Ducks vs San Jose Sharks

Two words, people: JONAS HILLER


Somebody get this boy a steak dinner!

This game, along with its two points, came courtesy of none other than our Shark Killer. Oh, and Bobby Ryan helped by scoring the game's only goal.

Needless to say, it was an incredible game, with playoff-style hockey being played by both teams for all three periods. Our Anaheim Ducks came out full blast for this one, and I'm glad they did because there were wayyyy too many Sharks fans at the Ponda for comfort.

I mean, I suspected it would be bad... a weekend game against a hated division rival whose fans are just itching to visit Southern California. Hey, I don't blame them. We've got Disneyland just down the street. What does San Jose have??

Exactly.


Sections 408 and 409 aka, "The Sardine Can"

These fans were loud as they stomped through the halls of the Ponda pregame. Chanting, "Ducks suck" and "Let's go Sharks" it was pretty annoying. We Duck fans agreed: Our boys had no choice but to win this one and send those fans back on their long bus ride to NorCal crying.


Shark sushi bento box?

To credit Ducks fans, I think we did a pretty good job cheering and keeping the momentum going for our boys. The crowd was loud and in it from the beginning. I'm sure our boys could feel it. They played very well, keeping excellent pressure on the Sharks during the first period.

Exhausted but satisfied, they went to the locker room for the first intermission with a pair of donuts on the scoreboard.


Hiller even managed to keep rookie sensation Logan Couture #39 off the board

Honestly, I was holding my breath through every one of Hiller's saves. He was on fire, catching or blocking puck after puck with his usual Swiss flair, but that doesn't mean the Sharks didn't try to challenge him. The Ducks put not nearly as many shots on the Sharks goaltender, but they were able to string together some good line rushes themselves.


Ducks' star rookie vs Sharks' star rookie

Finally, relief! Over 14 minutes into the 2nd, Bobby Ryan, with the patience of Job, wove the puck around the crease and was able to shoot it past the mess of bodies for the game's first and only goal. I'm not sure if goaltender interference could have been called, but Antti Niemi kept silent.


Ducks mobbing Bobby after his goal

I have to show my boy a little love here and say he has definitely stepped up his game in Ryan Getzlaf's absence. That's his third goal in two games. Ride that hot streak, Bobby!

The rest of the game fed off of pure adrenaline, fan frenzy, and the awesomeness that is Jonas Hiller.



The Ducks penalty kill was put to the test. Two of three were played almost entirely in the Ducks' zone, the full two minutes added to the TOI totals of all penalty killers involved. Kudos to Todd Marchant and Toni Lydman for being simply amazing.




Hiller's secret weapon: spinach instead of gatorade. j/k

As the clock wound down, the Sharks started to get desperate and take a few penalties of their own. Saku Koivu was seen down in the slot after a play, big Joe Thornton sitting on top of him and crosschecking repeatedly. Luckily, the refs saw it too.


That's right, take a seat

No goals would be scored during the two Ducks powerplays, but taking those four minutes off the clock proved fatal.

The Chokes Sharks failed to equalize, Shark fans bolted from the stands, and Hiller got his shutout... and first star of the game.


A fist bump from Wild Wing


Congrats, Hiller, you deserve it!

Ducks vs San Jose Sharks, preseason

Thanks to last-minute tickets from my friend J, I was able to attend my Ducks first preseason game against the San Jose Chokes Sharks. (Sorry, just a little trash talk there!)



We could only watch the 2nd period and the first half of the 3rd, but we were treated to four Duck goals and enough line chemistry to leave happy!



Again, it's a preseason game, and we had big names on the ice. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Jonas Hiller had a lot to do with the 5-2 win. Hiller stopped all 19 of the shots he faced in the first half of the game. Ex-Sharks prospect Timo Pielmeier also did well, finishing the game by stopping all but 2 of his 21 shots. I'm not sure if the Sharks were rookie-heavy on this game roster, but I did notice scorers Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi, and Torey Mitchell out there. So there wasn't a complete imbalance of talent!


