Ducks at Dallas, vs Stars

After that heinous shutout loss in Boston, our Ducks need NEED NEED a win today. It's a weird 2pm game, noon PST, which throws off yours truly on a Saturday. But, after an untelevised Bruin game, and a Sabres game which was only watchable on Versus (which I don't have), I'm itching to see my boys again.

And I'm wanting to see this new acquisition, Ryan Whitney, in action.

The Dallas Stars are tied with the Ducks, along with the Edmonton Oilers and the Minnesota Wild for positions 6 through 10 in the Western Conference standings. Needless to say, there's a lot riding on this game for both teams. Later today, the Wild and the Oilers are playing against each other. It'll be interesting to see the standings once the day's games have come to a close.

J.S. Giguere is in net again, Randy Carlyle is staying true to his elite netminder. Nothing against Jonas Hiller, who's still phenomenal in his own right, but I think it's important to show everyone that we still have faith in Giggy.

Ryan Getzlaf is still stuck playing in a visor to protect his broken nose... and that definitely changes his game. I grind my teeth knowing nothing has come of Sabre's Gaustad from that hit.

Anyway.

Andrew Ebbett, Bobby Ryan, and Teemu Selanne are out putting pressure on Stars' netminder Marty Turco. Bobby takes a big hit as he runs down the puck, and he's able to pass it to Ebbett who gets it to the Captain. Patiently waiting for the Star defenders to open up a shooting lane, he fakes, and then makes a shot... and it's in!

Two minutes into the game and the Ducks score first.

Ebbett and Bobby get points for the assist. As much as I wax poetic about my boy Bobby, I have to admit that Ebbett is also making quite a name for himself as a rookie on this club. He's gotten his share of assist points, but without as much fan fare. What can I say, I love them both on this second line with Teemu.

I'm impressed watching Chris Pronger out there with Whitney. Pronger at 6'6" and Whitney at 6'4", hell, that's a lot of defense to tangle with!

There's a nailbiter of a potential goal by Drew Miller. The puck dangled along the goal line but never completely crossed it. Upon video review, the officials deem a no goal.

It could have brought the Ducks ahead 2-nothing, but not this time.

Goal or no goal, I'm still a little miffed that Miller came up in exchange for Brian Salcido being sent back down to the Chops. I kinda wanted hometown boy Salcido to spend some more time in the NHL. I liked what I'd seen of him so far, but maybe Carlyle doesn't think it's his time, what with so many teams angling for playoff positions.

My boy Bobby takes another big hit. Looks like he's playing aggressive today. In fact, our Ducks seem to be the aggressors, at least for this period. But the Stars have an impressive forecheck.

What was I saying about aggressive? Sheldon Brookbank makes a huge hit on Eriksson, and then Trevor Daley steps in to take Brookbank on. The two get five for fighting, but Daley also takes the instigator penalty and is out for the rest of the period for misconduct. That's skirmish number two for Brookbank who, if you remember, came to Mike Brown's aid in the last game and took a misconduct.

The Ducks make good on the resulting power play. Pronger patiently measures out his slap shot, waiting for that shooting lane, and bam! It banks off Ebbett and goes home, for his fourth goal of the season. Ducks widen their lead, 2-0.

Hehe. To quote the commentator, "The silence in the Dallas arena is deafening."

Ducks take the lead going into the first intermission. That's gotta feel good.

The second period opens with the Stars on the power play thanks to a holding penalty
by Teemu. Unfortunately, the Stars capitalize on the man advantage and close the Duck lead to 2-1.

Another big hit by Bobby as he steals the puck on the resulting turnover, spins around, and passes it to Ebbett who narrowly misses the net. Definitely an impressive try. Shortly after, Bobby takes a penalty for holding and our Ducks are on a penalty kill again.

Once Bobby's back out, he puts some major pressure on Turco by deftly out-maneuvering the Stars defenseman and coming one on one up to the crease. Good save by Turco, but I'm pretty sure that, if he wasn't looking out for Bobby before, he definitely is now.

