On The Duck Pond - An Anaheim Ducks blog
Another day, another Ducks loss. You get your hopes up that after one good win that the team can maybe pull it together for two in a row. Then your hopes get dashed on the rocks and you go back to your reality of expecting losses. Being a Ducks fan is not an easy thing these days.
Anaheim finally won a game on the road, their first in two months, and then they come home and lay an egg in front of the home crowd against Vancouver.
OK, maybe Ducks fans were not technically the home crowd, because southern California at any time during the hockey season seems really appealing for Vancouver fans. They also appeared to outnumber the locals, again, at the Honda Center.
Traveling Canuck lovers were not disappointed by their team's performance.
"Every time we scored, you could hear it," said goaltender Cory Schneider, who was in net in place of the usual Roberto Luongo. "It felt like a home game at times."
They scored plenty of times in their 5-2 victory over the Ducks.
Henrik Sedin got things started at 1:11. It was a personal present from Toni Lydman and a sign that things were not going to go well.
Cory Hodgson ended the period with a late goal at 18:29 to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Instead of the Ducks turning things around on the scoreboard in the second period, Vancouver merely extended their lead.
Mason Raymond made it 3-0 at 3:28 and Daniel Sedin took another personal gift from the Ducks and made it 4-0 at 7:59.
At that point coach Bruce Boudreau had had enough. Bye bye to Jonas Hiller, hello Dan Ellis.
"A lot of times when teams score two goals really quickly, the goalie starts thinking about the previous goal," Boudreau said. "Then all of a sudden another one goes in before they can get their head back into it."
Clearly Hiller's head was not into it. A common theme this year for the netminder who has a .899 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average. Hiller is number one in one category, however. Losses, with 15 of them. Not where you want to be number one.
Ellis fared far better in net, stopping 14 of 15 shots, and in my personal opinion, should start the game against Colorado on New Year's Eve. At the very least Ellis gave his teammates a chance to get back into the game.
Schneider, however, did his best to keep the Ducks out of it, stopping 30 of 32 shots on goal, including one from Bobby Ryan that narrowly missed crossing the line.
Ryan was finally rewarded for his efforts at 6:11 of the third period, thanks to an amazing (or is it really?) pass from Teemu Selanne.
Nick Bonino narrowed the scoring gap at 14:24, giving the Ducks a little hope.
The Canucks happily dashed them as the Daniel Sedin got his second of the game at 16:02 in a textbook play.
The positives out of this one were that the Ducks were much better disciplined, not giving up a power play to Vancouver until midway through the third period. It was their only trip to the penalty box. On the other hand, the Ducks were able to force the Canucks into several errors and had six power play opportunities.
Had the Ducks been able to convert on those chances, they might have had a better chance at getting a point out of the game.
Instead, the Ducks head into their final game of 2011 (if only it were the final game of the thus far miserable 2011-2012 season) on New Year's Eve. They get to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere in net for the Colorado Avalanche. Chances are exceptionally good that Jiggy will receive a warm welcome from the crowd in his first visit back to Anaheim since being traded away to Toronto in January 2010.
It will probably be the only warm and fuzzy feeling that Ducks fans will have all evening, but it is better than nothing.
IN OTHER NOTES: Kyle Palmieri was sent back to Syracuse, as was Mark Fraser, who went on a conditioning assignment. Saku Koivu remains out with a groin strain, although he is nearing his return. Jason Blake is also getting closer and is ahead of schedule with recovery from sliced tendons in his wrist.
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Anaheim finally won a game on the road, their first in two months, and then they come home and lay an egg in front of the home crowd against Vancouver.
OK, maybe Ducks fans were not technically the home crowd, because southern California at any time during the hockey season seems really appealing for Vancouver fans. They also appeared to outnumber the locals, again, at the Honda Center.
Traveling Canuck lovers were not disappointed by their team's performance.
"Every time we scored, you could hear it," said goaltender Cory Schneider, who was in net in place of the usual Roberto Luongo. "It felt like a home game at times."
They scored plenty of times in their 5-2 victory over the Ducks.
Henrik Sedin got things started at 1:11. It was a personal present from Toni Lydman and a sign that things were not going to go well.
Cory Hodgson ended the period with a late goal at 18:29 to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Instead of the Ducks turning things around on the scoreboard in the second period, Vancouver merely extended their lead.
Mason Raymond made it 3-0 at 3:28 and Daniel Sedin took another personal gift from the Ducks and made it 4-0 at 7:59.
At that point coach Bruce Boudreau had had enough. Bye bye to Jonas Hiller, hello Dan Ellis.
"A lot of times when teams score two goals really quickly, the goalie starts thinking about the previous goal," Boudreau said. "Then all of a sudden another one goes in before they can get their head back into it."
Clearly Hiller's head was not into it. A common theme this year for the netminder who has a .899 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average. Hiller is number one in one category, however. Losses, with 15 of them. Not where you want to be number one.
Ellis fared far better in net, stopping 14 of 15 shots, and in my personal opinion, should start the game against Colorado on New Year's Eve. At the very least Ellis gave his teammates a chance to get back into the game.
Schneider, however, did his best to keep the Ducks out of it, stopping 30 of 32 shots on goal, including one from Bobby Ryan that narrowly missed crossing the line.
Ryan was finally rewarded for his efforts at 6:11 of the third period, thanks to an amazing (or is it really?) pass from Teemu Selanne.
Nick Bonino narrowed the scoring gap at 14:24, giving the Ducks a little hope.
The Canucks happily dashed them as the Daniel Sedin got his second of the game at 16:02 in a textbook play.
The positives out of this one were that the Ducks were much better disciplined, not giving up a power play to Vancouver until midway through the third period. It was their only trip to the penalty box. On the other hand, the Ducks were able to force the Canucks into several errors and had six power play opportunities.
Had the Ducks been able to convert on those chances, they might have had a better chance at getting a point out of the game.
Instead, the Ducks head into their final game of 2011 (if only it were the final game of the thus far miserable 2011-2012 season) on New Year's Eve. They get to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere in net for the Colorado Avalanche. Chances are exceptionally good that Jiggy will receive a warm welcome from the crowd in his first visit back to Anaheim since being traded away to Toronto in January 2010.
