Rinks Tour - Roller vs Ice Hockey

It was a gloomy day in Irvine, but grey clouds and a bleary sky couldn't keep Ducks fans away from the 949 Roller Hockey Center. The Rinks Tour Speaker Series was something that the Anaheim Ducks started last season. Featuring Ducks players, the tour travels to various local hockey inline and ice rinks, giving hockey youth an opportunity to listen to players discuss various hockey topics, followed by a Q&A session, and photograph/autograph opportunity.

I don't play hockey, but I wasn't alone as a hockey fan just wanting to hear what Bobby Ryan and Kyle Chipchura had to say.


Waiting for the boys to arrive


Yay


Bobby realizing his mic doesn't work


Steve Carroll mediating and asking questions

(Writer's note: dialogue is grossly approximated. I didn't have a recorder to allow me to transcribe.)




Q: When did you start playing hockey?
Bobby: As soon as I could walk, age three-and-a-half.
Chippy: Four.


Chippy talked about the differences between playing hockey in Montreal, where hockey is a religion, and Southern California

I've said it before, and I'll say it agagin. Most people in SoCali wouldn't recognize a hockey puck if they saw one.


Q: Who's the hardest goalie to score on?
Chippy: Martin Brodeur


Bobby: Brodeur is hard, but I've scored on him. Luongo for me.
Fan: And you got the game-winning goal on him last night!


After the session, fans could get pictures and autographs

Stay tuned to the Ducks official website for more information on future Rinks Tour stops: http://ducks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=540335

Ducks vs Detroit Red Wings

The boys are back in town!

And not a moment too soon. This one is a notable game for a number of reasons.

We've got new faces on the ice. Jason Blake will make his home ice debut alongside Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Blake played the last game, but only versus viewers got to see him. Yours truly is curious about this lineup, prefering that my boy Bobby Ryan stay on the line with Koivu.


Blake, sporting number 33, and his new team during warmups

Glaringly absent, especially from warmups, is J.S. Giguere. Justin Pogge has been called back up in his place. Also absent are Dan Sexton and Nick Boynton, recalled to the minors. Matt Beleskey was also sent back down, but then quickly brought back up. Yours truly was happy about this, as the young man has shown excellent potential.

We've got new faces in the stands too. If you remember John Meyer of www.pickmyNHLteam.com fame, he's in attendance tonight as part of his official inDUCKtion to his Anaheim Ducks fanship. He has organized a small group of about 30 Ducks fans to get together and watch the game from the cheap seats, yours truly included. The game became a sort of Duck fan reunion for those of us who keep in touch and enjoy Duck games together through various forms of social media.


The group of Ducks fans John organized to join him at his first official Ducks game

This post is thusly dedicated to John and the other Duck fans and friendships that have formed thanks to these unique applications.

It's Jonas Hiller, our number one goaltender (ooh, like the sound of that!) versus Jimmy Howard in net for the Wings.

Just a minute and a half into the game, Ryan Whitney scores from the blue line with a slapper through a perfect Bobby Ryan screen. Our huge fan group erupts in screams and high-fives. Excellent start to the game.

Troy Bodie responds to a hit on Kyle Chipchura and drops gloves with Jonathan Ericsson. It's a good fight for Bodie, and both get five for fighting. Bodie continues to impress, and is rewarded with ample time on the Ducks checking line.

Our boys look like they could be playing more aggressively against these division rivals, but given the Wings played last night and our Ducks need to play tomorrow night, perhaps it's better that they've matched energy levels.

Before the end of the first, Steve Eminger shoots a wrister towards the net. It hits Chimichanga before landing behind Howard in the net. The goal, however, is under review for the possibility that Chimi batted the puck in with his hand.


Chipchura would net his fourth of the season

The goal is deemed good and Ducks take the 2-0 lead to the locker room at the first intermission.

Speaking of Eminger, great play by him defensively. I'm happy to see Eminger keeping up the improvements he's been showing ever since his return to the lineup weeks ago. He's blocking pucks, doing well in forcing breakaway players to the perimeter or stripping the puck away from them.

The Red Wings come on stronger in the second, as I expected they would. It doesn't help that the Ducks take back to back penalties, but Hiller holds strong and makes some phenomenal highlight reel saves. The penalty kill is still looking good. Howard is likewise making some good saves and keeping the damage to a minimum.


