After losing the first two road games, the Ducks finally got a road win with a 3-2 victory over Edmonton on Friday night.   The Ducks are now 12-20-5 on the road this season, so winning one out of three is about average.

It is also part of the reason why the Ducks are not in playoff contention for the first time since 2004, prior to the lockout.    You have to win more than 1 in 3 to be a contender.

Knowing that they were out of it, although not yet mathematically eliminated, the Ducks decided to give the youngsters a look, with a view towards next season.

Curtis McElhinney got his first start in goal, giving Jonas Hiller the first night off in 20 consecutive games.  McElhinney made 34 saves for the win and performed well for the team.

Nick Bonino, a Boston College standout who was signed last week, got his first taste of the NHL.  He got to play part of the time on the top line with Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan.  Ryan Getzlaf, who re-tweaked his ankle in the previous game, did not play and could use some time off to fully heal his injury.  Bonino, a center, played 13:39 in his debut, and was 57% in the face off circle.  If he had any nerves, they didn't show and he didn't make any glaring errors.

Veterans Todd Marchant and Jason Blake got to take a seat in the pressbox so that Ryan Carter and George Parros could get back in the line-up.  Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson, recalled before the road trip, took the place of Brett Festerling.

Perhaps playing more relaxed with the pressure of making the playoffs clearly off their shoulders, the Ducks managed to get it done.   Parros scored a rare goal, with a helper from Carter, at 8:18 of the first period.

Edmonton tied up the game at 5:52 with a goal from Gilbert Brule and the game remained tied until the third period.

The third period kept the officials busy with penalties and a few misconducts, including one by former Duck, Ryan Whitney, at the end of the game.  That led to several power play opportunities, including a 5 on 3 that the Ducks capitalized on.

Perry got the first one at 12:30, and :08 seconds before the second penalty could expire, he did it again to make it 3-1.  Teemu Selanne got assists on both of Perry's goals, giving him the sole possession of 56^th all time on the assists list with 652 assists, passing up Brett Hull.

Edmonton pulled Jeff Deslauriers for the extra attacker and with a 5 on 3 of their own, it became a 6 on 3.  Then it became 3-2, with Marc Pouliot scoring with :20 seconds left.

Luckily the Ducks held on for the win, with Scott Niedermayer making the final clear and allowing a sigh of relief.

Next up is the Dallas Stars on Monday, another team that has struggled this year and will also miss the playoffs.  Prior to the game, Selanne will be honored for goal #600 and Jari Kurri, sitting with 601 goals, will fly in from Finland for the ceremony.

Perhaps Selanne will score #601 and #602 in front of Kurri?  At this point, it's all that Ducks fans have left to look forward to.

After a year without a dedicated AHL affiliate, the Anaheim Ducks have finally found a home for their developing players   Yesterday, the Ducks announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the Syracuse Crunch, set to begin with the 2010-11 season.

"We are thrilled to be affiliating with the Syracuse Crunch in such a great hockey market," said GM Bob Murray. "Syracuse is steeped in hockey tradition and we are excited to partner with an ownership and management team that shares the same commitment to winning and player development as we do."

The Ducks most recent affiliate, the Iowa Chops, did not work out after one year, due to the Chops not meeting their end of their obligations.  The Ducks had desired an affiliate closer to California, which is why they had moved from the Portland Pirates in Maine.

Now, the Ducks go back east again, this time in Syracuse, New York.  The Crunch are currently in their 16th year of operation in the AHL, tied for the sixth-longest tenure of any AHL team.

"This is an honor and thrill for our organization, to partner with the Anaheim Ducks - one of the truly elite franchises in the National Hockey League," said Crunch President and CEO Howard Dolgon. "They are a team with a proven winning track record on both the NHL and minor league levels and have highly experienced and very well-respected hockey people running their operation. We look forward to a long and successful relationship and can't wait to get started."

Syracuse has most recently been the affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This year, without a primary affiliate, the Ducks have spread their minor league players to the Manitoba Moose, San Antonio Rampage and Toronto Marlies.  Other players have spent time in Bakersfield in the Ducks ECHL affiliate.

It has not been an ideal situation at all.

"It's hard for the players," said assistant GM David McNab. "Everybody got treated well and got ice time, but it's tough because no matter where you are, you're not going to be the first concern of the coaching staff. It's just human nature that you're not going to jeopardize the development of your own players for players from another organization."