It will probably be the only warm and fuzzy feeling that Ducks fans will have all evening, but it is better than nothing.
IN OTHER NOTES: Kyle Palmieri was sent back to Syracuse, as was Mark Fraser, who went on a conditioning assignment. Saku Koivu remains out with a groin strain, although he is nearing his return. Jason Blake is also getting closer and is ahead of schedule with recovery from sliced tendons in his wrist.
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A victory for the Ducks? On the road? Against the San Jose Sharks?
Thank you Santa!
It had been two long months without a road win (the last being October 27 against the Minnesota Wild). But a 3-2 victory ended that long nightmare. It also was win #10 on the season, finally, which leaves Columbus as the only team still in single digits in the win column.
On the other hand, three of those ten victories are against the Sharks. There are only three more games against San Jose. The Ducks are going to have to figure out how to win against other teams as well.
The Ducks started out well and got on the board first. Luca Sbisa got his first goal of the year at 2:27. George Parros got the puck back to Sbisa at the blue line. Sbisa ripped it past Antti Niemi, who seemed to be caught off guard by the shot.
1-0 Ducks and a promising beginning. The Ducks have had promising starts before, only to turn around and get on the losing side of things. In this one, they stayed neck and neck with San Jose.
The Sharks tied up the game late in the first period. Joe Pavelski put a puck past Jonas Hiller at 19:33. That eliminated the chance that the Ducks could go to the locker room with a rare lead.
San Jose came out with a vengeance in the second period and played virtually the first four minutes in Anaheim's end. One turnover by Joe Thornton spoiled the Sharks momentum. Bobby Ryan stole the puck and took off down the ice towards Niemi, unimpeded by anyone in a teal blue uniform. Ryan neatly roofed the puck behind Niemi, giving the Ducks the lead once more.
"There were a couple of bad turnovers," Thornton observed after the game. "Mine in the second was pretty bad. Those kinds of things are going to cost you games. You hear it all the time. It's a 3-2 League and we just couldn't get the third goal.
Jamie McGinn knotted up the game at 2-2 with a goal at 7:13. Hiller had no chance, but the Ducks persisted, despite being outshot by San Jose 38 - 23. Andrew Cogliano, taking a nice pass from Matt Beleskey, gave Anaheim the lead for the third and final time at 12:46.
San Jose threw everything they had at Hiller in the third period, but Hiller stood firm. Even with the goaltender pulled and a 6 on 4 opportunity due to a late power play chance, the Sharks could not force the game into overtime.
For whatever reason, the Ducks have not had difficulty with San Jose this year. If only they could have that success against other teams.
“It’s nice to get one on the road, finally, because we were long overdue,” said Ryan. “It’s been a long time. Obviously it’s frustrating. We had some road trips that we just fell apart on. Had leads and blew. It’s tough when you don’t feel good about yourself going into every building. Hopefully this is a jump start and something moving forward."
Moving forward would be getting two wins in a row. Something the Ducks have not accomplished since the beginning of the season. Vancouver? Thursday?
IN OTHER NOTES: Devante Smith-Pelly, loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors, blocked a shot with his foot in the first game of the tournament and will be out 4 - 6 weeks with a broken metatarsal bone. Jean-Francois Jacques was recalled (again) from Syracuse and had good chemistry with Parros on the fourth line.
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Thank you Santa!
It had been two long months without a road win (the last being October 27 against the Minnesota Wild). But a 3-2 victory ended that long nightmare. It also was win #10 on the season, finally, which leaves Columbus as the only team still in single digits in the win column.
On the other hand, three of those ten victories are against the Sharks. There are only three more games against San Jose. The Ducks are going to have to figure out how to win against other teams as well.
The Ducks started out well and got on the board first. Luca Sbisa got his first goal of the year at 2:27. George Parros got the puck back to Sbisa at the blue line. Sbisa ripped it past Antti Niemi, who seemed to be caught off guard by the shot.
1-0 Ducks and a promising beginning. The Ducks have had promising starts before, only to turn around and get on the losing side of things. In this one, they stayed neck and neck with San Jose.
The Sharks tied up the game late in the first period. Joe Pavelski put a puck past Jonas Hiller at 19:33. That eliminated the chance that the Ducks could go to the locker room with a rare lead.
San Jose came out with a vengeance in the second period and played virtually the first four minutes in Anaheim's end. One turnover by Joe Thornton spoiled the Sharks momentum. Bobby Ryan stole the puck and took off down the ice towards Niemi, unimpeded by anyone in a teal blue uniform. Ryan neatly roofed the puck behind Niemi, giving the Ducks the lead once more.
"There were a couple of bad turnovers," Thornton observed after the game. "Mine in the second was pretty bad. Those kinds of things are going to cost you games. You hear it all the time. It's a 3-2 League and we just couldn't get the third goal.
Jamie McGinn knotted up the game at 2-2 with a goal at 7:13. Hiller had no chance, but the Ducks persisted, despite being outshot by San Jose 38 - 23. Andrew Cogliano, taking a nice pass from Matt Beleskey, gave Anaheim the lead for the third and final time at 12:46.
San Jose threw everything they had at Hiller in the third period, but Hiller stood firm. Even with the goaltender pulled and a 6 on 4 opportunity due to a late power play chance, the Sharks could not force the game into overtime.
For whatever reason, the Ducks have not had difficulty with San Jose this year. If only they could have that success against other teams.
“It’s nice to get one on the road, finally, because we were long overdue,” said Ryan. “It’s been a long time. Obviously it’s frustrating. We had some road trips that we just fell apart on. Had leads and blew. It’s tough when you don’t feel good about yourself going into every building. Hopefully this is a jump start and something moving forward."
Moving forward would be getting two wins in a row. Something the Ducks have not accomplished since the beginning of the season. Vancouver? Thursday?
IN OTHER NOTES: Devante Smith-Pelly, loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors, blocked a shot with his foot in the first game of the tournament and will be out 4 - 6 weeks with a broken metatarsal bone. Jean-Francois Jacques was recalled (again) from Syracuse and had good chemistry with Parros on the fourth line.