Hiller earned a well-deserved first star of the game

Yours truly is happy to see Saku Koivu playing well despite the lack of Bobby on his line. He forces a number of turnovers in tonight's game, and also works his magic during his time on the penalty kill.

The big line is once again intact, with Bobby on that line alongside Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. They come up with a great goal, contributions from all five players on the shift culminating in a deflected puck off Bobby's stick made ready in the slot.

The Wings spoil Hiller's shutout bid with a power play goal by Pavel Datsyuk, who had been denied earlier by Hiller's high glove. Ten seconds later, the period ends. We're 3-1 going into the second intermission.


Glove save by Howard

The third intermission doesn't see any additional goals by either team, but yours truly was a bit dissatisfied with our boys and their apparent decision to simply hold a lead. I felt like there was way too much play in our defensive zone. Hiller was forced to come up big on a desperately firing Red Wings team, and thankfully he was able to deliver. Perhaps our boys were conserving their energy for tomorrow's contest against the Los Angeles Kings.

Yes, that has to be it.

Even though the Selanne/Koivu/Blake line didn't get any points this game, I do like the dynamic I'm seeing on the ice between those three. Should prove very interesting as they spend more time on the ice with each other.

Either way, it's a Ducks win and given how tight the Western Conference standings are, we'll take those two points! Nothing caps off a great night spent with friends at the rink than a regulation win against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ducks vs Detroit Red Wings

"Hey Pavel, you better tell him! You're gonna get it too!"--Corey Perry

The above is one of my favorite quotes ever caught on tape, during a game against the Detroit Red Wings in which Perry was mic'ed up. And indeed, it held true in tonight's contest between our hometown heroes and those nasty Wings as Pavel Datsyuk was made a non-factor.

Just for clarification, I don't hate the Red Wings. They've got plenty of talented players who do good things for the sport. Rather, it's the throngs of obnoxious Red Wing FANS that show up at the Ponda whenever this team is in town.


Wayyy too many red jerseys for my taste...

Who I am happy to see back on the ice is Ryan Getzlaf. Getzy does a lot of everything, but I'm sure there's also a huge psychological effect on the rest of the team just having their big offensive leader back. You could feel the momentum swing as the game started up.


Sight for sore eyes: Getzy's back!

The Red Wings came out of the gates, guns ablazing. Ducks defense allowed too much space between themselves and the Wings' offense, and I was not happy with the lack of pressure on the puck. What happened to our forechecking skills?

Early on, Getzy took a dumb penalty in the neutral zone. Slashing, I believe it was. During the ensuing penalty kill, Saku Koivu capitalized on a Bertuzzi turnover and he raced down the ice with Rafalski on his heels. Excellent stick handling and puck protection by Saku led to a shot on Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard. Veteran wisdom kept Saku on the inside of Rafalski, just long enough to whack at the rebound off Howard, and send it into the net.


A beautiful short-hander gives Saku his 9th for the season, 200th for his NHL career, and a turning point for his team

After that goal and the remainder of Getzlaf's penalty was killed off, our boys came with a vengeance. The big line, now consisting of Getzy, Corey Perry, and rookie Matt Belesky (who I've already been impressed with), got one, two, three shots on goal... and one goes in.

It was a perfect setup, with Brett Festerling quickly passing the puck along the blue line to Sheldon Brookbank, who one-times it toward the net. The puck narrowly missed the post and then rebounded off the boards straight back out to Belesky, who pushed it between Howard's foot and the goalpost short-side.


Ironic that Matt's first NHL goal would follow almost exactly two minutes after Saku's 200th

Yours truly is extremely happy to see this young man get his due with a goal. Take every advantage that you're on a line with Getz and Pears, Matt... plenty to learn from these boys.

From then on, our hometown heroes continued to play well. There was great puck possession, dominance in the faceoff circle, and successful battles fought in the corners. Ducks stayed physical and the hits kept coming. In short, our boys looked like a new team. Controlled, confident, dangerous.


Let's round out a good period with a tussle between Troy Bodie (who's already sporting a shiner courtesy of Blackhawks' Dustin Byfuglien) and Doug Janik

And the best part about going into the first intermission 2-0 on these Wings?? The fact that the otherwise obnoxious Wing fans at the Ponda have had the wind taken out of their sails.


