayed out.
"They went upstairs," said Koivu. "Someone said they didn't have a good view from up top because Kiprusoff's pad was on top of it. The puck was in the net, but did the puck cross the line afterwards? No one could really tell."
When you need "definitive" to make the call, it was no goal.
Corey Perry, who had a hat trick on Sunday, came close with 3:07 left in regulation. Kipper denied him, barely, but close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.
Perry could not settle for a game winning goal, but instead had to be happy at being named to the All Star Game earlier in the day. Teemu Selanne, the ageless wonder, was going to get the nod, but he conceded to the young 'uns and said the reigning MVP should be there instead. Selanne felt he'd been to more than enough of those things (he was All Star MVP one year).
The game did not need a shootout to decide the outcome, although that would have been ok. Instead, Blair Jones, newly acquired from Tampa Bay (January 6), got the game winner in overtime.
At 1:51, Jones recovered his own rebound and finished off the puck behind Hiller after the Flames took advantage of the Ducks, who were out of position.
The Ducks now head to Edmonton with a point, but still having difficulties on the road. The Oilers have been struggling for a while, winning only once in their last eight games. If Anaheim can take advantage, they can continue earning precious points. They would still be in 29th place in the NHL, but at least they would be digging themselves closer to 28th.
It's the little things in life.... no comments
Jonas Hiller, who came back after missing a game and a half with a lower body injury, was impressive in net for Anaheim, although he did not have many shots to face, especially the first two periods. Miikka Kiprusoff was equally impressive at his end, edging out Hiller by gaining the shut out.
It would be lovely to report all the scoring and highlights of the first three periods, but there were none. There were a couple close calls, however.
At 9:32 of the third period, Saku Koivu came this close to adding another goal to the bevy he scored on Tuesday night. The puck went through Kiprusoff's legs, but the goalie was able to cover it up before it crossed the goal line. At least that is what the review determined. It could have gone in. It might have stayed out.
"They went upstairs," said Koivu. "Someone said they didn't have a good view from up top because Kiprusoff's pad was on top of it. The puck was in the net, but did the puck cross the line afterwards? No one could really tell."
When you need "definitive" to make the call, it was no goal.
Corey Perry, who had a hat trick on Sunday, came close with 3:07 left in regulation. Kipper denied him, barely, but close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.
Perry could not settle for a game winning goal, but instead had to be happy at being named to the All Star Game earlier in the day. Teemu Selanne, the ageless wonder, was going to get the nod, but he conceded to the young 'uns and said the reigning MVP should be there instead. Selanne felt he'd been to more than enough of those things (he was All Star MVP one year).
The game did not need a shootout to decide the outcome, although that would have been ok. Instead, Blair Jones, newly acquired from Tampa Bay (January 6), got the game winner in overtime.
At 1:51, Jones recovered his own rebound and finished off the puck behind Hiller after the Flames took advantage of the Ducks, who were out of position.
The Ducks now head to Edmonton with a point, but still having difficulties on the road. The Oilers have been struggling for a while, winning only once in their last eight games. If Anaheim can take advantage, they can continue earning precious points. They would still be in 29th place in the NHL, but at least they would be digging themselves closer to 28th.
It's the little things in life.... no comments
Will the real Ducks please stand up?
With three wins in a row and about as many goals as hats falling to the ice, you have to wonder, where have these guys been? This is the team that should have been playing all along. Confident. Resilient.
At least they have finally shown up. There is still half a season left to be played. Granted, a 13-22-6 record that has the team 29th out of 30 in the NHL does not bode well for playoffs in the springtime. But if the Ducks continue to play well, winning more than losing, they can at least finish the season with their heads held high and dignity intact once again.
While wins over the New York Islanders (28th place) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (last place), are nothing to brag about, defeating Dallas 5-2, the first time this year, is definitive progress.
If the first two wins gave them confidence, this one should give them something to build on while going on a three game road trip to western Canada.
Getting 16 goals in three games, including two hat tricks in two games, feels like a breath of fresh air for a team that is still third lowest in goals for in the NHL. The ketchup is flowing.
Saku Koivu, who had his second career hat trick, summed up the changes to this formerly hapless Anaheim team.
"Right now the feeling in the room is different," said Koivu. "Even if, three weeks ago, we didn't win some games, there's been a lot of good things, and we've been able to build on those things. Little by little, it's been building and you can see that by our confidence."
Koivu got the ball rolling at 1:30 of the first period and Luca Sbisa helped the Ducks take a two goal lead at 9:22 of the second period.
The Stars would not remain dormant forever. Steve Ott, who had been rallying his team all game long, got rewarded with a goal at 1:39 of the third period. Alex Goligoski tied things up just 1:04 later.
What would normally be an "uh oh" moment.
"A month, six weeks ago, I think we would have been done," observed Koivu. (Heck a week or two ago....) "But now we were able to bounce back and got the third goal and then the fourth one, and those are huge goals and really brought the momentum back to our team."
That third one came from Koivu, but the work was all Teemu Selanne. Playing in his 1300th NHL game, Selanne got the puck and a burst of speed and blew by the defense to head in towards Kari Lehtonen. Drawing more defenders, Koivu was left open and finished things off at 9:32.