Perry and Lilja battle along the boards as Antero Niittymaki watches.

I was very curious to see how Niittymaki would do in the Sharks net. Having let perennial goaltender Evgeni Nabokov go in the offseason, Sharks picked up Niittymaki and Anti Niemi. Impressive on paper, but not so much in the net, Niittymaki would let in 4 of the 12 shots he faced.


Parros, Getzlaf, and Perry wore the As that night.


Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry, two-thirds of an awesome scoring line.

I was so happy to see Beleskey on the top line again with Perry and Getzlaf. I loved this line combination last season, and really believe Beleskey should stay there. He has the grit and the drive to crowd the crease and battle for pucks in the corners--an effective compliment to the "twins."


How strange yet somewhat familiar, seeing #25 up there for the Ducks.

I had hoped to see more of Andy Sutton's performance on the ice, although I have to admit that seeing his #25 up on the penalty board made me smile.

Also curious about how Danny Syvret would do (I've liked his play so far in training camp), I was happy to see him combine good defense and a willingness to shoot the puck, even though his goal during the game fortuitously knocked in off the back of a Shark skate.


The boys congratulate Syvret on his first preseason Duck goal.


Getzlaf would go on to score off a Beleskey assist, 18 seconds after Syvret's goal.


Syvret giving Luca Sbisa a few d-man pointers.

Sbisa and 2010 draftee Cam Fowler both played in this game too, having also played in last night's contest against the Phoenix Coyotes. Fowler did well, keeping a calm presence much beyond his years. He got his second assist in as many games. I thought Sbisa was a bit soft, but maybe he was just tired?


Big Joe Thornton, sitting in the sin bin and thinking about what he'd done (clumsily tripping over Pielmeier in the crease and earning himself a goaltender interference call).

It will be interesting to see who makes it out of camp for a spot on the starting roster and who gets sent back down to the minors or juniors. After last season's slow start, I'm hoping we can put together a much better product right out of the gate. This was a great comeback game for our Ducks going into their preseason roadtrip. Yes, just a preseason game, but it sure does feel nice to win!

2010 Playoffs, round 1 (Western)

Even though our hometown heroes are well on their way to various golf courses around the globe, yours truly is hoping Duck fans are still enjoying playoff hockey. If anything, it's kind of fun to cheer against long-time Duck rivals.

And this post-season, the games have been very entertaining so far. The Phoenix Coyotes are my self-proclaimed mistress team, so I've been quite entertained watching them take on the Detroit Red Wings. Ex-Duck goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has been stellar, capping off a Vezina-nominated season with what could be a legitimate run for the cup. Personally, yours truly would love to see this. The Coyotes have had their troubles this season, complete with ownership and bankruptcy squabbles that had most of the hockey purists denouncing the desert underdogs at the beginning of the season.

Under new coach Dave Tippett, the Yotes have fought their way into the post-season, breaking a number of franchise records in stride. They've risen dramatically in the playoffs, keeping pace with the Wings for a furiously entertaining series. Hockey enthusiasts can at least agree that both of these clubs have brought their best to the first round.

As a sidenote, I'm also enjoying seeing newly acquired ex-Duck Petteri Nokelainen bring his energy and enthusiasm to the Yotes. At least I get to see one of my boys in the playoffs.

I'm hoping to see the Yotes end the Wings' run early, and avenge my Ducks for last post-season's lame series-winning goal. It would be hockey justice, you know?

Also very intriguing is the San Jose Sharks contest against the eighth-seeded Colorado Avalanche. In keeping with the Sharks' post-season choking tradition, yours truly tuned in to last night's game just in time to watch Sharks veteran defenseman Dan Boyle fire a shot that was deflected behind his own goaltender within the first minute of overtime. I feel incredibly bad for Boyle, but I can't help but snicker at the Chokes' Sharks' misfortune.