Having a place to develop your players and learn the system will only benefit the Ducks and their upcoming players.

The sound you hear in the distance is the orchestra warming up.  The fat lady will be coming out shortly to sing.

The Ducks continued woes on the road this entire season were a main contributor to them not getting into the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.   Not one single person on the roster today can remember that season because none of them played on the team that year.  Not even Teemu Selanne, who was languishing with a bad knee in Colorado that year.

Every single one of the players better remember the feeling this year and make sure it does not happen again.

The latest 4-1 defeat to Vancouver on Wednesday night gave the Ducks an 11-20-5 record on the road.  Winning one out of three games on the road will not get you a playoff spot.

Worse, the defeat dropped them to 13^th place in the Western Conference a whopping 11 points behind Detroit.  How many points before they are mathematically eliminated altogether?

The magic number is seven.  Lose two more, and Detroit wins two more and you can start officially making those tee times and off-season vacation plans.

"It's a lot of fun when things are working out," said Henrik Sedin, who had three assists in the game last night and now has 99 points on the season.

For the Ducks, it sure isn't fun for them right now.

Christian Ehrhoff scored on the power play in the first period and Daniel Sedin made it 2-0 going into the second.  A critical error by Brett Festerling behind the net meant that he coughed up the puck to Henrik, and Alexander Burrows made it 3-0 and unreachable for the Ducks.

The only thing the Ducks put past Andrew Raycroft, getting a rare start in net, was Saku Koivu's goal from Selanne midway through the third.   They had chances, but nothing else would go in.

Ryan Kesler sealed the deal with an empty net goal at the end.  Although it seemed ridiculous to expect two goals in the final minute from a team that couldn't put it together for 60 minutes.

The Ducks now go lick their wounds back to Alberta for a game against Edmonton.  Edmonton has already been eliminated from the playoffs.

Like an out of control, rapidly accelerating Toyota, the Ducks are careening towards elimination, too, with no seeming ability to find the brakes or even put it in neutral.

Both Calgary and Anaheim are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.  Prior to their game on Tuesday, both teams were treating it as a game 7, must-win, elimination game.  At the end of the evening, a 3-1 victory over Anaheim left Calgary two points out of a playoff spot.  The Ducks?  Nine points out and falling further behind.

It was not a bad game by the Ducks.  It was merely a better game by the Flames.

The Flames were defensively minded, countering the Ducks every move and not allowing them to get many chances.

"Defensively, I thought we reacted well to situations," said Flames coach Brent Sutter. "I thought we did a good job of reacting properly and making sure our support was good in our zone."

They were also disciplined, not giving up a single power play to Anaheim.

The Ducks had just gotten their power play going again, after it had lain dormant for too long.  Coach Randy Carlyle had acknowledged that "specialty teams will be critical in big games," but the only specialty team he was able to use was the penalty kill.  Unfortunately, it was foiled by a fluke goal.

Steve Staios took a long shot from the blue line that caught Nigel Dawes as he was coming to the front of the net.  It bounced off of Dawes leg and into the net behind Jonas Hiller at 15:11.  Only :07 seconds had elapsed in the penalty to Steve Eminger, but that made it 1-0.

The Ducks tied up the game in the second period.  Miikka Kiprusoff was screened by Todd Marchant and Scott Niedermayer was able to get the puck over the blocker and into the net at 14:24.

Back on an even footing, the Ducks seemed hopeful that things could turn.  They did.  In Calgary's favor.

Corey Perry, trying to do too much with the puck, lost it to Jarome Iginla.  Rene Bourque took off with it and put it through the five-hole at 18:25 to give the Flames the lead once more.

Going into the third period, the Flames continued to shut the Ducks down at every opportunity.  At 3:05, Niklas Hagman got the insurance marker and that was all she wrote.  The Flames are now 30-1-1 when leading after two periods.  The Ducks could learn a lot from them about how to keep a lead.

"We made a couple mistakes," said Saku Koivu. "They got a lucky one there in the first on the power play and then they capitalized on the chances they got. It's a tough one to take."

It has been a long uphill climb from the pit the Ducks have dug themselves into.  Just when you think there is some light, the Ducks slip back once more.

They have a chance to right the ship this evening against Vancouver, but even if they do, the clock is running out on their season.