Matt Beleskey, who had not scored all season, made it 4-2 at 14:43. To say he was ecstatic after the goal would be an understatement. The last goal he had scored came April 17, 2011 during the playoffs. During the regular season? Nearly a year - January 15, 2011. He was overdue.
The piece de resistance was an empty net goal for Koivu at 19:06, unselfishly handed to him by Selanne. Those fans who lost hats the game before due to Corey Perry's hat trick, lost another one. Not one single person complained, including Selanne.
"There's no way I would take the shot myself," Selanne said. "I knew Saku had a chance to score a hat trick. I'm so happy for him. You don't see that very often. Usually, he's the passer."
Jeff Deslauriers, who was called up from Syracuse, due to injuries to both Jonas Hiller and Dan Ellis, got his first NHL start since April 11, 2010. Ironically, it was against the Ducks while he was still playing for Edmonton.
The Ducks now face the second half of the season on a positive note.
Let's keep it rolling, boys.
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With three wins in a row and about as many goals as hats falling to the ice, you have to wonder, where have these guys been? This is the team that should have been playing all along. Confident. Resilient.
At least they have finally shown up. There is still half a season left to be played. Granted, a 13-22-6 record that has the team 29th out of 30 in the NHL does not bode well for playoffs in the springtime. But if the Ducks continue to play well, winning more than losing, they can at least finish the season with their heads held high and dignity intact once again.
While wins over the New York Islanders (28th place) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (last place), are nothing to brag about, defeating Dallas 5-2, the first time this year, is definitive progress.
If the first two wins gave them confidence, this one should give them something to build on while going on a three game road trip to western Canada.
Getting 16 goals in three games, including two hat tricks in two games, feels like a breath of fresh air for a team that is still third lowest in goals for in the NHL. The ketchup is flowing.
Saku Koivu, who had his second career hat trick, summed up the changes to this formerly hapless Anaheim team.
"Right now the feeling in the room is different," said Koivu. "Even if, three weeks ago, we didn't win some games, there's been a lot of good things, and we've been able to build on those things. Little by little, it's been building and you can see that by our confidence."
Koivu got the ball rolling at 1:30 of the first period and Luca Sbisa helped the Ducks take a two goal lead at 9:22 of the second period.
The Stars would not remain dormant forever. Steve Ott, who had been rallying his team all game long, got rewarded with a goal at 1:39 of the third period. Alex Goligoski tied things up just 1:04 later.
What would normally be an "uh oh" moment.
"A month, six weeks ago, I think we would have been done," observed Koivu. (Heck a week or two ago....) "But now we were able to bounce back and got the third goal and then the fourth one, and those are huge goals and really brought the momentum back to our team."
That third one came from Koivu, but the work was all Teemu Selanne. Playing in his 1300th NHL game, Selanne got the puck and a burst of speed and blew by the defense to head in towards Kari Lehtonen. Drawing more defenders, Koivu was left open and finished things off at 9:32.
Matt Beleskey, who had not scored all season, made it 4-2 at 14:43. To say he was ecstatic after the goal would be an understatement. The last goal he had scored came April 17, 2011 during the playoffs. During the regular season? Nearly a year - January 15, 2011. He was overdue.
The piece de resistance was an empty net goal for Koivu at 19:06, unselfishly handed to him by Selanne. Those fans who lost hats the game before due to Corey Perry's hat trick, lost another one. Not one single person complained, including Selanne.
"There's no way I would take the shot myself," Selanne said. "I knew Saku had a chance to score a hat trick. I'm so happy for him. You don't see that very often. Usually, he's the passer."
Jeff Deslauriers, who was called up from Syracuse, due to injuries to both Jonas Hiller and Dan Ellis, got his first NHL start since April 11, 2010. Ironically, it was against the Ducks while he was still playing for Edmonton.
The Ducks now face the second half of the season on a positive note.
Let's keep it rolling, boys.
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JF Jacques is stuck in a permanently revolving door between Anaheim and Syracuse. He has made more trips between the NHL and AHL than one can count. This last call up to Anaheim could be his last.
Jacques was suspended for three games on Monday afternoon for an illegal hit to RJ Umberger's head on Sunday evening.
This was not Jacques first offense. He got five games in the pre-season as well for coming off the bench with the express purpose of starting a fight with Mike Duco of the Vancouver Canucks.
In response, the Ducks have sent Jacques back to Syracuse, where one can only hope he will stay for a long time. His penalty for hitting Umberger drew a five minute major penalty at the end of the third period that could have cost the Ducks the game. Coach Bruce Boudreau was not amused. Not the way to stop your frequent flyer miles.
Francois Beauchemin's hit on Jeff Carter during the same game was also reviewed, but no fines or suspensions were handed out in response. Carter suffered a separated shoulder in the hit.
Jonas Hiller, also injured in the Columbus game, remains day to day. Jeff Deslauriers was recalled from Syracuse in response. The Ducks will have the AHL tandem of Deslauriers and Iiro Tarkki to face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening.
The Syracuse to Anaheim express seems to be making daily trips. Late last week, defenseman Mark Fraser was put on waivers and reassigned to Syracuse. Kyle Cumiskey received the call up in his place.
Andrew Gordon was reassigned to Syracuse on Saturday after clearing waivers previously.
