Ducks vs Minnesota Wild

"Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!"--chants from the crowd as Bobby Ryan is award the game's First Star

It was definitely one helluva game for my boy Bobby Ryan. With two goals and an assist, Bobby stepped up big time in response to the loss of Ryan Getzlaf on the top line. Getzy is out day-to-day with that leg laceration incurred in Saturday's game against the San Jose Sharks.

Teemu Selanne and Joffrey Lupul are also still out on injury, but Ducks fans would welcome back center Ryan Carter and call-up Troy Bodie in tonight's contest.

...To be continued (my apologies, I'm exhausted and fell asleep mid-post!)...

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 at Phoenix, vs Coyotes

Yours truly was working through this game as well. I remembered to set the VCR this time; however, after hearing our hometown heroes get completely blanked by the Desert Dogs, I had no desire whatsoever to watch the tape.

All I have to say is, why the heck didn't J.S. Giguere start? Ducks played a game the night before, a very vigorous game in low-oxygen Denver, and had to deal with a snow storm when they left the city. They got into Phoenix late the next day, and I'm sure the lack of rest didn't help our boys any at all.

Not that I'm trying to make excuses for our Ducks' poor performance, but when the freshest players on your roster are your healthy scratches and your alternate goalie, wouldn't you think you'd at least start that goalie??

I mean, Jonas Hiller doesn't exactly have the best back-to-back record, but even if he had, I would much rather see a rested goalie behind a tired defense.

I guess Hiller has the better record against the Coyotes, but not anymore... not with a shutout against him. He was changed out for Giguere about halfway through the third, but Jiggy still let in a goal by Robert Lang.

This one is better left forgotten. Rest up boys, enjoy your Christmas and bring it against the Sharks come Saturday.

Ducks at Denver, vs Avalanche

Yours truly was stuck at work for the majority of this game, listening to the radio feed. I'd forgotten to set the ole VCR, but hearing that there was no television feed for the first hour or so of the game, I suppose I didn't miss anything there!

The starting lineups were announced, Jonas Hiller in net versus surprise sensation Craig Anderson. Evgeny Artyukhin and Steve Eminger are healthy scratches again. I don't know about you, but I smell trade.

Listening to a radio feed at work isn't my favorite way to enjoy a Ducks' game. I'm not really listening, not really getting into the game. I can't completely focus on what my boys are doing, so I'm only reacting to major events like goals, fights, and penalties.

Oh well. The bills need to get paid.

In the opening period, the Avalanche got on the board first, and my heart sank as I heard the Denver goal horn blare. During the second, it sounded like our boys put puck after puck on Anderson, but the netminder was a complete wall blocking everything. This game would see the highest shots on goal by our hometown heroes to date this season... usually teams are sweetly rewarded for such efforts.

Luckily, the hockey gods noticed. Coming down to the last half of the third, and after the Avalanche went up another goal (2-0), the wheels suddenly fell off that Denver train. Turning the tide with a controversial goal from Captain Scotty Niedermayer, my boy Bobby Ryan got caught in the Avalanche goal crease with Anderson, arguably unable to get out of the way. It could have been a questionable goaltender interference call, but the zebras left their whistles alone.

Personally, and yes, call me a homer, but I believe even without Bobby in that crease, Anderson would not have been able to turn fast enough to block Scotty's bid on goal. He was following Ryan Getzlaf, who had sped up the middle and passed the puck to Corey Perry on the left wing before a quick feed to Niedermayer on the other side of the slot. And let's not forget the Avs defender who crashed the crease with Bobby. He would have been there, interfering with Anderson too.

Either way, it was a goal for Anaheim, and it paved the way to three more before the game ended.

The second goal (three minutes after the first) was a beauty of a play by our second line. Matt Belesky cycled the puck down low and got it behind the net to Saku Koivu. He came up from below the goal line, his Avalanche defender all over him, but does a nifty spin move to elude the defender long enough to pass that puck through the crease to Dan Sexton who had magically found open space. Sexton snapped the puck behind Anderson before the netminder had a chance to move his eyeballs.

I was able to watch the last period at home, and felt truly treated. It was as if my boys suddenly knew I was watching and decided to step up.

With that second goal, our boys tied things up 2-2. Suddenly, a point in an otherwise lost game seemed possible. And then, miracle of miracles, Getzlaf sinks another goal with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. Bobby battled for a puck in the corner and managed to get it to Perry behind the goal line. He pushed his way to the front of the crease but had the puck poked off his stick by Anderson. Over-extended, the goaltender couldn't get back into position when Getzy caught the puck milliseconds later, and lifted it over the downed netminder.

To rub salt in an already gaping wound, Todd Marchant would seal the win with an empty netter 11 seconds from the final horn.

And Duck fans would rejoice an amazing comeback that, for once, was on their side of the ice.

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