The Ducks recalled defenseman Brendan Mikkelson from the Toronto Marlies today.  With James Wisniewski serving an eight-game suspension, the Ducks are left with six defensemen on the roster.  If something were to happen to one of them while on the road trip, the Ducks stated they did not want to have to put newcomer, Jake Newton, into a game situation unprepared.

Mikkelson is joining the Ducks in Calgary, where they will play this evening.

Also, the Ducks added to their collegiate signings by adding center Rob Bordson.  He was signed to a two-year entry-level contract. Bordson, 21, played for the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was named Inside College Hockey’s Breakthrough Player of the Year in the WCHA.

After winning their fourth game in a row with a 5-2 victory over Colorado, the Ducks focused on taking their show on the road.  Next up is a three game Canadian stint.

"It's either going to make us or break us," said Bobby Ryan.  "I think this trip is going to tell us a lot about ourselves.  We've got to start in Calgary with two points and then go from there."

Ryan, who was out with flu-like symptoms last night, but anticipates being healthy enough to play on Tuesday night, missed Teemu Selanne's historic moment of scoring 600 goals, only the 18^th person to do so.  With the way he felt, he did not care that he missed it.

"I turned (the game) on for about 10 minutes, watched that happen, then turned it right back off," said Ryan, who was well enough to skate at the morning practice.  "I was happy for him, that's for sure.  At the time I didn't even care.  Now, it kind of stinks to have missed it.  Sometimes that's the way it goes."

While most of the veterans were missing, having been given the morning off, there were two others who were on the ice this morning.  Defenseman, Jake Newton, and center, Nick Bonino.  Newton signed with the Ducks last week and Bonino, acquired in a trade with San Jose last year at the deadline, just signed a two-year contract.

Both 21-year-old players were collegiate stand-outs.  Newton played at Northeastern University and Bonino for Boston College.  Both described being with the Ducks as "surreal."

The experience they will gain with the Ducks, from now until the end of the season, will be invaluable as they go forward.

"This is just an opportunity after their season to get a taste about what life is like in the NHL," said coach Randy Carlyle.  "You get to practice with our hockey club.  They are getting acclimated with Sean Skahan, our strength and conditioning coach.  Learn more of the routine that we like to do.  Go over some of the system stuff that we talk about and how we like to play in this situation and that situation.  They are basically here to be a sponge right now."

Whether or not they will get an opportunity to play in a game before the season ends depends on a lot of variables.  Regardless, the youngsters, who will be joining the Ducks on their road trip, will be much better prepared when they have their first official training camp in September.

"It's always a benefit if you can get to know some of your teammates and get to know some of the people you're planning on working with," Carlyle continued.  "They see that there's competition for our players to stay in the line-up. There is competition on the ice looking for a playoff spot.  The desperation, the level it gets to.  All those things are experiences from a pro standpoint vs. a collegiate or amateur standpoint."

Matt Beleskey, who filled in for Ryan on the top line last night, understands competing for a spot in the line-up.

"Every year you don't have a spot, that's for sure, especially being a young guy like me," said Beleskey, who is the same age as Bonino and Newton.  "I'm still fighting my way in here and trying to make a name for myself.  You see these young guys and you know they're going to be competition.  You're going to try to help them out, but at the same time you're working hard to make yourself better."

Right now, all of the Ducks are working hard towards making the playoffs.  Putting together a four-game winning streak is a good start.

"I just think that we are playing more of the up-tempo game," Carlyle observed.  "We have a lot more energy.  For whatever reason, that was missing for a number of games.  We've given up some first goals in the game but we've still been able to battle back, stay with it.  That's the most encouraging thing.  Just keep pushing forward.  Take it one game at a time."

As long as the Ducks are winning, they will continue to give themselves a chance.   That, right now, is the only thing they can control.

A collective sigh of relief could be felt when Teemu Selanne finally scored goal #600 at :34 seconds into the second period.  It was a power play goal, #216 of Selanne's career that moves him in sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.  The trivia answers will be Scott Niedermayer and Corey Perry with the assists.  Colorado Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson was the goaltender who let the puck in. 

"I guess that was the easiest that I have had in a while," Selanne said amidst a throng of reporters and photographers after the game.  "It's funny how it works.  I've that I have had a lot of chances the last three or four games, but nothing was going in.  Then you get one of those on a great effort from Corey and Scotty."

Mayhem, joy, celebration!  Not just on the ice, but in the stands and even a few standing in the press box to acknowledge the accomplishment.   That made the game against Colorado 3-0, but at the moment it seemed like a side note to what really mattered. 