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Jacques was suspended for three games on Monday afternoon for an illegal hit to RJ Umberger's head on Sunday evening.
This was not Jacques first offense. He got five games in the pre-season as well for coming off the bench with the express purpose of starting a fight with Mike Duco of the Vancouver Canucks.
In response, the Ducks have sent Jacques back to Syracuse, where one can only hope he will stay for a long time. His penalty for hitting Umberger drew a five minute major penalty at the end of the third period that could have cost the Ducks the game. Coach Bruce Boudreau was not amused. Not the way to stop your frequent flyer miles.
Francois Beauchemin's hit on Jeff Carter during the same game was also reviewed, but no fines or suspensions were handed out in response. Carter suffered a separated shoulder in the hit.
Jonas Hiller, also injured in the Columbus game, remains day to day. Jeff Deslauriers was recalled from Syracuse in response. The Ducks will have the AHL tandem of Deslauriers and Iiro Tarkki to face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening.
The Syracuse to Anaheim express seems to be making daily trips. Late last week, defenseman Mark Fraser was put on waivers and reassigned to Syracuse. Kyle Cumiskey received the call up in his place.
Andrew Gordon was reassigned to Syracuse on Saturday after clearing waivers previously.
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The Ducks have won two games in a row. Normally, that should not be big news, but for Anaheim, it is significant. They have not put together more than one win at a time since October.
Do not burst my bubble of happiness by pointing out that the wins came against the third worst team in the NHL and the worst team in the NHL. For the Ducks (still second worst in the NHL), two wins are two wins.
The Blue Jackets played the day before, defeating the Kings 1-0. They decided to give Curtis Sanford a rest and put in Steve Mason, the former Calder award winner. After a 4-1 period, Mason was clearly not up to snuff and Sanford filled the net for the final two periods.
Andrew Cogliano got the ball rollling by converting a juicy rebound at 2:14. Corey Perry got the first goal of his fourth career hat trick at 13:02 by ringing the puck off the post and in.
Rick Nash got a flukey looking goal at 17:31 that pingponged off Francois Beauchemin and behind Jonas Hiller. That put Columbus in the game, but the Ducks were not done scoring in the period.
A power play goal from the power play king, Teemu Selanne, made it 3-1 at 18:24. It was Selanne's 650th goal and 242nd power play goal. Five more and he will be tied for fourth all time for power play goals. Seven more and he'll be tied for third all time.
Saku Koivu, wanting more than just a couple of assists, extended the Ducks lead to 4-1 at 18:59. Just seconds before Koivu scored, Hiller went to make a save on Nash and appeared to have overextended his leg. Good news, the Ducks scored. Bad news, Hiller went to the locker room with a "lower body injury." He is listed as day to day.
Instead of Dan Ellis taking over, it was Iiro Tarkki, a 26 year old Finn who had just arrived that morning from Syracuse. Tarkki was called up (along with J.F. Jacques and Kyle Palmieri) because Ellis injured his groin on Saturday during practice and will be out for four weeks.
Tarkki's first shot on goal came in the second period, and it was a rocket of a shot from Derick Brassard. Goal at 4:11. Not the way you want to make your NHL debut, but Tarkki recovered.
The Ducks got back the three goal lead at 18:24 with Perry's second of the evening. The tap in came while the Ducks had a 5 on 3 advantage. Hooters chicken wings, and breathing room to boot.
The third period got a little dicey. First Selanne added another goal to the growing list just :27 seconds in. Then it appeared that Perry got his hat trick :21 seconds later, but Beauchemin and Derek Dorsett who were fighting with each other at the other end. Both got a 10 minute misconduct and Perry's hat trick would have to wait.
The reason for the yelling and fighting was Dorsett being upset at Beauchemin's hit on Jeff Carter. Carter left the game and it was announced later that he had a separated shoulder. A disciplinary hearing was held by Sheriff Shanahan to look at what they deemed to be a blindside hit on Carter.
Nash took advantage of an ill timed turnover at 4:27 to make it 6-3. Vinny Prospal got credit for a goal that was Dorsett's work, but his stick never touched the puck. That brought the Blue Jackets back to within two at 14:06.
To make things more interesting Jacques decides to cream RJ Umberger on the next shift and earns a five minute major for doing so. As well as a two for one special with Shanahan and the NHL review board. Jacques has already served a five game suspension earlier in the year for a hit during the pre-season. Some people are slow learners.
Fortunately the penalty killers did their job and did not allow even a shot on goal during those final five minutes. With an empty net at the other end, finally Perry got his hat trick at 19:17, and the Ducks sealed the deal.
"It's been a long time," said Perry after the game. We got on 'em early and never looked back. Shoot the puck and good things are going to happen."
IN OTHER NOTES: Randy Carlyle watched the game from the pressbox. Perhaps he knew that Scott Arniel would need some sympathy after the game. The Blue Jackets fired Arniel as their coach, something Carlyle can understand.
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Do not burst my bubble of happiness by pointing out that the wins came against the third worst team in the NHL and the worst team in the NHL. For the Ducks (still second worst in the NHL), two wins are two wins.
The Blue Jackets played the day before, defeating the Kings 1-0. They decided to give Curtis Sanford a rest and put in Steve Mason, the former Calder award winner. After a 4-1 period, Mason was clearly not up to snuff and Sanford filled the net for the final two periods.