I'm also keeping tabs on the Los Angeles Kings/Vancouver Canucks matchup. However, this is primarily to keep me aware of which nights to steer clear of the Staples Center. I've already mentioned how fond I am of Kings fans, and the hecklings I receive every time I step foot near Staples with my Bobby Ryan jersey. So here's hoping the Kings are quickly pushed out of their first playoffs since 2002.

I haven't been watching too many games in the Eastern Conference, highlights aside. But that will change as the rounds advance and there are less games to watch. Ducks fan or not, playoff hockey is playoff hockey.

Go Yotes/Avs/Canucks!

Ducks vs San Jose Sharks

Judging by the throngs of vocal Shark fans at the Ponda tonight, I'll say that the Sharks-Ducks rivalry is alive and kicking. Lots of empty seats at the Ponda, but lots of noise. Probably one of the noisiest games I've been to this season. Every time chants of "Let's go Sharks" started up, we Duck fans would drown them out with "Let's go Ducks."

Annoying, but I suppose that's the price you pay for living in such a great area: Tons of the opponent's fans in your arena.


Left to right, James Wisniewski, Ryan Whitney, and Saku Koivu in the starting lineup

Yours truly was incredibly happy to see James Wisniewski and Saku Koivu back out on the ice tonight. Ryan Carter is still out with a fractured foot, and looks to be out now for another four weeks.

The first period opened with some good pressure from our boys. They attacked the crease mercilessly, and put some great shots on Evgeni Nabokov. I'm liking the gritty play by our hometown heroes, and having Wiz back out there with his physical, self-sacrificing play is priceless.

Before there's any points on the board, George Parros goes fist to fist with Frazer McLaren after a big hit on newbee MacGregor Sharp (whose name reminds me of the farmer in those childhood Peter Rabbit tales). It's a good fight for Parros, and a well-earned 5 minutes in the sin bin.


Big George got some good ones in there

Again, I want to point out some excellent play by Nick Boynton at the blue line. Nicky was out there again, blocking shots and keeping Sharks on the perimeter. Petteri Nokeleinen is also worth mentioning, getting his stick into those passing lanes, intercepting passes and otherwise being a nuisance to the opposing team.

The Ducks start off the second period on the power play as my boy Bobby Ryan was tripped up behind the net at the end of the first. Wiz gets our boys on the board first, with a slap shot from the point. Naby had no traffic in front of him, it was a soft goal that should have been stopped.


Ducks celebrate Wiz's first goal of the season

But we'll take it! Ducks 1-0. Sweet goal for Wiz and an assist to Saku... gifts for our boys coming back from injuries.

An interesting new line combo for our Finnish duo, big guy Evgeny Artyukhin joins Saku and Teemu Selanne on the second line. He does have the speed, and I like the fact that Tuuk is a big physical player, a good compliment for our smaller Finns. Maybe Tuuk can add some grit to this line too, as Selanne has needed to step up his physical play in the corners to battle for pucks and Saku still worries me with the way he seems to get thrown around like a ragdoll on the ice.


Evgeny Artyukhin: "You hit Finn, I hit you."

Looking forward to seeing what this line manages to do.

Kudos to the Ducks for staying disciplined through such a physical game. Penalties were at a minimum, although there was a dumb crosschecking penalty to Ryan Whitney. Sharks spent more time in the box than our Ducks. On this unfortunate penalty, the Sharks would pull ahead with their second goal of the night.

Whitney redeemed himself, however, with the second Duck goal. Our Ducks were blessed by over a minute of 5-on-3. After a smash of bodies goes down in front of the Shark net and leaves both Bobby and Naby down on the ice, the puck squirts back to Whitney who unleashes a one-timer top shelf over both Bobby, who's practically curled up in the fetal position awaiting a potential puck hit, and Naby. Great shot, and crucial considering it evens things up for our boys as we go into the second intermission.


Perry is red-hot right now

Sharks would pull a lead with a third goal seconds after their power play expires. During that penalty kill, Todd Marchant had one killer of a chance to pull the Ducks into a lead with a shorthanded goal. He had Naby down and just couldn't angle that puck into the net.