In the end, a 5-2 victory over the Avalanche and two more points in the standings, in a situation where all the games are must-win, were just the icing on the cake.

Unlike the last time these two teams met on March 3, the Ducks did not give up a two goal lead.  Their specialty teams kicked in, scoring three power play goals and one short-handed goal.  Jonas Hiller made 26 saves and it was an overall strong group effort.   

Jason Blake got his second power play goal in as many games at 4:43 of the first period.  He worked hard with the puck behind the net and to get it in front of the net before putting it in past Anderson. 

Then Matt Beleskey got his eighth goal of the year filling in for Bobby Ryan (out with "flu-like" symptoms) on the top line.  The set-up was a beauty from Ryan Getzlaf, who dropped the puck back to Beleskey.  Beleskey was perfectly situated in the slot to finish off the one-timer at 11:43.  Like Blake, it was Beleskey's second goal in as many games.

The Ducks finished the period in the middle of a power play, with John-Michael Liles in the box for hooking.  When the Ducks resumed their power play, it only took :34 seconds for history to be made. 

Anderson was sprawled, trying to prevent a chance from Perry.  Perry managed to get the puck to Niedermayer, who then dished it to Selanne.  

"I knocked it to him," said Niedermayer, who earned his 200th assist as a Duck on the play.  "He did the rest.  He knows how to score goals.  It's a great accomplishment.  Not many guys have done that."

15,528 was the announced crowd.  That meant 1,646 more could have been in the building to witness the 18th person scoring 600 goals and only the third European, after Jaromir Jagr and fellow Finn, Jari Kurri. 

Coach Randy Carlyle, who was a teammate of Selanne's during the Finnish Flash's rookie year in Winnipeg, had the privilege of seeing the very first goal scored as well as #600. 

"It seems like a long time ago," said Carlyle, "but it really isn't.  This is what he was born and bred to do.  He can score from anywhere."

Selanne, who had eight more shots on goal tonight, credited his teammates.

"The way my linemates were feeding me has been amazing," said Selanne, truly enjoying the moment.  "I think they wanted this more than I did!  It's a great feeling."

Carlyle expressed gratitude that #600 had been scored so that they could "turn the page" and move forward.

The Ducks did not let up.  Later in the second period, Troy Bodie got his first short-handed goal ever at 12:45.  Chris Stewart bumbled the puck and Bodie roofed it behind Anderson to make it 4-0.  That was it for the goaltender who has been a huge part of Colorado's unexpected success this year.  Peter Budaj was inserted in the net and he did his part admirably, keeping the Avs in the game.

"They came out pretty good," said Anderson.  "Anytime you go down by a couple of goals, it's tough to climb back into the game."

Colorado did try to climb back.  Early in the third period Darcy Tucker had a very nice shot that made it past Hiller at 2:06.  Then at 5:15, Ruslan Salei brought the Avs within two goals.  That was all they could muster.

Getzlaf got the third power play goal of the game at 7:50, with Selanne assisting.  Free wings at Hooters for the fans for the second game in a row. 

Most important of all was the win that keeps the Ducks in the playoff hunt.  As long as they continue to win games, there is still a chance.  Now if a few teams would lose a couple games, that might help, but the Ducks can only control what they do.  So far, they are getting the job done.

Ahead is a Canadian road trip with three games in four days.  More points to be won and they won't be easy. 

The Ducks needed it.  The Islanders wanted it just as bad.   In the end, the win went to determination and will in a 5-4 overtime victory. 

For a while, it seemed as if the focus of the Ducks was "help Teemu Selanne get #600," rather than "let's win the game and who cares who scores."  New York had absolutely no desire to be a footnote in Selanne's milestone.

Richard Park put the Islanders on the board at 9:53 of the first period, but the Ducks answered right back with a goal from Matt Beleskey just :17 seconds later.  

Lubomir Visnovsky, continuing to prove his worth since being acquired from Edmonton at the trade deadline, added another goal at 18:09, with an assist from Selanne.  The Ducks were rewarded after having an exceptionally long shift in New York's end.

The Ducks did not have the lead for long as Kyle Okposo got the first of two goals in the game with less than minute to go in the period.  His shot from behind the net bounced off of Visnovsky, who was in front of Jonas Hiller, and deflected into the net.

