Ducks vs Minnesota Wild

It appears my VCR didn't catch the Ducks/Stars game on Friday. Considering everything that can go wrong programming a VCR, I guess I'm surprised I haven't biffed more recordings.

Anyway, we'll move on.

Tonight's game opens with Chris Pronger accepting an award for playing his 1000th NHL game. I don't know about you, but I'm secretely very proud to have him reach that milestone as a Duck.

Yes siree.

So, this is the first game I get to actually watch where there's tons of new guys wearing Ducks' jerseys. More faces and numbers to remember, and it's kind of saddening to think that I've seen the last of Travis Moen, Steve Montador, Sammy Pahlsson, and Kent Huskins in Anaheim colors. I'm also not used to seeing my boy Bobby Ryan donning the number 9. Ryan Getzlaf is skating visor-less, finally, and I'm hoping we'll see more action from him. Things have been rather quiet from the Getz camp.

Just about a minute after the game starts, the Wild catches a rebound off Jonas Hiller in a one-knee-down stance and tap the puck into the goal. Damn, again?!?

Our second line is still doing really well. They have a number of scoring chances in this first period, but are continually denied by the Wild netminder Niklas Backstrom in an awkward snow angel position. Bobby is the second Duck rookie to reach 20 goals and 20 assists in a season, he leads NHL rookies with 23 goals right now... and remember, Bobby wasn't even with the team at the beginning of the season. I need to do a little something in the side bar to keep track of this boy's goals.

I'm also still liking Mike Brown's performance on the ice. The guy is energetic and he plays with confidence. He's aggressive as both a defenseman blocking shooting and passing lanes, and when he's driving with the puck towards the net. That's a good man.

Corey Perry and Getzlaf are playing with newcomer Erik Christensen on their frontline. They aren't as fast as they usually are, probably because they're still measuring out how Christensen is as a player. I keep thinking he's Pahlsson, with that big 26 on his back. In the second half of the first period, the Wild gets their first power play opportunity as new guy Jimmy Wisniewski lands himself in the box with a high sticking penalty. Before it's over, the Ducks get a power play off an interference call, but can't capitalize with the extra man.

Apparently, Wisniewski's got a good record. He scored his first goal as a Duck in the Dallas game on Friday. Unfortunately, no goals for him in the first period of tonight's game. Ducks head into the first intermission trailing, 0-1.

After a mild start to the second period, Wild hitter (and irritator, if that's a word) Clutterbuck makes good with his second sneaky hit of the game. Perry is the recipient, and he lays winded on the ice for a good couple of seconds before the whistle is blown. Pronger, who saw what happened, confronts Clutterbuck and gets penalized, giving the Wild a power play.

On the penalty kill, Todd Marchant goes in for a one-man forecheck and catches Backstrom outside of his net as he strips the puck away from the Wild defender, wraps it around, and into the net for a goal. The crowd, booing less than a minute ago, is now cheering and finally, our boys are back in the game.

And then a hooking penalty against the Wild. C'mon guys, here's where you can take the lead. They fail, but the period has become a scramble, the puck traveling up and down the length of the ice, fallen players strewn about in its wake. Perry lands himself a tripping call and the Wild go on the power play. The Ducks kill it off with some great saves by Hiller.

Shortly thereafter, Christensen misses a pass in the neutral zone and Veilleux grabs the turnover, speeds it down the ice, and rips it over Hiller's glove. Argh. Two goals now for Veilleux, 2-1 on the scoreboard. That's not cool, especially when it's public knowledge that the Wild specialize in turnover goals.

They're doing a little interview feature on Hiller during the intermissions. Personally, I'm glad to see it. I like Hiller a lot and I like learning more about a guy who's a great player, yet is a little on the quiet side, staying out of the limelight. He sounds like a humble, down-to-earth guy, probably a pleasure to meet in person.

Carlyle has put Bobby on the first line, with Getzlaf and Perry. The Ducks get a much needed power play, but can't make good on it. The Wild have a tremendously effective penalty kill team. And then, Perry gets his second minor of the game, this time for slashing. Luckily, the Ducks follow suit with their penalty kill.

Our Ducks make a fatal mistake with eight minutes left in the game. Both Sheldon Brookbank and Brett Festerling leave their defensive positions near the net to chase after a puck during a scramble to the left of Hiller. The Wild capitalize, getting the puck quickly to Brunette who has nothing but empty net stretched out in front of him. There's nothing Hiller can do. It's an easy goal... and incredibly frustrating for us Duck fans to watch.

We're in some serious trouble here, folks. Down by two, our boys need to pull it together. Hiller is doing a phenomenal job, otherwise it'd be a lot more than two goals between the teams. Of course, the Wild's MO is to protect their lead at this point. They're clearing the puck at every attempt.