Andrew Cogliano got the ball rollling by converting a juicy rebound at 2:14. Corey Perry got the first goal of his fourth career hat trick at 13:02 by ringing the puck off the post and in.
Rick Nash got a flukey looking goal at 17:31 that pingponged off Francois Beauchemin and behind Jonas Hiller. That put Columbus in the game, but the Ducks were not done scoring in the period.
A power play goal from the power play king, Teemu Selanne, made it 3-1 at 18:24. It was Selanne's 650th goal and 242nd power play goal. Five more and he will be tied for fourth all time for power play goals. Seven more and he'll be tied for third all time.
Saku Koivu, wanting more than just a couple of assists, extended the Ducks lead to 4-1 at 18:59. Just seconds before Koivu scored, Hiller went to make a save on Nash and appeared to have overextended his leg. Good news, the Ducks scored. Bad news, Hiller went to the locker room with a "lower body injury." He is listed as day to day.
Instead of Dan Ellis taking over, it was Iiro Tarkki, a 26 year old Finn who had just arrived that morning from Syracuse. Tarkki was called up (along with J.F. Jacques and Kyle Palmieri) because Ellis injured his groin on Saturday during practice and will be out for four weeks.
Tarkki's first shot on goal came in the second period, and it was a rocket of a shot from Derick Brassard. Goal at 4:11. Not the way you want to make your NHL debut, but Tarkki recovered.
The Ducks got back the three goal lead at 18:24 with Perry's second of the evening. The tap in came while the Ducks had a 5 on 3 advantage. Hooters chicken wings, and breathing room to boot.
The third period got a little dicey. First Selanne added another goal to the growing list just :27 seconds in. Then it appeared that Perry got his hat trick :21 seconds later, but Beauchemin and Derek Dorsett who were fighting with each other at the other end. Both got a 10 minute misconduct and Perry's hat trick would have to wait.
The reason for the yelling and fighting was Dorsett being upset at Beauchemin's hit on Jeff Carter. Carter left the game and it was announced later that he had a separated shoulder. A disciplinary hearing was held by Sheriff Shanahan to look at what they deemed to be a blindside hit on Carter.
Nash took advantage of an ill timed turnover at 4:27 to make it 6-3. Vinny Prospal got credit for a goal that was Dorsett's work, but his stick never touched the puck. That brought the Blue Jackets back to within two at 14:06.
To make things more interesting Jacques decides to cream RJ Umberger on the next shift and earns a five minute major for doing so. As well as a two for one special with Shanahan and the NHL review board. Jacques has already served a five game suspension earlier in the year for a hit during the pre-season. Some people are slow learners.
Fortunately the penalty killers did their job and did not allow even a shot on goal during those final five minutes. With an empty net at the other end, finally Perry got his hat trick at 19:17, and the Ducks sealed the deal.
"It's been a long time," said Perry after the game. We got on 'em early and never looked back. Shoot the puck and good things are going to happen."
IN OTHER NOTES: Randy Carlyle watched the game from the pressbox. Perhaps he knew that Scott Arniel would need some sympathy after the game. The Blue Jackets fired Arniel as their coach, something Carlyle can understand.
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Winning sure feels good. Especially when wins are so few and far between for the Ducks.
It was a 4-2 defeat of the New York Islanders, second worst team in the Eastern Conference and third worst in the NHL. But a win is a win and the Ducks desperately needed one for their psyche.
After GM Bob Murray told the media that everyone on the team was for sale (except Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, who both have no trade clauses), apparently the guys got the message. Start playing to your abilities or start packing your bags for another city.
The "motivational" speech worked.
The Ducks might have started off the game against the Islanders flatter than a pancake, but they figured it out by the middle of the second period. Any other team, and they might have been sunk by then, but the Islanders did not look any sharper than the Ducks.
The sparse and sarcastic crowd applauded the first shot on goal by the Ducks, which did not come until 11 minutes into the first period. Never a good sign.
After a boring and scoreless first period, the Islanders decided to put a Duck in the net. Clearly the coach did not enunciate when he told his team to put a PUCK in the net.
The first penalty of the came did not come until after the midway point of the second. The Ducks had some good opportunities on the power play, but could not put one past Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov, who played for a long time in San Jose, certainly knows the Ducks well.
After the penalty expired, Nabokov could not prevent a juicy rebound that went straight to Bobby Ryan. Ryan, who was in front of the net, finished it off, giving the Ducks their first lead of the evening at 14:18.
Ryan was clearly pumped up and getting his teammates excited, too.
Too bad some of that momentum got sucked out.
Less than two minutes later, Jonas Hiller had a puck behind him lying on the goal line. Reaching behind him, instead of clearing the puck, he pushed it into his own net. File that under dumb things goalies should not do, but probably do at least once in their careers.
Matt Martin was credited with the goal at 16:04 and the game was tied once more.
In the third period, Kyle Okposo had a beautiful chance early on to give the Islanders a lead, but he whiffed on the pass that came to him. Good thing, because it would have gone in the gaping opening in the net as Hiller was caught out of position.
Okposo got his goal a little later at 6:20, putting the puck up and over Hiller's shoulder. Now the Islanders did have a 2-1 lead and with the way things have gone for Anaheim lately, that sinking feeling appeared.