Another phenomenal game for Jonas Hiller, who would get a nice W to show for it

There were no goals scored by either team during the second period, our boys came less aggressively, but still held strong defensively. Yours truly got to move closer to the ice courtesy of some awesome Duck friends who let me know there were a few open seats near them. The game is seriously faster when you're closer to the ice. You can appreciate the speed and the angles that our boys have to deal with, and how physical the game really is, especially against two gritty teams. It's harder to watch the game as a whole, but it's an incredible experience in its own way.

Kudos to Todd Marchant for putting in a most valiant effort tonight. He was out there, forcing turnovers, stealing pucks, and heading a strong PK unit. Every time something favorable happened with the puck, Marchant was in the middle of it.


Hiller: "Hey dude, thanks for getting my stick back to me."
Eminger: "No problem, bro." (or something like that, I'm sure)

You knew the Wings would give everything they had going into the third. Anaheim had some great scoring chances, but Howard locked down hard. The Detroit offensive was seriously lacking (not helped by the holes in their roster... but then, a lot of teams have holes right now), however they managed to get one past Hiller behind a nice big screen of Holmstrom's Butt.

But Getzy would help Perry put an end to his point drought nearly two and a half minutes later when he deftly stole the puck away from Rafalski on the doorstep and passed it between Lidstrom's feet to Perry, who popped it in behind Howard. Oh yes, Perry missed Getzy!

With the two-goal lead and about five minutes left in regulation, our boys continued to do a good job defensively, and made it their business to effectively clear the zone. Why they have such a hard time doing this in some/most games is beyond me.

Another fight before the end of the game, my boy Bobby Ryan would take a hit to the face by Wings' Lebda. He took offense but could not get Lebda to fight. Bertuzzi, however, was all over it. Bobby was quickly taken down to the ice as Bertuzzi's jersey came off faster than a virgin's dress on prom night, affording my boy absolutely no grip for leverage.


Bobby being escorted after his tussle

Adding sweet insult to injury, Kyle Chipchurra would seal the deal with an empty netter that was chipped across the length of the ice.


Ducks celebrate a glorious win 4-1, well-deserved


And Saku gets the first star of the game, also well-deserved

I'm hoping this is the team that shows up for Thursday's game against the Blues! Whaddya say, Ducks?

p.s.--My dear Ducks friend and Twitter pal Suz Broughton got to host Ducks TV this game. Check it out!

Ducks at San Jose, vs Sharks

Here we are, the day after Christmas (also Boxing Day to all you Canadians out there), hoping our hometown heroes can finally come out on top for the first time this season against the San Jose Sharks.

The starting lineup announcement reveals J.S. Giguere in net versus Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov. Personally, yours truly would prefer our Shark Killer, but he ended up playing back-to-backs earlier in the week (I am still upset about that).

Nick Boynton and Evgeny Artyukhin are healthy scratches, and this worries me because 1) Steve Eminger is back out defending the blue line, after being scratched for the past 11 games, and I honestly haven't been impressed with his performance and 2) Nicky B has been doing a great job out there and I see no reason to mess with that!

Coach Carlyle, you kill me.

The game starts off very physical, as it always tends to be against these division rivals. Unfortunately, the Sharks go up first with the early lead after a whiffed feed turns into a lucky pass. Big George Parros tries to send a message soon after with a good scrap against Frazer McLaren.

Kudos to Brett Festerling who took and dealt a number of hard hits during this game. You need guys who are willing to do that, especially against the Sharks who are more than willing to exact physical payback against the team that snuffed out their playoff dreams early last season. This rivalry is alive and kicking.

By the end of the first period, the shots on goal are equal (11 each) but the Sharks are up 2-0. I'm already not liking the look of this...

The Ducks tighten up their passes in the second period, but are still not able to generate anything on the scoreboard, not even on the power play.

My boy Bobby Ryan is back on the top line along with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, with Kyle Calder down on the second with Saku Koivu and Dan Sexton. I don't know, maybe it's better to have Bobby helping out on that second line? Especially since you know coach McLellan is going to have the big Joe Thorton line out against Getzy and Perry. We need to get some kind of scoring somewhere!

As the Sharks pot yet another goal, this one has the puck pinballing between James Wisniewski and Captain Scott Niedermayer before getting past Jiggy, I can't believe how unlucky our bounces are. Getzlaf leaves the game late in the second after a self-inflicted leg laceration a la Teemu Selanne. Argh.

In tonight's game, it seems WE are our own worst enemy!

At some point, Sharks are up 5-0 and I'm about to turn off the television. Then, Kyle Chipchura knocks ex-Duck Kent Huskins away from the puck. He steals the turnover and goes one on one against Naby.