Okposo gave the Islanders the lead back :07 seconds into their first power play.  The puck trickled through Hiller's legs at 2:42. John Tavares was there at the side of the net waiting for a rebound, but it wasn't needed.  Coach Randy Carlyle pulled Hiller at that point and inserted Curtis McElhinney to shake things up.

Tavares made it 4-2 on the Islanders' second power play at 14:31 late in the period.  They took that lead going into the third, but historically the Islanders have not been great defensively in the final 20 minutes of games. 

The Ducks got a power play goal at 9:53 from Jason Blake, who tipped in Steve Eminger's shot from the blue line.  It was the first power play goal for the Ducks since March 7 against Montreal, having gone 0 for seemingly far too many.  Perhaps they would have scored one sooner if they hadn't been so focused on passing the puck to Teemu as often as possible rather than just shooting it.

After an especially flat and frustrating first 40 minutes, the Ducks finally figured it out in the third.  They outshot the Islanders 14 - 2 in the final frame and while it took a while, they were rewarded for their efforts.

Visnovsky did it again with the game-tying goal at 19:28.  Again, the assist came from Selanne.  McElhinney was pulled for the extra attacker and Visnovsky did the seemingly impossibly by putting the puck past Martin Biron with his wicked shot from the blue line.  It was Visnovsky's first multi-goal game since December 29, 2006 with LA. 

The Ducks wasted no time in overtime.  Saku Koivu picked up a turnover from Bruno Gervais and you just knew his breakaway attempt was going to go in the net.  It only took :14 for the Ducks to get the win and the much needed two points in the standings. 

The Ducks have moved up two spots to 11th place and are now just seven points out of a playoff spot. 

In other notes:  Ryan Getzlaf returned to the line-up after missing one game with a re-injured ankle.

As expected, Anaheim Ducks defenseman, James Wisniewski, was handed an eight-game suspension for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The hit came early in the second period of Wednesday night's game between the two teams in response to Seabrook's hit on Corey Perry.  Wisniewski, who claimed after the game that he was just finishing his check, came all the way from the blue line to careen Seabrook into the end boards.  Seabrook then crumpled to the ice, looking as if he had at least momentarily lost consciousness.

Wisniewski had a hearing with Colin Campbell on Thursday morning.  The conference call included Wisniewski, Campbell, Ducks GM Bob Murray and the player's agent.

It did not take long to get the phone call back with the verdict.

The suspension was over five games, meaning that Wisniewski could have asked for a face-to-face meeting with Campbell.

Wisniewski is a repeat offender and was suspended for two games last November for a forearm to the head of Shane Doan during an October 31 game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

While clearly remorseful of his actions after the game, especially as Seabrook is a good friend and former teammate, Wisniewski was nonetheless of the opinion that he had done nothing wrong.   Unless you were wearing a Ducks uniform or employed by the team, no one else seemed to agree.

Wisniewski continued to defend his actions after Thursday's practice.

"The only thing I worry about is there was no intention of having what happened happen," he said. "I didn't go in there with the intention to hurt. I just thought it was basically a hockey play. I thought the puck was there. This is a fast game. I didn't use my elbows. I didn't try to hit him in the head. I didn't hit him in the head. I really think my face collided with his and that was the result of what happened."

Wisniewski only earned a minor penalty for charging on the play, but the ferocity of the hit could easily have merited a major penalty and a game misconduct.  Instead, after repairing his cut nose and cheek, sliced open by his visor when he made impact with Seabrook, Wisniewski returned and finished out the game.

Seabrook was not so fortunate.  He went to the locker room and did not return due to the vague and nebulous "upper body injury."  It is unknown how long Seabrook will be out of the line up.

Wisniewski will now have more than half of the remaining season to sit and contemplate his actions further.  Maybe by then he can come to terms with his foolish actions that resulted in yet another players' senseless injury.

Yes, he stood up for his teammate, which was a good thing.  But the response was above and beyond what was called for and the results were definitely not what was intended for all involved.

It's been a tough week for the Chicago Blackhawks.  On Sunday, Brian Campbell broke his collar bone and a rib after a hit by Alexander Ovechkin that earned him a two-game suspension.  Tonight, they lost Brent Seabrook to an "upper body injury" (more on that later).  The final indignity was losing their third game in a row, this time a 4-2 loss to the Ducks.  

For the Ducks, they needed those two points desperately to keep their waning playoff hopes alive.