With less than two minutes left in the game, Ducks call a timeout and Hiller abandons the net. And then, with only 21 seconds left, the puck is pushed into a scramble in front of the Wild net and the Captain manages to push it through. There's only 6.5 seconds left for the equalizer, but this isn't a completely impossible situation. However, for the Ducks, it is. They take a disappointing loss against a team they should have beat, 2-3.

Ducks vs Dallas Stars

Not outplayed, not outshot, yet outscored. AGAIN. Our Ducks played their hearts out against the Dallas Stars, but were unable to get the numbers up on the scoreboard. Might it have something to do with the complete restructuring of the Duck's roster at the trade deadline?

Perhaps. There are a lot of new guys on the team, guys that our boys haven't played with before. Also, there are the Stanley Cup boys that we've lost, no longer there for physical and emotional support.

Whatever the explanation, all we can do is groan again at the miserable defeat. Newbee James Wisniewski managed a goal off a feed from Corey Perry. And my boy Bobby Ryan, wearing his new #9, made another set of slick moves with his sweet hands, deftly maneuvering the puck past two defenders, across the front of the crease, and in passed Marty Turco. That's another beauty for the highlight reel, and Bobby's 23rd of the season.

As I mentioned before... or maybe I just thought about mentioning it, my VCR failed to record this game so that's all I've got for this one! And maybe that's a good thing considering the heartbreaking loss.

Coming up

I've got a few posts to catch up on, but I just wanted to say that I'm a bit sidelined at the moment: visiting a friend up in Seattle (a town with no NHL team but who should really have one), and unable to get to a consistent internet connection.

But have no fear, I'm back next week. And there's lots to cover. The Ducks/Blackhawks game, the Ducks/Stars game that's going down today, the trade results, and a few other tidbits.

In the meantime, I'm hoping our boys give the Stars another thrashing today. Keep your eye out for Steve Ott, who's back after his one game suspension.

Go Ducks!

Ducks at Chicago, vs Blackhawks

With the trade deadline looming, I found myself wondering how many of our Ducks would be playing their last game as a Duck in Chicago tonight. Would the outcome of this game make a difference in any of those trade decisions?

Either way, I was hoping for a win in Chicago. How amazing would this road trip be, if we could get away with winning four out of the six games?

But, we could easily lose this one too. After all, these are the Blackhawks and this game is in their home territory. It's not a nice, warm fuzzy feeling out there in Chitown.

And it wasn't warm fuzzies that I felt as the Hawks owned that first goal barely one minute into the first period. It wasn't warm fuzzies either that I felt as the Ducks came up with nothing in their first power play. It's as if our boys tripped up right out of the gate.

They stepped up their game in the second half of the first period, Mike Brown made an amazing play, single-handedly maneuvering around a wall of red jerseys and coming out on a one-on-one with Hawks' netminder Cristobal Huet. A skilled pokecheck by Huet stopped his goal attempt, but I'm very impressed with Brown's moxy.

The Ducks get a couple more goal opportunities, can't capitalize, but I feel like they're trying to meet their aggressors mid-ice now. J.S. Giguere is in net, starting every game in this road trip. He can't do much to stop the Hawks' second goal, a breakaway that leaves Steve Montador the lone defenseman in the Anaheim zone against three advancing forwards.

Those Blackhawks can move, let me tell you. They've got speed, they've got strength, and they've got agility. It's downright scary.

Ducks go on a penalty kill later on in the first. Brown impresses again as he makes a short-handed breakaway for the net. He fires on Huet, it's blocked, but he catches his own rebound and fires again. Huet sprawls, makes the save, and the puck bounces behind the net where Brown almost reclaims it AGAIN.

Go Brown! He's winning over teammates and fans with this game.

Giggy's making some great saves, but then, so is Huet. Ducks finish the first without a mark on the scoreboard, 0-2.

There's a couple of lucky breaks for our Ducks in the second period. Giggy barely pins a puck, but it's slipping past him and into the net. The whistle is blown right as one of the Hawks attempts to poke it through. If they hadn't done that, I think it would have been a valid goal.

Soon after, Huet makes the fatal error of being caught outside the crease for too long, Perry fires it in front, and Drew Miller knocks it into a nearly empty net for his first goal of the season.

And two minutes later, my boy Bobby Ryan makes his 22nd goal of the season after being in the right place at the right time, as he always seems to be. Pronger slams the puck from the blue line. It goes just wide of the net, but Andrew Ebbett is on it, taking it around the net and firing it out front. The Hawk defenders are tied up with Teemu, and Huet is caught off guard as the puck bounces into the slot just as Bobby is skating up to the net. A quick shot over a sprawling Huet ties the game.

I'm telling you, that second line continues to rock!

Our Ducks are super fired up now. They make continuous shots on net, fighting hard in the Blackhawk zone. A pair of attempts eat pipe, but no net. Their momentum takes them right into a power play, but unfortunately, they can't set up to make any shots on goal.

