Ducks vs. Calgary Flames

I'm very excited to be AT this game; it'll be my very first Ducks game on home ice. I met up with a fellow Duck fan and meetup member (my meetup endeavor didn't prove very fruitful, but I've at least found a handful of Duck faithfuls to talk to).

Wearing my black Bobby Ryan #54 t-shirt, I loved being around so many other Ducks fans. Very cool. My friend and I had a brief ticket snafu, but were still able to get to our seats in time to watch a special opening ceremony. Steve Rucchin made an appearance to present Teemu Selanne with a photo collage award for playing the most games in the history of the club.


Way to go, Teemu!

As the game starts, I realize how far up our seats actually are. Considering I won my tickets (and didn't have to pay a cent for them), I'll take what I can get. But, my fear of heights would have kicked in if I hadn't been so damn excited.


Don't breathe too hard, there's limited oxygen up here.


Look at those championships!

As has been the Ducks tradition, the first goal of the game goes to Calgary. Argh. J.S. Giguere is starting in net again, having won our last game also against the Flames on Saturday. However, we don't get the luck of having Curtis McElhinney in the Flames net. Instead, it'll be the daunting Miikka Kiprusoff.

Before the game is six minutes in, George Parros decides to go for Round Two with Andre Roy, whom he fought when Calgary hosted the Ducks five days ago. I think our boys did well with that energy, as they made shot after shot on goal. But see, this is Kiprusoff they're up against, and getting anything past that netminder is close to impossible.

The Ducks get their first power play on the heels of an injury to Ryan Getzlaf. Anytime you see a guy as important as Getzlaf limping off the ice, you get that feeling of dread in your stomach. I prayed Getz would return while anxiously watching a number of Chris Pronger's shots on goal get denied by a on-the-ball Kiprusoff.

As the power play comes to a close, Getzlaf comes back onto the ice and much cheering is heard.

The first period finishes with the scoreboard reading 0-1, but not for lack of energy. Our boys were fighting hard. I just hoped they'd have something to show for it.

At the first intermission, it was time for one of the most important events of the game: hot dogs and bevvies. My friend treated me to a wiener and a coke, yummy.

Can I just say I'm really liking the Ducks' second line. Teemu, my boy Bobby Ryan, and Andrew Ebbett just seem to mesh together. They pass well, they anticipate each others' moves... it just looks like it works well. I love it.


Expect good things to happen when you see #54, #8, and #48 on the ice together.

And then, we get a chance to see if Mike Brown, who the Ducks just acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, can live up to his words. I remember reading an article shortly after his acquisition, in which he referred to himself as a physical player. He likes to fight, he likes to agitate the opponent. Supposedly, this was the reason why he's been added to the Ducks' roster. And wow, Brown comes through like a champ. I watched him deliver a series of blows to Eric Nystrom, and consequently receiving more than a nod from his teammates on the bench.

The number of shots on the Flames goal heads skyward, yet no reflection on the scoreboard. Kiprusoff remains cool as a cucumber.

Actually, Giggy is making quite a few excellent saves as well. He just hasn't seen as much action as the puck has been spending most of its time on the other side of the rink. And Corey Perry's doing some pretty moves of his own. Look for those on the highlight reel.

Finally, a break? Dion Phaneuf is sent to the box on a hooking penalty and we have another Ducks power play. Indeed, our boys capitalize. The Captain jumps on a rebound and slams it home. The crowd, including yours truly, erupts. It's tied, 1-1.


If you're looking at this in your zone and Getzlaf is in that faceoff, you should probably keep your eyes open for pucks.

Before the end of the period, the Flames grab back the lead. Did I mention I'm expecting the Ducks to lose this one? Again, not for lack of faith, but more so superstition. Seems when I honestly expect them to lose, they don't. With less than a minute to go, Ebbett takes an open ice hit from Phaneuf's elbow (or shoulder, hard to tell) to the face, breaking his nose. There's no call... are we surprised? But Chris Pronger gets two minutes in the box for coming to his teammate's defense.

How stupid is that? I suppose we Ducks fans should be used to bad calls.

In the third, after Pronger gets out of the box, Getzlaf wins a puck from out of the boards and passes it straight to Brendan Morrison, who sends it in past Kiprusoff for a goal. Yay! 2-2 and we're tied again.

The rest of the period is a nailbiter, tons of excellent plays, tons of excellent saves. But nobody retaking the lead. The horn blows at the end of regulation and a multiple player scrum erupts in front of the Calgary net. Chris Kunitz and Cory Sarich are sent to the box. It's going to be 3 on 3 in overtime.

No less than 55 seconds into overtime, Scott Niedermayer sends a marvelous pass from Todd Marchant at Kiprusoff. The puck carems off the netminder's stick and into his goal.

Ducks win it in overtime, 3 to 2!! My friend and I are jumping up and down, screaming and cheering, the Ducks' bench empties and all the boys are out on the ice, piling around Scotty. He manages to sneak off, but the guys keep celebrating. And they should, cuz they truly deserved this one.


Hey, where's the guy who just won the game?