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Forgive me if some of these game recaps sound like they have been copied and pasted, but it would be much nicer if the Ducks could provide some new material. Instead, they continue to provide more of the same.
A 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday was frustrating in that the Ducks managed to erase a three goal deficit, but still could not do enough to take a lead and get that elusive 10th win.
A Thursday game against the Los Angeles Kings, who had new coach Darryl Sutter behind the bench for the first time, did not end up significantly better, although it did yield a point in the 3-2 shootout loss. A win? On the road? You would have to go back to October 27 if you want one of those.
Neither team produced any goals in the first period. It appeared to be headed that way in the second period as well until Niklas Hagman tipped in Lubomir Visnovsky's shot from the blue line at 13:55. Seeing as the Ducks have not had a lead in a while, it was a positive sign.
That joy did not last long. The Kings tied up the game at 16:17 with a goal from Mike Richards. Richards had been sidelined for eight games with a concussion suffered on December 1.
The Kings took the lead for the first time in the third period with a goal from Dustin Brown at 8:02 and did not appear to be in any hurry to hand it back again.
The Ducks did persevere and Visnovsky brought the teams even once more with 3:11 remaining to play. Perhaps they could have taken the lead back if they had managed more than five shots on goal in the period.
Jonas Hiller did his best to preserve the tie and prevent the Kings from walking away with both the points in regulation. As a result of his efforts, the Ducks earned a point going to the extra period.
Both teams failed to convert on power play opportunities in the five minute overtime, although the Kings only had :29 seconds before time ran out. A shootout it must be then.
Jonathan Quick could not stop Corey Perry's shot, but was able to get a piece of Teemu Selanne's and Kyle Palmieri's and keep them out of the net.
Hiller could not stop Jarret Stoll's rocket, but did prevent Anze Kopitar from putting the puck in the net. Brown ended up with the game winner by putting the puck past Hiller. Palmieri, who was denied by Quick, would have sent the game to further shootout rounds.
Still no 10th win on the season and it just feels like a bit old piece of coal in Ducks fans stockings. That is assuming the Ducks still have fans at this point.
Selanne did not get a point in the game after having points in the previous nine. That is a record for old guys 41 or over. Still creating records. Still scoring. Still playing with 100% effort. Too bad that cannot be said for the rest of his teammates.
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A 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday was frustrating in that the Ducks managed to erase a three goal deficit, but still could not do enough to take a lead and get that elusive 10th win.
A Thursday game against the Los Angeles Kings, who had new coach Darryl Sutter behind the bench for the first time, did not end up significantly better, although it did yield a point in the 3-2 shootout loss. A win? On the road? You would have to go back to October 27 if you want one of those.
Neither team produced any goals in the first period. It appeared to be headed that way in the second period as well until Niklas Hagman tipped in Lubomir Visnovsky's shot from the blue line at 13:55. Seeing as the Ducks have not had a lead in a while, it was a positive sign.
That joy did not last long. The Kings tied up the game at 16:17 with a goal from Mike Richards. Richards had been sidelined for eight games with a concussion suffered on December 1.
The Kings took the lead for the first time in the third period with a goal from Dustin Brown at 8:02 and did not appear to be in any hurry to hand it back again.
The Ducks did persevere and Visnovsky brought the teams even once more with 3:11 remaining to play. Perhaps they could have taken the lead back if they had managed more than five shots on goal in the period.
Jonas Hiller did his best to preserve the tie and prevent the Kings from walking away with both the points in regulation. As a result of his efforts, the Ducks earned a point going to the extra period.
Both teams failed to convert on power play opportunities in the five minute overtime, although the Kings only had :29 seconds before time ran out. A shootout it must be then.
Jonathan Quick could not stop Corey Perry's shot, but was able to get a piece of Teemu Selanne's and Kyle Palmieri's and keep them out of the net.
Hiller could not stop Jarret Stoll's rocket, but did prevent Anze Kopitar from putting the puck in the net. Brown ended up with the game winner by putting the puck past Hiller. Palmieri, who was denied by Quick, would have sent the game to further shootout rounds.
Still no 10th win on the season and it just feels like a bit old piece of coal in Ducks fans stockings. That is assuming the Ducks still have fans at this point.
Selanne did not get a point in the game after having points in the previous nine. That is a record for old guys 41 or over. Still creating records. Still scoring. Still playing with 100% effort. Too bad that cannot be said for the rest of his teammates.
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Opening the season in his native Helsinki, Finland, was probably a nice inducement for Teemu Selanne to play one more year. Going back to Winnipeg, where he started his NHL career in 1992, was additional icing on the cake.
The date was hyped ever since the 2011-2012 schedule came out and Selanne's return did not disappoint Jets fans. Ducks fans, however, were left less satisfied in the 5-3 defeat.
News conferences and a media hubbub noteworthy even by crazed Canadian hockey standards surrounded Selanne for weeks before he actually stepped foot in Winnipeg. His reception by Jets fans, the majority wearing Selanne jerseys, was even louder, if possible, than the one the met him in Helsinki.
"It was unbelievable," Selanne said after the game. "I didn't really know what to expect. It was something I could never imagine, it was so special. This is a dream come true to come back and play here one more time."
The warm greeting was not extended to Selanne's teammates and the Jets, while happy to see Selanne, were also happy to defeat the Ducks in an energetic and enjoyable game.
Kyle Wellwood put the Jets on the board at 4:54 and at 6:19 Blake Wheeler added a power play goal to make it 2-0. The Ducks were not particularly happy at that point, and it certainly added a sour note to the video tribute played during the first television timeout.
In a rare move, KDOC, which aired the game locally in Orange County, stayed with the video tribute and did not add to their advertising revenue. It was a nice gesture. Considering the technical difficulties they had broadcasting the remainder of the game, it was the least they could do. Cutting in and out, especially in the final minute of the game having no picture or sound, was frustrating, to say the least.
Although the Ducks were frustrated at their slow start, they did come back to tie up the game. Niklas Hagman put the Ducks on the board, tipping in Selanne's shot at 14:34.
Corey Perry evened things up at 18:26, giving Anaheim a glimmer of hope for the outcome of the game to be positive.