With Francois Beauchemin in the penalty box for a tripping call he clearly disputed, it really seemed like things were turning New York's way. Instead, the Ducks held steady and had a turning point of their own.
Getting his second goal of the game, Ryan tied things up at 9:22 while shorthanded in a move that has already been discussed as "goal of the year" material. It was definitely a thing of beauty and Corey Perry's assist earned him his 400th NHL point.
After that, the Ducks played like a totally different team.
While 4 on 4 with two players in the penalty box, Ryan Getzlaf made it 3-2 at 12:25. Getzlaf had not scored in over a month. The relief on his face and high level of emotion upon scoring spoke volumes.
"You don't want to say it's a statement game (for Getzlaf) but it was," said Ryan. "It's nice to see him get rewarded because he's putting in the work, doing the right things and those are things that people don't see."
The old guy, Selanne, got the insurance marker at 17:06, making it 4-2. Nabokov left another juicy rebound available and when it comes off Selanne's stick, you know it is going to go in the net. Nabokov fell to the ice, clearly embarrassed and dismayed at his error. The Honda Center erupted.
Holding on for the win, the Ducks got a standing ovation and cheers. Too little opportunity for that this season.
"It's refreshing – we haven't heard our win song in a while," Ryan said. "It's two points and a starting point so hopefully we can string some things together here and move forward. It was definitely like a monkey off our back."
Another big monkey would be the ability to win two in a row. Seeing as Columbus comes to town on Sunday (the worst team in the NHL) and they will be playing the second of back to back games, there just might be a chance....
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It was a 4-2 defeat of the New York Islanders, second worst team in the Eastern Conference and third worst in the NHL. But a win is a win and the Ducks desperately needed one for their psyche.
After GM Bob Murray told the media that everyone on the team was for sale (except Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, who both have no trade clauses), apparently the guys got the message. Start playing to your abilities or start packing your bags for another city.
The "motivational" speech worked.
The Ducks might have started off the game against the Islanders flatter than a pancake, but they figured it out by the middle of the second period. Any other team, and they might have been sunk by then, but the Islanders did not look any sharper than the Ducks.
The sparse and sarcastic crowd applauded the first shot on goal by the Ducks, which did not come until 11 minutes into the first period. Never a good sign.
After a boring and scoreless first period, the Islanders decided to put a Duck in the net. Clearly the coach did not enunciate when he told his team to put a PUCK in the net.
The first penalty of the came did not come until after the midway point of the second. The Ducks had some good opportunities on the power play, but could not put one past Evgeni Nabokov. Nabokov, who played for a long time in San Jose, certainly knows the Ducks well.
After the penalty expired, Nabokov could not prevent a juicy rebound that went straight to Bobby Ryan. Ryan, who was in front of the net, finished it off, giving the Ducks their first lead of the evening at 14:18.
Ryan was clearly pumped up and getting his teammates excited, too.
Too bad some of that momentum got sucked out.
Less than two minutes later, Jonas Hiller had a puck behind him lying on the goal line. Reaching behind him, instead of clearing the puck, he pushed it into his own net. File that under dumb things goalies should not do, but probably do at least once in their careers.
Matt Martin was credited with the goal at 16:04 and the game was tied once more.
In the third period, Kyle Okposo had a beautiful chance early on to give the Islanders a lead, but he whiffed on the pass that came to him. Good thing, because it would have gone in the gaping opening in the net as Hiller was caught out of position.
Okposo got his goal a little later at 6:20, putting the puck up and over Hiller's shoulder. Now the Islanders did have a 2-1 lead and with the way things have gone for Anaheim lately, that sinking feeling appeared.
With Francois Beauchemin in the penalty box for a tripping call he clearly disputed, it really seemed like things were turning New York's way. Instead, the Ducks held steady and had a turning point of their own.
Getting his second goal of the game, Ryan tied things up at 9:22 while shorthanded in a move that has already been discussed as "goal of the year" material. It was definitely a thing of beauty and Corey Perry's assist earned him his 400th NHL point.
After that, the Ducks played like a totally different team.
While 4 on 4 with two players in the penalty box, Ryan Getzlaf made it 3-2 at 12:25. Getzlaf had not scored in over a month. The relief on his face and high level of emotion upon scoring spoke volumes.
"You don't want to say it's a statement game (for Getzlaf) but it was," said Ryan. "It's nice to see him get rewarded because he's putting in the work, doing the right things and those are things that people don't see."
The old guy, Selanne, got the insurance marker at 17:06, making it 4-2. Nabokov left another juicy rebound available and when it comes off Selanne's stick, you know it is going to go in the net. Nabokov fell to the ice, clearly embarrassed and dismayed at his error. The Honda Center erupted.
Holding on for the win, the Ducks got a standing ovation and cheers. Too little opportunity for that this season.
"It's refreshing – we haven't heard our win song in a while," Ryan said. "It's two points and a starting point so hopefully we can string some things together here and move forward. It was definitely like a monkey off our back."
Another big monkey would be the ability to win two in a row. Seeing as Columbus comes to town on Sunday (the worst team in the NHL) and they will be playing the second of back to back games, there just might be a chance....
