Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers

You know this is going to be big one. Anaheim and Edmonton? Oh, they HATE each other. When they're nose to nose in the Western Conference, fighting for a playoff position? You'd better believe they hate each other even more. This isn't just going to be a hockey game, people. This is going to be a display of grit and power and dirty determination.

This is war.

We've got J.S. Giguere in net, which does make me a little nervous. Not because I think Giggy might choke, but more so because of the history between these two clubs. I don't want Giggy losing his concentration because of how dirty this game is sure to get. I don't want him starting a fight and getting penalized. In any case, Dwayne Roloson is in net for the Oilers, his 30-something-ith consecutive game.

A little over a minute into the game, Ducks lose a turnover and a sloppy defensive play lends to the first goal in the Duck net by ex-Duck Dustin Penner. Less than another minute later, another turnover in the Anaheim zone and another goal for the Oilers.

At this point, Jonas Hiller suits up and it looks like Giggy's getting pulled.

A fight breaks out as George Parros drops gloves with Jacques. It slows the game down, gives the Duck players on the bench a moment to cool off as they're undoubtedly taking a mental hit with this bad start, and gives coach Carlyle a chance to let Giggy know he's going back in and he's gotta pull it together.

Still, there's no denying that this looks really bad. We're only three minutes into the game and we're already trailing by two. Our Ducks try as hard as they can to reverse the direction of this game. They make a number of excellent shots on goal, but Roloson looks like he's going to be stellar tonight.

Four minutes later, my boy Bobby Ryan feeds it from behind the net to Corey Perry, who quickly passes it to Ryan Getzlaf on the other side of the crease, and it's in. The play is fast and precise and perfect. And that's what it takes to get one by Roloson.

Bobby puts a big hit on Oilers badguy Steve Gagner and, less than a minute later, the Oilers retaliate with an inadvertent high stick that leaves my favorite player flat on his stomach on the ice. Penalty for Moreau.

Let's put that red hot power play to work. Unfortunately, there are lots of good attempts, but no goals. I'm sensing a pattern here. I'm going to get a headache watching this game cuz it's just that intense. I'm happy to see all of our Ducks participating. Todd Marchant whips a killer turnaround onto the net in one smooth motion. It's blocked, but the crowd cheers their approval of the attempt. Mike Brown is hitting, James Wisniewski is dealing some bangers from the blue line, Petteri Nokelainen is pushing in deep to fight for pucks in the corners. Our boys are playing like everything's on the line.

And it is.

Another fight breaks out, this time between Parros and Stortini. Another five for fighting for Parros. One more and Big George is done.

And it's only the first period.

Teemu Selanne gets his stick slapped away. An interference call is made on Horcoff, another power play for our Ducks. Bobby tries to stuff it into the crease, but an Oiler flings it out and it exits the rink: 5-on-3 power play!

Ducks can't capitalize, but if you wanted to see a dirty hockey game, this is it. Roloson pushes Getzlaf against the piping, knocking the net off its moorings and causing a stoppage of play. Tempers flare at the end of every whistle as players square off and get into scrums. Lots of pushing and shoving between Perry and Souray, including a cross-check from Souray that gets him a penalty. Somehow, Perry is also given two minutes.

But they'll be served next period. We start the first intermission trailing, 1-2.

We start the second with the rest of the power play. Bobby passes to Pronger at the point who puts a huge slap shot on Roloson. The rebound rolls right in front of Getzlaf. He uses his skate to push the puck to his stick and just past Roloson's right leg and over the goal line. The fans are cheering, but the goal has to go to video review because they're questioning if Getzlaf kicked the puck into the goal. Fans scream again as the goal is considered good. We're tied 2-2.

That's Getzlaf's second goal and Bobby's second assist point of the game.