Alexander Burmistrov, just back in the line up after coming off an injury, squashed the Ducks hopes for further rallying. Just :31 seconds into the second period, Burmistrov made it 3-2 and Winnipeg had the lead once more. They never gave it up.
Perry might have tied up the game again midway through the period, but the puck was never clearly over the line. Goaltender Chris Mason had to reach around behind him and laid down on the puck. The Ducks were convinced it went in and crossed the line. The referees were not nearly as certain and ruled it no goal. As the puck was under Mason, there was no way to determine if it was across the goal line or not and the no goal ruling stayed.
Andrew Ladd's goal at 18:20 proved to be the game winner, although it was somewhat controversial. Nik Antropov wiped out Dan Ellis before Ladd put the puck in the net. No interference was called and the goal stood.
In the third period, the Ducks came out determined tie things up. Bobby Ryan had three shots on goal in the first 90 seconds alone, but Mason stood firm, stopping everything.
Then at 2:50, Zach Bogosian scored right off the draw, and made it 5-2.
Selanne got his second assist of the night on a power play goal at 10:26. Perry got his second of the evening, but that was all the Ducks could muster.
Pulling Elis did not help to shrink the gap in the score any further and the Ducks got to leave Winnipeg with another check mark in the loss column.
After all of Saturday's games, only the Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets have fewer than 10 wins. Heading to Dallas to play the Stars on Monday night is not likely to yield a win for Anaheim either, but then again, you never know.
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The date was hyped ever since the 2011-2012 schedule came out and Selanne's return did not disappoint Jets fans. Ducks fans, however, were left less satisfied in the 5-3 defeat.
News conferences and a media hubbub noteworthy even by crazed Canadian hockey standards surrounded Selanne for weeks before he actually stepped foot in Winnipeg. His reception by Jets fans, the majority wearing Selanne jerseys, was even louder, if possible, than the one the met him in Helsinki.
"It was unbelievable," Selanne said after the game. "I didn't really know what to expect. It was something I could never imagine, it was so special. This is a dream come true to come back and play here one more time."
The warm greeting was not extended to Selanne's teammates and the Jets, while happy to see Selanne, were also happy to defeat the Ducks in an energetic and enjoyable game.
Kyle Wellwood put the Jets on the board at 4:54 and at 6:19 Blake Wheeler added a power play goal to make it 2-0. The Ducks were not particularly happy at that point, and it certainly added a sour note to the video tribute played during the first television timeout.
In a rare move, KDOC, which aired the game locally in Orange County, stayed with the video tribute and did not add to their advertising revenue. It was a nice gesture. Considering the technical difficulties they had broadcasting the remainder of the game, it was the least they could do. Cutting in and out, especially in the final minute of the game having no picture or sound, was frustrating, to say the least.
Although the Ducks were frustrated at their slow start, they did come back to tie up the game. Niklas Hagman put the Ducks on the board, tipping in Selanne's shot at 14:34.
Corey Perry evened things up at 18:26, giving Anaheim a glimmer of hope for the outcome of the game to be positive.
Alexander Burmistrov, just back in the line up after coming off an injury, squashed the Ducks hopes for further rallying. Just :31 seconds into the second period, Burmistrov made it 3-2 and Winnipeg had the lead once more. They never gave it up.
Perry might have tied up the game again midway through the period, but the puck was never clearly over the line. Goaltender Chris Mason had to reach around behind him and laid down on the puck. The Ducks were convinced it went in and crossed the line. The referees were not nearly as certain and ruled it no goal. As the puck was under Mason, there was no way to determine if it was across the goal line or not and the no goal ruling stayed.
Andrew Ladd's goal at 18:20 proved to be the game winner, although it was somewhat controversial. Nik Antropov wiped out Dan Ellis before Ladd put the puck in the net. No interference was called and the goal stood.
In the third period, the Ducks came out determined tie things up. Bobby Ryan had three shots on goal in the first 90 seconds alone, but Mason stood firm, stopping everything.
Then at 2:50, Zach Bogosian scored right off the draw, and made it 5-2.
Selanne got his second assist of the night on a power play goal at 10:26. Perry got his second of the evening, but that was all the Ducks could muster.
Pulling Elis did not help to shrink the gap in the score any further and the Ducks got to leave Winnipeg with another check mark in the loss column.
After all of Saturday's games, only the Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets have fewer than 10 wins. Heading to Dallas to play the Stars on Monday night is not likely to yield a win for Anaheim either, but then again, you never know.
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At this point in the season, it is not a good sign when your team still has fewer than 10 wins. It means you are going to be in the running in June for a great draft pick position. With a 4-1 loss to Chicago added to the growing list, the Ducks still can't reach double digits in the win column.
Only three teams are in the battle for last place in the NHL and all of them have 9 wins - Columbus, Anaheim and the New York Islanders. Which of these three will be the last to get to 10?
After having put together their best game of the year on Wednesday against Phoenix, the Ducks followed it up with a so-so effort against Chicago.
Jamal Mayers took advantage of Jonas Hiller in the first period. Hiller had lost sight of the puck, but Mayers did not. 1-0 at 6:37. Marian Hossa extended the lead at 1:07 of the second period.
Dave Bolland seemed destined for a goal. His first was deemed "no goal" by the referees as well as the review committee in Toronto, who believed Hiller had been interfered with before the puck crossed the line. Looking at the video, even if Hiller had not been interfered with, he could not have stopped it.
Nonetheless, Bolland got sweet justice on a power play later in the middle period. With Ryan Getzlaf in the box for holding, Bolland made quick work of the man advantage, needing just :19 seconds to score at 17:19.
By the time the game was 4-0 (Patrick Sharp placed the final dagger in the coffin at 10:18 of the third period), coach Bruce Boudreau starting relying more heavily on his fourth line. Talk about a clear indication the game was lost and let's not fatigue ourselves before heading to Winnipeg!
Ray Emery, whom the Ducks faced for the first time since letting him go as a free agent over the summer, deserved the shutout. Emery, who is supposed to be Corey Crawford's back up, has played exceptionally win, getting five wins in a row for the Hawks.