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Three losses in three games to Anaheim. You knew the Sharks were not going to lose all six contests this season. Ducks fans could hope, but you knew San Jose was going to figure it out eventually.
San Jose figured it out on Wednesday night at the Honda Center in a 3-1 defeat of Anaheim.
Things started off as they have the past several games against the Sharks. The Ducks got out to an early lead and looked strong. Corey Perry's goal at 2:37 of the first period got the Ducks on the board and the hopes up of the crowd for a rare Anaheim victory.
They should have known they were in trouble when the Sharks outshot them 12-3 in the first. Sure, one of those three shots went in, but that kind of effort is only going to lead to trouble down the road.
Trouble did not happen until late in the second period, but :27 seconds was all it took to derail Anaheim and ensure that San Jose would get two points.
The Ducks had a great chance at making things 2-0, but Antti Niemi stopped Bobby Ryan cold. Ryan undressed three Sharks defenders, had a little spinorama move but was denied by the netminder.
Instead, on the next shift Brad Winchester, who spent a brief time in a Ducks uniform last season, put the puck off the pipe and in behind Jonas Hiller. OK, the game is tied. It isn't too bad.
Wrong.
Just :27 seconds later, at 16:50, Benn Ferreiro puts one in the net as well and the Sharks have a 2-1 lead. Same old story with a defeated Ducks team incapable of responding or believing they have any chance at all to recover.
"We realized it's very, very difficult to score on this guy," said Joe Thornton about Hiller, who has won the past five consecutive games against San Jose. "That first one by him got us some confidence. I don't know if it was 30 seconds after but we bang another one in. Huge momentum swing for us."
The Ducks came out better in the third period. They outshot San Jose and more than doubled their shots on goal in the first two periods combined.
The result of their efforts? Zip, zero, nada. Niemi stood strong, no matter what came his way. Apparently he has learned from the previous matches this season.
Joe Pavelski made it 3-1 at 12:43 and that all but sealed the deal for San Jose.
Ryan summed up the Ducks dilemma succinctly.
"There's just no resiliency. When they get the first one, obviously you get down, but that shift that follows up has to be the best shift of the game. It has to be the hardest working to not let the momentum swing in their direction. We went out and got outplayed in the shift after … It just continues to keep happening."
And it will continue to happen unless the Ducks finally figure it out. Chances of that happening seem to be fewer than those of a snowball's chance in hell.
GM Bob Murray has threatened to move every single player on the team not named Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. They have no trade clauses in their contracts or else they would have for sale stickers on their heads as well.
The question is, if you don't change virtually all the personnel, will it make any difference?
IN OTHER NOTES: Jason Blake returned to the line up after missing 34 games with a lacerated forearm. His last game? Against the Sharks. Andrew Gordon and Matt Smaby were put on waivers, with the intentions of sending them to Syracuse if they clear. Poor Gordon knows the AHL well. Coach Bruce Boudreau sent him there regularly. Looks like that hasn't changed.
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San Jose figured it out on Wednesday night at the Honda Center in a 3-1 defeat of Anaheim.
Things started off as they have the past several games against the Sharks. The Ducks got out to an early lead and looked strong. Corey Perry's goal at 2:37 of the first period got the Ducks on the board and the hopes up of the crowd for a rare Anaheim victory.
They should have known they were in trouble when the Sharks outshot them 12-3 in the first. Sure, one of those three shots went in, but that kind of effort is only going to lead to trouble down the road.
Trouble did not happen until late in the second period, but :27 seconds was all it took to derail Anaheim and ensure that San Jose would get two points.
The Ducks had a great chance at making things 2-0, but Antti Niemi stopped Bobby Ryan cold. Ryan undressed three Sharks defenders, had a little spinorama move but was denied by the netminder.
Instead, on the next shift Brad Winchester, who spent a brief time in a Ducks uniform last season, put the puck off the pipe and in behind Jonas Hiller. OK, the game is tied. It isn't too bad.
Wrong.
Just :27 seconds later, at 16:50, Benn Ferreiro puts one in the net as well and the Sharks have a 2-1 lead. Same old story with a defeated Ducks team incapable of responding or believing they have any chance at all to recover.
"We realized it's very, very difficult to score on this guy," said Joe Thornton about Hiller, who has won the past five consecutive games against San Jose. "That first one by him got us some confidence. I don't know if it was 30 seconds after but we bang another one in. Huge momentum swing for us."
The Ducks came out better in the third period. They outshot San Jose and more than doubled their shots on goal in the first two periods combined.
The result of their efforts? Zip, zero, nada. Niemi stood strong, no matter what came his way. Apparently he has learned from the previous matches this season.
Joe Pavelski made it 3-1 at 12:43 and that all but sealed the deal for San Jose.
Ryan summed up the Ducks dilemma succinctly.
"There's just no resiliency. When they get the first one, obviously you get down, but that shift that follows up has to be the best shift of the game. It has to be the hardest working to not let the momentum swing in their direction. We went out and got outplayed in the shift after … It just continues to keep happening."
And it will continue to happen unless the Ducks finally figure it out. Chances of that happening seem to be fewer than those of a snowball's chance in hell.
GM Bob Murray has threatened to move every single player on the team not named Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. They have no trade clauses in their contracts or else they would have for sale stickers on their heads as well.