There's a tense moment as George Parros takes a high stick to the right eye. Play continues, but I'm worried about our Ducks enforcer. He shows up on the ice for his next shift, with a bandaged cut under his right eye. Thank goodness. Travis Moen takes a hit and limps back to the Ducks' bench, no word on him for the rest of the period.

Before the period ends, the Duck do a terrific job killing a penalty against Brendan Morrison. Our boys definitely took control this period. And we go into the second intermission tied 2-2.

The third period starts with a similar feel. Lots of action, lots of moving the puck around. Both teams are playing ferociously, it's like watching a playoff match. The first half of the period goes without any goals. I'm holding my breath all the way up to the last minute of the game. There are some amazing saves by Giggy, some beautiful attempts by the Ducks in front of Huet, and some impressive footwork by the Duck defenders.

As the game goes into overtime, I'm thankful the Ducks are taking at least a point away from this one. It's a turnover that lands a puck into the Duck net, despite a galiant effort by Perry to defend. Yes, it's a loss, but I think the Ducks put up a very good fight. Final score, 2-3.

The trade debate

This year's NHL trade deadline is being so highly promoted that even my sports-clueless coworker, the one who thinks that the Ducks/Kings crosstown rivalry has something to do with little league baseball, said to me: "I bet you're hoping your Ducks get a great deal before that deadline is up, huh?"

You bet.

More specifically, I'm hoping the suits don't do something stupid and trade away any of our best veteran Ducks right as we're clinching a playoff spot.

If there's no chance we can make the playoffs, that's one thing. But if we do happen to make it, I don't want us to be down and out before we even get a chance to battle for the Cup. I want Chris Pronger, Scotty Niedermayer, and J.S. Giguere wearing Duck jerseys as they play postseason games. I've heard a lot of rumors, particularly about these three, as the trade deadline looms.

My buddy Josh Brewster even wrote an article about the Pronger rumors. By the way, I entirely agree with him. Pronger has been holding his own. Yes, the team has been struggling this season, but I don't think it has anything to do with Pronger not pulling his own. Hell, what do you expect from a guy who's had to play alongside a new blueliner practically every other game? Why trade off such a valuable defenseman when it seems so improbable that we'd be getting at least an equally valuable player for him? What if you do trade Pronger, and Scotty decides to retire at the end of the season? What do you do without either of your two big D-men?

Pronger has even gone on record to say that he doesn't want to be traded. "I love playing here in Anaheim with the Ducks and I love living here in California."

And us fans love having him here. Sure, he doesn't really have a say in what the big guns do with him, but it's gotta mean something that he doesn't want to leave.

On an emotional note, I've gotten the chance to meet Pronger and watch him interact with fans and his fellow teammates. The guy belongs. If you've ever seen him in this capacity, you know what I mean. The team wouldn't be the same without him.

I believe the same is true for Giggy. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again. Yes, he's had a tough year. Yes, he hasn't been as consistent as we would like him to be. But, in the end, Giggy is one of the best goaltenders out there. Hasn't he been proving that with the last couple of games he's played? Randy Carlyle thinks so. I love that he's entrusted Giggy to start these past couple of games. It's only right that you stand by the guy who has brought your team through so much.

If Giggy gets traded, I will be very surprised indeed. I almost want to bring a sign to the next game I attend: "In Giggy we trust"

Speaking of surprises, what do you all make of the Chris Kunitz/Ryan Whitney trade? Initially, I was emotionally bothered by the trade. I like Chris Kunitz. He's a fan favorite and a team favorite. He's one of the Stanley Cup boys. I didn't even think he was on the table. To lose him, and a promising prospect, seemed like a mistake to me. I know Ryan Whitney's supposed to be a great defenseman, but he better be darn good to lose two players over.

I guess it doesn't help that I haven't heard many positive things about Whitney this season. Being in hockey-sterile Socali, I haven't heard much of anything about Whitney. I'll watch him closely during the next couple of games, seeing as I'll have to construct my own evidence-based theories about him.

Something that helps the Kunitz pill go down a little easier, I do believe the trade was a good thing for Kunitz's career. In the very next game that he played with the Pittsburg Penguins, alongside superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, he made a goal and an assist and helped bring the win. If the Pens needed a good guy to join a scoring line, they got one with Kuny.

Still, I'm keeping his picture on the Wall O' Fame over there on the right, at least til the end of the season.

Last man of note is our dear Captain, Scott Niedermayer. I understand he's putting Bob Murray in a bit of a hard place, being mum about his postseason plans. If Scotty is intending to retire, he hasn't let that on. But Murray has been quoted as saying he has no intention of trading Scotty.

I certainly hope not. I love Scott Niedermayer. Players like him are one in a million. And after everything he has done for this club, he deserves to retire with them.

I guess I'll be holding my breath all the way up until Wednesday afternoon.