Teemu Selanne, perhaps thinking about what he wants to do in Winnipeg, put the Ducks on the board at 18:13. Too little, too late, but a good warm up for Saturday's game.
"I'll just take the win, that's good," said Emery, who made 24 saves and earned an assist on Bolland's goal. "It's fun playing for sure. I don't take anything for granted and you never know how things are going to go. If you expect something and you're not willing to work for it, you don't get it. I'm taking it one game at a time and every time I get in there I just want to do my best."
The Ducks have very little time to contemplate the loss. The hubbub surrounding Selanne's return to Winnipeg has been happening for weeks. Winnipeg was where he had his NHL start and an astounding rookie season that will likely never be surpassed. After being traded to Anaheim in February of 1996, Selanne has never been back. Until now.
What a great time to finally get that 10th win?
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Only three teams are in the battle for last place in the NHL and all of them have 9 wins - Columbus, Anaheim and the New York Islanders. Which of these three will be the last to get to 10?
After having put together their best game of the year on Wednesday against Phoenix, the Ducks followed it up with a so-so effort against Chicago.
Jamal Mayers took advantage of Jonas Hiller in the first period. Hiller had lost sight of the puck, but Mayers did not. 1-0 at 6:37. Marian Hossa extended the lead at 1:07 of the second period.
Dave Bolland seemed destined for a goal. His first was deemed "no goal" by the referees as well as the review committee in Toronto, who believed Hiller had been interfered with before the puck crossed the line. Looking at the video, even if Hiller had not been interfered with, he could not have stopped it.
Nonetheless, Bolland got sweet justice on a power play later in the middle period. With Ryan Getzlaf in the box for holding, Bolland made quick work of the man advantage, needing just :19 seconds to score at 17:19.
By the time the game was 4-0 (Patrick Sharp placed the final dagger in the coffin at 10:18 of the third period), coach Bruce Boudreau starting relying more heavily on his fourth line. Talk about a clear indication the game was lost and let's not fatigue ourselves before heading to Winnipeg!
Ray Emery, whom the Ducks faced for the first time since letting him go as a free agent over the summer, deserved the shutout. Emery, who is supposed to be Corey Crawford's back up, has played exceptionally win, getting five wins in a row for the Hawks.
Teemu Selanne, perhaps thinking about what he wants to do in Winnipeg, put the Ducks on the board at 18:13. Too little, too late, but a good warm up for Saturday's game.
"I'll just take the win, that's good," said Emery, who made 24 saves and earned an assist on Bolland's goal. "It's fun playing for sure. I don't take anything for granted and you never know how things are going to go. If you expect something and you're not willing to work for it, you don't get it. I'm taking it one game at a time and every time I get in there I just want to do my best."
The Ducks have very little time to contemplate the loss. The hubbub surrounding Selanne's return to Winnipeg has been happening for weeks. Winnipeg was where he had his NHL start and an astounding rookie season that will likely never be surpassed. After being traded to Anaheim in February of 1996, Selanne has never been back. Until now.
What a great time to finally get that 10th win?
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In a poor season, you have to celebrate the little things that go right. For the Ducks, a solid 60 minute effort that produced a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes is something worth celebrating.
The Ducks seemed to have a little extra jump in their step. Perhaps getting Lubomir Visnovsky back from a broken finger that caused him to miss 13 games.
"It felt like my first game this season," said Visnovsky, who earned an assist in his first game back. "I was a little bit nervous the first shift. The first power play I felt much better. Every shift I was more confident with the puck."
Coach Bruce Boudreau noticed the difference with Visnovsky in the line-up.
"You could tell he was sorely missed," Boudreau said. "You look at the team's record when he was out (2-9-2). He's a dynamic player. When he's in, it gives you another advantage. You don't have to play Cam (Fowler) 26 minutes."
Perhaps it was the new guy, Rod Pelley, getting a new chance with a new team.
Pelley, who was just acquired from New Jersey on Monday, got the spark going early on in his Ducks debut. The centerman neatly escaped from Adrian Aucoin's efforts to keep him at bay and he went in for a point blank shot on Mike Smith. Smith did not have a chance. 1-0 Ducks at 15:48.
It was Pelley's first of the year, and for a guy who only gets a goal about once every 30 games or so, it was a nice way to say "Hello Anaheim!"
“It was a big relief for me to get one early like that,” said Pelley after the game. “As the game went on, it almost sunk in more that I was able to contribute to the team winning the game. It was really nice to get that one, for sure.”
Perhaps it was Kyle Palmieri, recently recalled from Syracuse for the first time this season, who wanted to stay longer than a game or two. Palmieri got goal number four of the game early in the third period.
Perhaps it was the fact that the Ducks started the day in dead last in the NHL.
Whatever the motivation or the reasons, the victory was extremely satisfying. And it bumped them out of 30th place. For now. It was not a win where they barely held on. It was a got the lead and held it, secondary scoring kind of game.
The Coyotes have had the Ducks number this season, mainly number one, Jonas Hiller. They have chased him from net and had no problem putting the puck behind him. Not this time. Only one made it past Hiller, and that was Martin Hanzal on the power play at 7:31 of the second period.
The Ducks earned a power play goal of their own thanks to Niklas Hagman at 1:07 of the second period. He bookended the middle frame with his second of the game at 18:56. It was his first multi goal game since April 2010.
Going into the third period with a 3-1 lead was positive progress, but gaining a 4-1 lead with a goal from Palmieri just after another power play for the Ducks expired at 3:30.
From there on out, you could not tell if the sparse midweek crowd was more excited at the prospect of getting a win, possibly going to Hooters with five goals, or to see a Finnish guy get a hat trick. (No, not Teemu Selanne, who earned an assist on Hagman's first goal. The point put him in sole possession of 23rd all time on the scoring list with 1,370 points.)
Hagman, the other Finn, had a couple of great opportunities to get the second hat trick of his career, but could not capitalize on them.
After the game, he was pleased with his performance and his chemistry with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He was also happy that the two goals he narrowly missed scoring were not goals that the Ducks needed to have in order to win.
"As a line, in practice, we tried to find each other a little bit better, and I felt today a couple of times we found each other well," said Hagman. "I've known all the time that I can score goals and that I can play. It's nice to get a little bit of a reward."