The question is, if you don't change virtually all the personnel, will it make any difference?
IN OTHER NOTES: Jason Blake returned to the line up after missing 34 games with a lacerated forearm. His last game? Against the Sharks. Andrew Gordon and Matt Smaby were put on waivers, with the intentions of sending them to Syracuse if they clear. Poor Gordon knows the AHL well. Coach Bruce Boudreau sent him there regularly. Looks like that hasn't changed.
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The loss to Colorado on New Year's Eve seems like a long, long, time ago, even though it has only been a couple of days. So what transpires between that wishfully forgettable loss and Wednesday night's game against the San Jose Sharks? Plenty.
The Ducks sent JF Jacques back down to Syracuse. Again. By now Jacques knows all the airport personnel and flight attendants, and has the flight schedules memorized.
Kyle Palmieri, who had been sent to Syracuse last week, has earned AHL honors. Palmieri has been named to the AHL's all-star team for the second consecutive season.
Palmieri, 21, is tied for the AHL lead in goals with 19 and is second on the Syracuse Crunch in scoring with 29 points despite playing in just 21 games. He has played in seven games for the Ducks this season and scored a goal and an assist while up in Anaheim. The AHL All-Star game will take place January 30.
And in other news, a minor trade occurred between the Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It makes one wonder if GM Bob Murray has only three numbers in his phone - Toronto, Edmonto and New Jersey. Trading with anyone else seems out of the question. This time, the Ducks sent left wing Nicolas Deschamps to Toronto for another left wing Luca Caputi.
The Ducks now seem to have the market on hockey players named Luca, as they once owned the hockey players named Ryan franchise. Caputi, 23, has played in 35 NHL games. He was sidelined for most of last season with a sports hernia. Both players merely make an AHL switcheroo.
The only other tidbit of Anaheim news was the controversial suggestion by Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register, who suggested that perhaps it would be time to trade captain Ryan Getzlaf. Granted, Getzlaf has not been having a stellar year, but outside of Teemu Selanne, no one in a Ducks uniform is doing well. Not even Wild Wing.
Positing a Getzlaf trade really does not address the cause of Anaheim's woes and only changes the deck chair on the Titanic. Unless you blow up the entire team and start from scratch, which just does not happen in the hockey world, things will not change. There is too much talent on this team for them to suck as bad as they do. And as long as Murray is calling the shots, I am not sure I have confidence that anything will change for the better if there are major deals being made. What ails the Ducks is far greater than any single player or even coach.
Unless the core of the problem is addressed, you will merely be dealing with symptoms and the problems will continue on, just with a new face.
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The Ducks sent JF Jacques back down to Syracuse. Again. By now Jacques knows all the airport personnel and flight attendants, and has the flight schedules memorized.
Kyle Palmieri, who had been sent to Syracuse last week, has earned AHL honors. Palmieri has been named to the AHL's all-star team for the second consecutive season.
Palmieri, 21, is tied for the AHL lead in goals with 19 and is second on the Syracuse Crunch in scoring with 29 points despite playing in just 21 games. He has played in seven games for the Ducks this season and scored a goal and an assist while up in Anaheim. The AHL All-Star game will take place January 30.
And in other news, a minor trade occurred between the Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It makes one wonder if GM Bob Murray has only three numbers in his phone - Toronto, Edmonto and New Jersey. Trading with anyone else seems out of the question. This time, the Ducks sent left wing Nicolas Deschamps to Toronto for another left wing Luca Caputi.
The Ducks now seem to have the market on hockey players named Luca, as they once owned the hockey players named Ryan franchise. Caputi, 23, has played in 35 NHL games. He was sidelined for most of last season with a sports hernia. Both players merely make an AHL switcheroo.
The only other tidbit of Anaheim news was the controversial suggestion by Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register, who suggested that perhaps it would be time to trade captain Ryan Getzlaf. Granted, Getzlaf has not been having a stellar year, but outside of Teemu Selanne, no one in a Ducks uniform is doing well. Not even Wild Wing.
Positing a Getzlaf trade really does not address the cause of Anaheim's woes and only changes the deck chair on the Titanic. Unless you blow up the entire team and start from scratch, which just does not happen in the hockey world, things will not change. There is too much talent on this team for them to suck as bad as they do. And as long as Murray is calling the shots, I am not sure I have confidence that anything will change for the better if there are major deals being made. What ails the Ducks is far greater than any single player or even coach.
Unless the core of the problem is addressed, you will merely be dealing with symptoms and the problems will continue on, just with a new face.
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Welcome back Jiggy! Too bad you were not in net for Anaheim. If so, the Ducks might have had a better chance at getting a win.
Instead Jean-Sebastien Giguere helped the Colorado Avalanche secure a 4-2 victory over his former team.
Giguere was traded away to Toronto on January 31, 2010, nearly two years ago. He has since meandered to Colorado where he has thrived in a back up goaltender position. A .927 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average shows that whatever he is doing, it's working.
His former team? Not so much.
Someone jokingly suggested that Jonas Hiller should be wearing the number 4 instead of a 1 on his back, because 4 is how many goals he lets in every game. Ouch. It seems to be an accurate assessment, however.
The team in front of Hiller? They sure aren't helping things out any.