"We can't let up for one minute," said Todd Marchant.  "We know our situation and where we're at.  We have to keep pushing.  You never know what game or point could cost you in the end." 

Bobby Ryan got his 30th goal of the year at 4:08.  Ryan Carter, filling in on the top line for Ryan Getzlaf (day to day with a reinjured ankle), and Corey Perry did all the work.  Birthday boy, Bobby, finished things off behind Blackhawks back-up Corey Crawford.  That makes his second consecutive 30 goal season.

"It's a nice milestone," said Ryan.  "Nicer for two points for us."

Despite what the shots on goal read, it seemed like Chicago was in the Ducks end most of the first period (and the second and the third).  It was no surprise when Seabrook took advantage of a defensive breakdown and tied up the game at 11:16.

Seabrook did not contribute any more to the game after being the victim of an awful hit from James Wisniewski at 2:22 of the second period.  Seabrook had hit Perry hard along the boards and Wisniewski was clearly sticking up for his teammate by taking it out on his former Chicago teammate.  Wisniewski came in at Seabrook, who was at the end boards, from nearly the blue line, colliding heads and following through with his arms to finish the job.

Seabrook could have been renamed "See Stars." Looking just like a staged bar fight in an old Western movie where the guy gets clocked and crumples to the ground.  Except this was no movie and it wasn't choreographed.  That brief moment of unconsciousness was real.  Seabrook went to the bench and then to the locker room, not to return. 

Duncan Keith immediately went to task on Wisniewski, who promptly pummeled Keith to the ice.  The amazing thing was that the referees only called charging and fighting on Wisniewski.  No major penalty.  No game misconduct.  Wisniewski, who was suspended two games in November for a hit on Shane Doan will have to wait and see if there is further judgement on this one. 

"He's one of my real good buddies," commented a seemingly remorseful Wisniewski.  "I saw the replay and I was shocked to see the result of that.  That's something I don't want to ever see happen."

The best revenge is scoring, but while on a power play, Crawford made a gamble and lost.  He came way out of the net to play the puck, but Kyle Chipchura stole the puck from him.  Marchant made certain that he put the puck in the open net at 6:27, despite several Blackhawks players attempting to protect the crease.  Third shorthanded goal of the year for Marchant and #28 of his career.

"I can't take any credit for it," said Marchant.  "Chipper made a great play."

The Blackhawks did tie things up early in the third period.  Applying even more pressure to Anaheim, Marian Hossa deflected in Keith's shot with a stick that was parallel to the crossbar at 5:12.  It was reviewed, but Hossa's stick was clearly not above the crossbar and the goal was good.  Game tied 2-2.

Chicago kept shooting.  Jonas Hiller kept making saves.  38 for the game.  The pipes saved a couple, too.

The Ducks took advantage of their opportunities, though.  Lubomir Visnovsky popped up the puck high and Perry retrieved it, despite having Brent Sopel to contend with.  Sopel went down like he was shot, hoping to get a call on Perry, but Perry got the puck to Saku Koivu who put it in the net at 14:24.  It proved to be the eventual game winner.  The Blackhawks liked neither the goal nor the perceived non-call preceding it.

"Bobby and Perry were doing a great job down low," said Koivu.  "The puck just popped between the circles and I was able to get a good shot, a one-timer."

The final indignity was an empty net goal from Ryan at 19:07 for the insurance marker.  Wisniewski drew an assist and another fight, this time with former Duck, Nick Boynton, who was acquired by Chicago at the trade deadline and was called up after Campbell's injury. 

"Guys got dirty and found ways to get it done," commented Ryan.

Coach Randy Carlyle was pleased with his team's effort. 

"It was an emotional game and both teams were desperate for points," said Carlyle.  "We knew with them coming in here an dhaving lost their last two hockey games that they were going to be a little bit of a grouchy hockey club.  We have to be grouchy in the situation we're in.  It was two teams competing and when the physical element of the game gets up there, it's up to people to respond."

Their next opportunity for grouchy, emotional, physical play will be on Friday night against the New York Islanders.  Perhaps then Teemu Selanne can notch goal #600.  He registered five shots on goal.  None of them went in, much to the frustration of the fans.  For a player who has averaged a goal every other game, you just know it's going to come eventually.

In other notes:  Kyle Calder, who had been brought from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency recall, was sent back today as Teemu Selanne was deemed ready to go in the game.