Nice.
That was exactly how it felt to watch the Anaheim Ducks win.
Now if they can take this show on the road and prove this was not a fluke....
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The Ducks seemed to have a little extra jump in their step. Perhaps getting Lubomir Visnovsky back from a broken finger that caused him to miss 13 games.
"It felt like my first game this season," said Visnovsky, who earned an assist in his first game back. "I was a little bit nervous the first shift. The first power play I felt much better. Every shift I was more confident with the puck."
Coach Bruce Boudreau noticed the difference with Visnovsky in the line-up.
"You could tell he was sorely missed," Boudreau said. "You look at the team's record when he was out (2-9-2). He's a dynamic player. When he's in, it gives you another advantage. You don't have to play Cam (Fowler) 26 minutes."
Perhaps it was the new guy, Rod Pelley, getting a new chance with a new team.
Pelley, who was just acquired from New Jersey on Monday, got the spark going early on in his Ducks debut. The centerman neatly escaped from Adrian Aucoin's efforts to keep him at bay and he went in for a point blank shot on Mike Smith. Smith did not have a chance. 1-0 Ducks at 15:48.
It was Pelley's first of the year, and for a guy who only gets a goal about once every 30 games or so, it was a nice way to say "Hello Anaheim!"
“It was a big relief for me to get one early like that,” said Pelley after the game. “As the game went on, it almost sunk in more that I was able to contribute to the team winning the game. It was really nice to get that one, for sure.”
Perhaps it was Kyle Palmieri, recently recalled from Syracuse for the first time this season, who wanted to stay longer than a game or two. Palmieri got goal number four of the game early in the third period.
Perhaps it was the fact that the Ducks started the day in dead last in the NHL.
Whatever the motivation or the reasons, the victory was extremely satisfying. And it bumped them out of 30th place. For now. It was not a win where they barely held on. It was a got the lead and held it, secondary scoring kind of game.
The Coyotes have had the Ducks number this season, mainly number one, Jonas Hiller. They have chased him from net and had no problem putting the puck behind him. Not this time. Only one made it past Hiller, and that was Martin Hanzal on the power play at 7:31 of the second period.
The Ducks earned a power play goal of their own thanks to Niklas Hagman at 1:07 of the second period. He bookended the middle frame with his second of the game at 18:56. It was his first multi goal game since April 2010.
Going into the third period with a 3-1 lead was positive progress, but gaining a 4-1 lead with a goal from Palmieri just after another power play for the Ducks expired at 3:30.
From there on out, you could not tell if the sparse midweek crowd was more excited at the prospect of getting a win, possibly going to Hooters with five goals, or to see a Finnish guy get a hat trick. (No, not Teemu Selanne, who earned an assist on Hagman's first goal. The point put him in sole possession of 23rd all time on the scoring list with 1,370 points.)
Hagman, the other Finn, had a couple of great opportunities to get the second hat trick of his career, but could not capitalize on them.
After the game, he was pleased with his performance and his chemistry with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He was also happy that the two goals he narrowly missed scoring were not goals that the Ducks needed to have in order to win.
"As a line, in practice, we tried to find each other a little bit better, and I felt today a couple of times we found each other well," said Hagman. "I've known all the time that I can score goals and that I can play. It's nice to get a little bit of a reward."
Nice.
That was exactly how it felt to watch the Anaheim Ducks win.
Now if they can take this show on the road and prove this was not a fluke....
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Just because there are no Ducks games until Wednesday does not mean that Anaheim is spending time sleeping.
In a move that should come as no surprise, the Ducks traded away defenseman Kurtis Foster and minor league goaltender Timo Pielmeier to the New Jersey Devils. Foster had spent a good chunk of time as a healthy scratch after recovering from surgery to remove a wire from his thigh. The quirky injury prevented Foster from participating in training camp and once recovered, he never really made a solid impression, playing in only nine games for Anaheim.
The Ducks had recalled Nate Guenin from Syracuse and Guenin has been getting the ice time since. With Lubomir Visnovsky getting ready to come back from having broken his finger, Foster was becoming more and more obsolete. Not to mention expensive with a $1.8 million contract.
“It wasn’t going to work out,” said GM Bob Murray. “Vish is coming back. It was just time to move him on and [he can] get an opportunity. "
Pielmeier was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Nick Bonino in a trade that sent Kent Huskins and Travis Moen up north in 2009. Pielmeier had much promise, but has never seemed to develop that talent.
In exchange, the Ducks get center Rod Pelley and defenseman Mark Fraser. They also receive a 7th round selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
In other news: Jean Francois Jacques added more frequent flyer miles when he was sent back to Syracuse.
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In a move that should come as no surprise, the Ducks traded away defenseman Kurtis Foster and minor league goaltender Timo Pielmeier to the New Jersey Devils. Foster had spent a good chunk of time as a healthy scratch after recovering from surgery to remove a wire from his thigh. The quirky injury prevented Foster from participating in training camp and once recovered, he never really made a solid impression, playing in only nine games for Anaheim.
The Ducks had recalled Nate Guenin from Syracuse and Guenin has been getting the ice time since. With Lubomir Visnovsky getting ready to come back from having broken his finger, Foster was becoming more and more obsolete. Not to mention expensive with a $1.8 million contract.
“It wasn’t going to work out,” said GM Bob Murray. “Vish is coming back. It was just time to move him on and [he can] get an opportunity. "
Pielmeier was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Nick Bonino in a trade that sent Kent Huskins and Travis Moen up north in 2009. Pielmeier had much promise, but has never seemed to develop that talent.
In exchange, the Ducks get center Rod Pelley and defenseman Mark Fraser. They also receive a 7th round selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Pelley, 27, has appeared in 211 career NHL games with New Jersey. He is bound to cause some confusion on the ice when Devante Smith-Pelly is playing, and broadcasters and announcers can only hope they aren't on the same line.
"He’s an intelligent centerman who can bring some energy to our group intelligently,” was Murray's assessment.
Fraser, 25, has played 98 career NHL contests with the Devils. Neither Fraser nor Pelley have scored this year and both are pretty inexpensive with $550,000 contracts.In other news: Jean Francois Jacques added more frequent flyer miles when he was sent back to Syracuse.