Yay, a Ducks goal! There's a collective "ThankGodItWontBeAShutout" sigh amongst Duck fans everywhere.

The third period (my gosh, there's more of this torture to endure??) sees our boys with a number of chances, but it's not until Bobby is able to grab a puck off a Perry rebound and stuff it five-hole, do we get another goal.

There's a small amount of momentum in an already doomed game, but I have to say our boys made the most of it. A series of fights break out, Chimichanga versus Scott Nichol and even rookie Matt Belesky versus Jed Ortmeyer. I'm impressed by Belesky. That kid can throw a punch!

And even in a 2-5 loss, our boys didn't go out with their tails tucked between their legs. Of course I would much rather have taken a win, but if we had to lose, at least our boys went down fighting.

Ducks vs Phoenix Coyotes

"ILYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

Ah, the sounds of a hockey game. The fan in front of me was busy heckling Coyotes' goalie Ilya Bryzgalov before puck drop. Not that a little heckling ever hurt anyone, but Bryz has had quite a run with the Yotes this season. He's up in the top five in the league as far as goalies go, and as an ex-Duck, I couldn't be happier for him.

Well, maybe I could be if we still had him in a Ducks sweater.

No matter, I love our goalies plenty. It was going to be Jonas Hiller in net, and that's comforting considering Hiller's record against the Coyotes. But tonight, everyone was going to have to step up. Ducks need every two points they can scrape together, especially against fellow Pacific Division foes.


Hiller was caught smiling during the anthem. Perhaps he saw Kyle Chipchurra's helmet hit the ice

I'm happy to see our boys skating well in the first, with a number of shots on goal, however nothing getting past Bryz despite back-to-back power plays. The Coyotes are looking just a bit sharper than our Ducks, fighting just a bit harder for those pucks, but they too can't capitalize on their power plays.

There's a change to the Coyote big line. Matthew Lombardi and Scottie Upshall are still there, but the third forward position is now being filled by Shane Doan. As if there was any way of making that deadly line even deadlier!


Captain Scott Niedermayer and Chipchurra attempting to shut down Lombardi and Upshall

The first goal of the game goes to Anaheim, as Mike Brown is able to be Johnny-On-the-Spot for a Petteri Nokeleinen bid that's saved by Bryz's blocker. The rebound lands in the slot and Mikey is there to chip it over the goalie's leg pads.


Mikey with the first goal

Something that has bothered me about our hometown heroes' play, and still bothers me. Why do our Ducks take so much time clearing the puck? The penalty kill has picked up tremendously, but when we aren't on the PK, I notice guys continually shooting behind the home net. Why? WHY??

Going into the second, Hiller has come up phenomenally, keeping the game 1-0. But eventually, Doan slams one home and evens up the score.

Less than a minute later, Chimichanga receives a feed from Matt Belesky at the point, and he beats Bryz point-blank with a nice backhander.


The boys celebrate Chimi's first as a Duck

By the way, big props to Belesky, who is looking awesome in this game. He's got some big physical play with strong hits and forechecks. Keep it up, Matt!

Then, the Yotes' Ed Jovanovski gets a penalty for holding. Our boys achieve some sweet tape-to-tape passing, eventually getting the puck to Getzy on the left wing, who walks it in and fires, beating Bryz short-side.

Ducks take their 3-1 lead into the second intermission.



If anyone thought Dan Sexton's skills were just a flash in the pan, they haven't actually seen this boy skate. He has a way of finding open ice. And he does it with such speed that he's almost always able to get a shot off. His shots on goal numbers are amazing, and his pucks are like homing rockets... never missing by much.
Early in the third, Ducks make a crucial mistake. A turnover in the defensive zone ends up behind Hiller, and the Yotes close the gap to one goal.

Not that we've let up offensively, Bryz has just stepped up and made a number of awesome saves of his own. It's like a battle of the goalies!

But then, the Yotes start getting desperate and start taking penalties. Jovo in the box once, twice, three times...

And on that third time, it would be my boy Bobby Ryan who would net a goal with only 20 seconds left in regulation, a beautiful tip-in from in front of the crease.


Jovo, #55, should've been awarded one of the Ducks three stars, two of his penalties led to power play goals for our boys

It's a great game for Ducks fans, without a single point going to the losing Pacific Division team. Wish we'd see more of these!


Well-deserved, Hiller gets the first star of the game