The Stars manage to get the puck back into the Ducks zone and repeatedly defy the Ducks from clearing it. Tired and sporting a man without a stick (Corey Perry), the Ducks allow the Stars to pass one by Perry and swiftly slam it through Giguere.

It's a tied game, and I'm wondering what the hell has happened to the Ducks that were playing that first period?? It's as if the Stars have them reeling over backwards, unable to get back on their feet.

There's two unfruitful power plays, then a series of loose pucks nervously bouncing all around Giguere's crease, and then a couple of Star shots that hit pipe. I'm amazed only those two goals got by Giggy, he's doing a great job. I almost can't watch, this is insane! The period mercifully ends, but it's still tied 2-2 so the third will be a scramble for the game.

The third period opens with some aggressive plays. Broken sticks are strewn all over the ice, just a sign of how hard everyone is playing. The Stars manage a breakaway pitting two against one, and Giggy has no chance against the fancy pass move between Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro.

Stars take the lead for the first time in this game, 3-2.

George Parros takes a minor for interference, it's barely a penalty, but it's still one nonetheless. Bad time to take a penalty, boys. Giggy is tested, but holds true. No additional goals for the Stars this time.

Then, Perry and Getzlaf take the puck down the ice behind Turco. Perry takes it towards the crease on a wraparound, evades Turco's poke check, and stuffs it into the slot in one fell swoop. Ducks tie up the game, 3-3.

Shortly thereafter, Ebbett cleanly picks the puck out of a Stars' pocket and, in a charge for the net, passes it just over the flailing stick of a defender flat on the ice, to Selanne, who drives it home. Amazing play! Ducks retake the lead, 4-3.

If our boys can just keep the Stars from scoring again... we might actually have this one.

Miller ends up with an iffy holding penalty, and the Stars go on a huge power play. I'm holding my breath through each faceoff, and I'm seriously missing Sammy Pahlsson! Giggy blocks shot after shot on the net, not that there's too many because the Duck defenders are doing a heckuva job blocking the shooting lanes. They kill the penalty and focus on just getting that puck in deep for the next three minutes.

And a tense three minutes they are. Stars have possession for a majority of this time, with the puck in the Anaheim zone. Giggy is amazing, despite all of the traffic in front of his net. The guys are doing what they can to buy time. Turco anxiously awaits his call back to the Dallas bench. I have to laugh as Miller heads out in front of the Dallas net to mess with the Stars as they regroup after a change and start back towards the Anaheim zone. He's like a fly in your face.

Finally, the Stars advance and Turco leaves the net empty. Players scramble in the Anaheim zone, the Stars making blocked shots, the Ducks catching rebounds and unable to clear the zone. A huge shot is made, beautifully blocked by Giguere, and it's sent back down the ice.

Dallas calls a timeout with 2.5 seconds left on the clock.

The faceoff will be Getzy against Ribeiro. As they scramble for the puck, which never leaves the dot because there's just too many players on top of it, the horn sounds the end of the game, and Giguere steps out of his goal crease to grab Ott around the head. He pulls the guy away and delivers a blow.

That's the only hint our boys need. Everyone charges the net, but Travis Moen reaches them first. He pummels Ott, smashing his fist repeatedly into a guy who has made an extreme annoyance of himself the entire game. He goaded Brookbank at the end of the second period, I believe, but would not drop the gloves. I'm understanding he's got a broken hand which will keep him from fighting, but it doesn't stop him from yapping... nor does it stop him from delivering repeated back checks to Scotty during that final faceoff.

Giggy saw those back crosschecks right in front of him and, after the horn blew, he came to the aid of his Captain. That, right there, is my favorite moment of this game (but there were plenty others to choose from).

After the dust settled, Moen and Ott both got five-minute fighting majors, Giggy got two minutes for roughing (but it was totally worth it), and Ott even got a match penalty. And the best part? Ducks end the day in 7th place, and in playoff standing, for the Western Conference.

Congrats, Giggy, on an incredible 200th career win.