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Jordin Tootoo returned to the Nashville Predators line up after serving a two game suspension for running Buffalo Sabres goaltender, Ryan Miller. The Ducks wished he'd had at least one more game.
Tootoo, who had a goal and an assist, got the eventual game winner in a 3-2 loss for Anaheim. The goal came at 5:25 of the third period.
"After he came to the bench I said that was a (heck) of a move," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "That's how you score in the League. You take that step and he popped it in. If there's a defender on his back, he would've had to cut to the front of the net, but you can't change his game. I asked him not to change his game. Just stay on his game."
Tootoo's game is to be an annoying pest and get under the opposing team's skin. It is something he excels at and the Ducks have been short circuited by Tootoo before. The game on Saturday evening was no different.
Brandon McMillan, who was recalled from Syracuse along with Kyle Palmieri, fell hook, line and sinker into Tootoo's antics. McMillan's retaliatory action against Tootoo landed him in the penalty. With the Ducks shorthanded, rookie Roman Josi got his first NHL goal on the ensuing power play.
Prior to that, the game was tied, with a goal for the Ducks from Andrew Gordon :38 seconds into the second period and Nick Spaling evening things up at 12:03.
Josi's go ahead goal and Tootoo's marker meant the Ducks had another two goal deficit to make up. Again.
Francois Beauchemin brought them within one at 13:24. Teemu Selanne got the assist, his 900th point in a Ducks uniform. 900 points in the NHL is a respectable number for any player. Selanne has a total of 1,369. With more to come, for sure.
More would not come for Anaheim.
Although the Ducks pulled Dan Ellis, who got a rare start in net against his former team, the Ducks could not capitalize on their chances and get anything else past Pekke Rinne.
The clock ran out and game over.
The Ducks now return home and have a couple days of practice before playing again on Wednesday against Phoenix.
Hopefully that will be enough time for Saku Koivu to heal up. He was out with a "lower body injury" (safe to say it is not a concussion or shoulder injury). Koivu was injured during the game against St. Louis.
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Tootoo, who had a goal and an assist, got the eventual game winner in a 3-2 loss for Anaheim. The goal came at 5:25 of the third period.
"After he came to the bench I said that was a (heck) of a move," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "That's how you score in the League. You take that step and he popped it in. If there's a defender on his back, he would've had to cut to the front of the net, but you can't change his game. I asked him not to change his game. Just stay on his game."
Tootoo's game is to be an annoying pest and get under the opposing team's skin. It is something he excels at and the Ducks have been short circuited by Tootoo before. The game on Saturday evening was no different.
Brandon McMillan, who was recalled from Syracuse along with Kyle Palmieri, fell hook, line and sinker into Tootoo's antics. McMillan's retaliatory action against Tootoo landed him in the penalty. With the Ducks shorthanded, rookie Roman Josi got his first NHL goal on the ensuing power play.
Prior to that, the game was tied, with a goal for the Ducks from Andrew Gordon :38 seconds into the second period and Nick Spaling evening things up at 12:03.
Josi's go ahead goal and Tootoo's marker meant the Ducks had another two goal deficit to make up. Again.
Francois Beauchemin brought them within one at 13:24. Teemu Selanne got the assist, his 900th point in a Ducks uniform. 900 points in the NHL is a respectable number for any player. Selanne has a total of 1,369. With more to come, for sure.
More would not come for Anaheim.
Although the Ducks pulled Dan Ellis, who got a rare start in net against his former team, the Ducks could not capitalize on their chances and get anything else past Pekke Rinne.
The clock ran out and game over.
The Ducks now return home and have a couple days of practice before playing again on Wednesday against Phoenix.
Hopefully that will be enough time for Saku Koivu to heal up. He was out with a "lower body injury" (safe to say it is not a concussion or shoulder injury). Koivu was injured during the game against St. Louis.
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The Ducks were back on the road after a win against the Kings on Tuesday. Although they kept some of the positive momentum going, they were unable to get a second win in a row against the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis grabbed the lead and refused to give it back in their 4-2 victory.
"We played a pretty good game," said Selanne. "The difference was we had a couple more mistakes than they had. That's a hot team right there and they made less mistakes than we did."
Overall, it was a much better game. That is something the team can certainly build upon as they move forward.
On the other hand (or as Selanne is fond of saying, on the same hand), a loss is a loss. And the Ducks have plenty of those to their credit this season.
A mistake by Jonas Hiller led to the first goal from Chris Porter at 9:19 of the first period. Hiller thought he had the puck covered on the initial shot. He did not. Porter happily put it in the net to give St. Louis their first lead of the night.
Bobby Ryan, who is finally heating up this season, scored his 10th of the season at 14:31 to tie up the game. Selanne forced a turnover behind the net and Ryan was all alone in front of Jaroslav Halak.
Ian Cole put the Blues ahead at 7:39 of the second period. It was Cole's first of the year and only the second of his career. Cole was not even certain if he would be in the line up that evening, when Kevin Shattenkirk was a late scratch due to the flu.
"I was preparing like I was going to play no matter what," said Cole. "If it didn't happen, it didn't happen, but luckily it did and I came out and had a great game."
TJ Oshie took advantage of a bad turnover by the Ducks to make it 3-1 at 18:15 and the Blues never looked back.
Anaheim, to their credit, did not hang their heads or give up. They kept pressing, kept working, and got rewarded for early in the third period.
Devante Smith-Pelly, who will be loaned to team Canada for the World Junior Championships at the end of this month, scored goal number three of his young career at 3:17.
The Ducks kept sniffing for another goal to tie up the game, but Halak was superb, making several great saves on shots that should have gone in the net.
"In the third period, we had some golden chances," coach Bruce Boudreau praised. "When you get some golden chances, you've got to put those in. You see that we never quit. Our team's got a lot of heart."
An empty net at the end of the period led to the usual empty net goal by the opposition. Oshie got his second of the game at 19:14 and that was the end of that.
Nonetheless, the Ducks can take their hard work and improving attitudes with them to Nashville on Saturday. So far Nashville has owned the Ducks this season. Time for Anaheim to change that.