Shortly thereafter, it's the Oilers turn for a power play as Nokelainen gets a tripping call. There's a breakaway by Drew Miller and Marchant, but the goal is denied by Roloson. Unfortunately, Penner is left alone again with the puck, and he capitalizes. Less than 30 seconds later, Brendan Mikkelson gets caught in an aggressive forecheck behind the Anaheim net. He coughs up the puck right into the slot and it's driven home. At the end of that play, Brown drops gloves but his Oiler opponent skates away. Brown gets two in the box.

This time, Giggy's out for good. Hiller has to take up the net right in the middle of an Edmonton power play. That's gotta be tough. We've already given up 4 goals. I hope it isn't too late to save this game. To think, three minutes ago, we'd tied it up.

*sigh*

Hiller stays true and the Edmonton pp is killed off. Right after, the Oilers are penalized for having too many players on the ice. We need this one, boys. No goals, but right as that penalty comes up to expire, Oilers get another one after tripping Ryan Whitney. Another two minutes of power play for our boys. More attempts but no goals, and then a scrum involving the normally mild mannered Selanne and Bobby, and then Pronger and Getzlaf as they join the fray. And then Roloson charges out of his crease!

It's totally out of control.

The penalties are dealt to Selanne and Bobby, two minutes each for roughing. An Oiler gets two for roughing, and Roloson gets two for leaving the crease (which, of course, he doesn't have to personally serve). This doesn't bode well for the Duck power play, but they still make an excellent attempt. The Captain is robbed point blank and Getzlaf shows us that white boys really can jump as he flies to snatch a puck two feet over his head to keep it in the zone.

At the end of that penalty, the Oilers string another one on. Two minutes for delay of game as the puck is flipped over the glass. More power play! I hope Hiller hasn't fallen asleep on the other side of the ice.

Even with six minutes of power play, no goals for the Ducks. Roloson must have been a baseball player in another life or something, every puck that comes near him ends up in his glove. Things are heating up again. Every play ends with a scrum in front of whatever goal crease the players are closest to. Hiller gets a chance to make some great saves of his own.

I hate to say it, but it's starting to look like one of the Ducks' pre-trade deadline games... the ones where Anaheim completely outshoots their opponent but just can't seem to buy a goal. At the end of the second, it's 2-4.

Right off the bat, Wisniewski gets himself a tripping penalty. Ducks on the penalty kill, and some gasping near-misses by our pk Ducks (Marchant and Brown) in getting a short-handed goal.

Off the penalty kill, our top line starts a cycle play, Getzlaf handing off behind him to Perry, who cycles around the net and right through the slot undefended, waiting, waiting, Souray goes down in front of the crease and the only thing between Perry and the net is Bobby. He winds up and chips the puck over the fallen defenseman and goaltender and right around Bobby to hit paydirt.

Corey Perry, gotta love him.

In the next shift, the Oilers get a penalty for cross-checking the Captain. Shot upon shot on the Oiler goaltender... and I have to ask, what kind of crazy energy is Roloson on?? He has made so many incredible saves, and I know they're incredible because our Ducks have been incredible in putting them on the net. On the momentum of the Perry goal, our boys are playing with renewed vigor. Aggressive forechecks, keeping the puck primarily on the Edmonton end, forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. But they can't get that power play equalizer.

They get another chance off a high sticking penalty. Bobby takes yet another stick to the face, this one draws blood. I swear, my boy has a freakin' bullseye on him tonight or something. The first shift took the entire first minor and left the Oil penalty killers gasping for air. Somehow, our boys can't get one past Roloson. Selanne's bid hits pipe and flies into the netting, ending the shift and the power play. The second pp of the double minor goes much like the first.

This is no longer a Ducks vs Oilers game. It's a Ducks vs Roloson game. We need that equalizer and we need it bad.

C'mon boys, we're running out of time here.

And, like so many games this season, 54 shots made on that Edmonton goal (incidentally, that's a franchise record for shots on goal in any one game) but our boys fall short where it really counts. To add insult to injury, the Oil manage one last empty net goal to beat the Ducks, 5-3.

Check that, Roloson beat the Ducks, 5-3.