The Ducks came out onto the ice looking like they already had done their New Year's Eve celebrations instead of anticipating them. They were sluggish, lifeless and seemed to excel in turnovers only. They could not even manage to muster a shot on goal until more than midway through the first period. OK, technically there was a doozy that rang off the pipe, but that was it.
Colorado, who did not start off looking that great, either, still managed to get their act together.
After a very nice video tribute to Giguere during a TV timeout, the Avs thought it would be nice to honor Giguere as well with a goal.
Milan Hejduk got his 10th of the year at 6:35 and the Avs never gave the lead up.
"It's definitely a special night for him," said Hejduk of his netminder. "He's done so many great things for this franchise, and they didn't forget about it. ... We're a confident group right now, and we're trying to keep it up."
Colorado came out in the second period with a vengeance and in two shifts, the 1-0 lead extended to 3-0. First came Kyle Quincey's goal at 5:49. Chuck Kobasew followed it up at 7:05 and the Ducks felt that same sinking feeling they have had too much of this season.
Coach Bruce Boudreau called a timeout for his team.
"It was looking like at that moment they felt defeated," said Boudreau. "I said 'I'm tired of building you guys up. It's about time you manned up and played the game instead of feeling sorry for yourselves.'"
I am sure there were a few expletives thrown in there as well for emphasis, and the Ducks deserved every one.
All was not completely grim for Anaheim. Lubomir Visnovsky got his shot through from the blue line at 12:26 of the second period to eliminate a shut out for Giguere.
Hejduk's second of the game at 1:49 of the third period, a power play goal, gave the Avs their three goal lead back again.
Bobby Ryan's marker at 12:38 came after the majority of Ducks fans had already exited the building, eager to leave the scene of some criminally bad hockey as early as possible. You cannot blame them. Poor folks are paying money for this stuff. It IS criminal.
And so it goes. Another Ducks loss, despite the return of Saku Koivu in the line up after missing several games with a groin strain. Poor Boudreau. The team has lost 10 of 13 games since his arrival in November.
"I don't know what kind of mind-set they were in before I got here, but they were down becuase of the position they were in," Boudreau observed. " I'm surprised it hasn't turned around a little bit. There's that hill that we can't get over."
It is nearly halfway through the season and Ducks fans can hardly wait until April when all this will be over. They shoot horses, don't they, to put them out of their misery?
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Instead Jean-Sebastien Giguere helped the Colorado Avalanche secure a 4-2 victory over his former team.
Giguere was traded away to Toronto on January 31, 2010, nearly two years ago. He has since meandered to Colorado where he has thrived in a back up goaltender position. A .927 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average shows that whatever he is doing, it's working.
His former team? Not so much.
Someone jokingly suggested that Jonas Hiller should be wearing the number 4 instead of a 1 on his back, because 4 is how many goals he lets in every game. Ouch. It seems to be an accurate assessment, however.
The team in front of Hiller? They sure aren't helping things out any.
The Ducks came out onto the ice looking like they already had done their New Year's Eve celebrations instead of anticipating them. They were sluggish, lifeless and seemed to excel in turnovers only. They could not even manage to muster a shot on goal until more than midway through the first period. OK, technically there was a doozy that rang off the pipe, but that was it.
Colorado, who did not start off looking that great, either, still managed to get their act together.
After a very nice video tribute to Giguere during a TV timeout, the Avs thought it would be nice to honor Giguere as well with a goal.
Milan Hejduk got his 10th of the year at 6:35 and the Avs never gave the lead up.
"It's definitely a special night for him," said Hejduk of his netminder. "He's done so many great things for this franchise, and they didn't forget about it. ... We're a confident group right now, and we're trying to keep it up."
Colorado came out in the second period with a vengeance and in two shifts, the 1-0 lead extended to 3-0. First came Kyle Quincey's goal at 5:49. Chuck Kobasew followed it up at 7:05 and the Ducks felt that same sinking feeling they have had too much of this season.
Coach Bruce Boudreau called a timeout for his team.
"It was looking like at that moment they felt defeated," said Boudreau. "I said 'I'm tired of building you guys up. It's about time you manned up and played the game instead of feeling sorry for yourselves.'"
I am sure there were a few expletives thrown in there as well for emphasis, and the Ducks deserved every one.
All was not completely grim for Anaheim. Lubomir Visnovsky got his shot through from the blue line at 12:26 of the second period to eliminate a shut out for Giguere.
Hejduk's second of the game at 1:49 of the third period, a power play goal, gave the Avs their three goal lead back again.
Bobby Ryan's marker at 12:38 came after the majority of Ducks fans had already exited the building, eager to leave the scene of some criminally bad hockey as early as possible. You cannot blame them. Poor folks are paying money for this stuff. It IS criminal.
And so it goes. Another Ducks loss, despite the return of Saku Koivu in the line up after missing several games with a groin strain. Poor Boudreau. The team has lost 10 of 13 games since his arrival in November.
"I don't know what kind of mind-set they were in before I got here, but they were down becuase of the position they were in," Boudreau observed. " I'm surprised it hasn't turned around a little bit. There's that hill that we can't get over."
It is nearly halfway through the season and Ducks fans can hardly wait until April when all this will be over. They shoot horses, don't they, to put them out of their misery?
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