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"We played a pretty good game," said Selanne. "The difference was we had a couple more mistakes than they had. That's a hot team right there and they made less mistakes than we did."
Overall, it was a much better game. That is something the team can certainly build upon as they move forward.
On the other hand (or as Selanne is fond of saying, on the same hand), a loss is a loss. And the Ducks have plenty of those to their credit this season.
A mistake by Jonas Hiller led to the first goal from Chris Porter at 9:19 of the first period. Hiller thought he had the puck covered on the initial shot. He did not. Porter happily put it in the net to give St. Louis their first lead of the night.
Bobby Ryan, who is finally heating up this season, scored his 10th of the season at 14:31 to tie up the game. Selanne forced a turnover behind the net and Ryan was all alone in front of Jaroslav Halak.
Ian Cole put the Blues ahead at 7:39 of the second period. It was Cole's first of the year and only the second of his career. Cole was not even certain if he would be in the line up that evening, when Kevin Shattenkirk was a late scratch due to the flu.
"I was preparing like I was going to play no matter what," said Cole. "If it didn't happen, it didn't happen, but luckily it did and I came out and had a great game."
TJ Oshie took advantage of a bad turnover by the Ducks to make it 3-1 at 18:15 and the Blues never looked back.
Anaheim, to their credit, did not hang their heads or give up. They kept pressing, kept working, and got rewarded for early in the third period.
Devante Smith-Pelly, who will be loaned to team Canada for the World Junior Championships at the end of this month, scored goal number three of his young career at 3:17.
The Ducks kept sniffing for another goal to tie up the game, but Halak was superb, making several great saves on shots that should have gone in the net.
"In the third period, we had some golden chances," coach Bruce Boudreau praised. "When you get some golden chances, you've got to put those in. You see that we never quit. Our team's got a lot of heart."
An empty net at the end of the period led to the usual empty net goal by the opposition. Oshie got his second of the game at 19:14 and that was the end of that.
Nonetheless, the Ducks can take their hard work and improving attitudes with them to Nashville on Saturday. So far Nashville has owned the Ducks this season. Time for Anaheim to change that.
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It took a couple games, but the Ducks finally gave their new coach a win. That it came in a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings made it feel even sweeter.
Instead of self imploding when things went wrong, the Ducks played a solid game and were rewarded for their hard work. Hopefully, their confidence will also get a boost and they can continue to build on the positives.
Bobby Ryan put the Ducks on the board thanks, in part, to Jonathan Quick. The Kings goaltender was out of position after making a failed play. Teemu Selanne got the puck and Ryan finished it off while on his back at 7:59 of the first period.
Corey Perry made it 2-0 at 17:37, looking more and more like his Hart trophy winning self. He did not look well early in the second period when he crashed awkwardly to the ice and to add insult to injury, Dustin Penner gave him a cross check for good measure. After a very brief time in the locker room, Perry came back out
The Ducks continued their strong efforts in the second period, but Slava Voynov put the Kings on the board at 19:44. Fortunately the period ended quickly and the Ducks had a break to make sure their focus was where it was supposed to be.
A strange bounce off a stanchion tied up the game at 8:50 of the third period. The puck bounced strangely, right to Dustin Penner, who shot it over to Justin Williams. Jonas Hiller had no chance.
"It was a bad luck play," said Hiller. "Those things happen. I thought we didn’t panic after that. We played solid and created our chances. We worked really hard. If you work hard, you are going to get bounces. That is what we got on that third goal."
The third goal came as regulation was winding down. Winning the faceoff in the Kings zone, Ryan did it again with his second goal of the game. With only :49 seconds remaining, the Ducks got a huge boost and fans were ecstatic. No one wanted this to go to overtime or a shootout.
"Had it gone the other way after another lead like that, I was a little worried about it," said coach Bruce Boudreau. "We got a lucky break [on the Ryan goal], but they got a lucky break [on the Williams goal]. So, it sort of evened out."
And in the end, the Ducks got two points and a win over the Kings.
They can take that momentum on the road, where they will be for the next two games in St. Louis and Nashville and hopefully start putting together more check marks in the win column.
As Boudreau said, it's not the Stanley Cup, but it's a start.
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Instead of self imploding when things went wrong, the Ducks played a solid game and were rewarded for their hard work. Hopefully, their confidence will also get a boost and they can continue to build on the positives.
Bobby Ryan put the Ducks on the board thanks, in part, to Jonathan Quick. The Kings goaltender was out of position after making a failed play. Teemu Selanne got the puck and Ryan finished it off while on his back at 7:59 of the first period.
Corey Perry made it 2-0 at 17:37, looking more and more like his Hart trophy winning self. He did not look well early in the second period when he crashed awkwardly to the ice and to add insult to injury, Dustin Penner gave him a cross check for good measure. After a very brief time in the locker room, Perry came back out
The Ducks continued their strong efforts in the second period, but Slava Voynov put the Kings on the board at 19:44. Fortunately the period ended quickly and the Ducks had a break to make sure their focus was where it was supposed to be.
A strange bounce off a stanchion tied up the game at 8:50 of the third period. The puck bounced strangely, right to Dustin Penner, who shot it over to Justin Williams. Jonas Hiller had no chance.
"It was a bad luck play," said Hiller. "Those things happen. I thought we didn’t panic after that. We played solid and created our chances. We worked really hard. If you work hard, you are going to get bounces. That is what we got on that third goal."
The third goal came as regulation was winding down. Winning the faceoff in the Kings zone, Ryan did it again with his second goal of the game. With only :49 seconds remaining, the Ducks got a huge boost and fans were ecstatic. No one wanted this to go to overtime or a shootout.
"Had it gone the other way after another lead like that, I was a little worried about it," said coach Bruce Boudreau. "We got a lucky break [on the Ryan goal], but they got a lucky break [on the Williams goal]. So, it sort of evened out."
And in the end, the Ducks got two points and a win over the Kings.
They can take that momentum on the road, where they will be for the next two games in St. Louis and Nashville and hopefully start putting together more check marks in the win column.
As Boudreau said, it's not the Stanley Cup, but it's a start.
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