The defeated attempt seemed to take the air out of our Ducks' sails. The rest of the period had a very lackluster feel, Ducks not skating enough in the offensive zone, Sharks content to defend. It was frustrating to watch, and even more frustrating to hear with all of those screaming Sharks fans in the Ponda.


Guppies swimming in formation

Our boys played well. I liked seeing all the shots taken by our blueliners at this game, hope the trend continues. Both of our goals came from d-men. I just wish our boys could have been rewarded with at least one point...

Hopefully better luck against Calgary on Monday!

Ducks vs San Jose Sharks (season opener)

Ugh.

The nausea-inducing score of 1-4 says it all. Our Ducks got trounced in their season opener against the San Jose Sharks. It's unfortunate that it had to happen in front of a packed house at the Ponda. It's unfortunate that it had to happen after a rousing opening ceremony. It's unfortunate that it had to happen after a final preseason game a little less than a week ago that showed so full of promise.

It's unfortunate that it had to happen at all.

But, if it helps any to try to rationalize it, we can point out that the Sharks came to Anaheim with a lot of pressure on their shoulders. They've been in town as early as yesterday morning, practicing at Anaheim Ice. Coming off a devastating 2-5 loss in their season opener against the Colorado Avalanche who, incidentally, finished off the 2008-09 season dead last, the Sharks were fueled for vengeance.

They had to prove that they could make their highly-publicized Joe Thornton/Dany Heatley combination work. They had to prove that they weren't just the President's Trophy winners who got knocked off in the first round of playoffs. There are a lot of analysts watching the Sharks... a whole heckuva lot more than those who are watching the Ducks, that's for sure.

And besides, there's a huge rivalry between these two teams, and that's enough to chap anyone's hide.


Ducks: *growl*
Sharks: *snarl*

What I'm hoping is that our Ducks take some valuable lessons from this game. For one, everyone needs to step up the defense. EVERYONE. Chris Pronger is no longer there to sweep rebound pucks off the doorstep. He's not there to make things uncomfortable for any opponent who chooses to hang out in our goal crease. Frankie Beauchemin is no longer there to hold up our blue line.

Jonas Hiller did all he could tonight, but when your defense is severely lacking, it makes your job all the harder.

As our Ducks struggled, they got angry and sloppy. They let emotions get the best of them. Top scorers like Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf ended up in the penalty box, where they are of absolutely no help to anyone. When a penalty would get whistled for the Sharks, there would be so much pushing and shoving that a Duck would also end up in the box too. Goodbye man-advantage. Not that it did much good, our power play just couldn't buy a goal.

I hope our Ducks were humiliated. I hope they remember how much this stings and vow to themselves not to let it happen again. After all, there's many more games to be played... and won!



Now let's focus on what was good today, a welcome back ceremony for Ducks fans including an afternoon on the red carpet.


It was a beautiful sunny day for Duck watching!


Mike Brown and the lovely Skylar from 'The Element'


Eric Christensen gets interviewed by Skylar


Big George Parros signing autographs


James Wisniewski


Evgeny Artyukhin


Jonas Hiller


Ryan Whitney


My boy Bobby Ryan who, I believe, was on the red carpet longest because he took so much time signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans.


Ryan Getzlaf... who I'm afraid will be completely bald before the end of the season =X


Sheldon Brookbank got married this summer. Sorry ladies!


Steve Eminger, who looks like he should be in on the cover of GQ. Hello ladies!


Andrew Ebbett... and the back of some lady's head.


J.S. Giguere


Arriving last, Teemu Selanne was quickly ushered down the red carpet and could only give fans a paparazzi-style wave

Oh, and another highlight? Yours truly got to ride the zamboni.



Our Ducks get a chance to let this one sink in before redeeming themselves next Tuesday in Minneapolis.

So long, J.R.

Hockey great Jeremy Roenick officially announced the end of his 20-year NHL career today. He gave a touching speech at his final press conference, and I found myself getting misty-eyed even though I don't really have any strong ties to ole J.R.

I mean, I wasn't yet a hockey fan during Roenick's rise to stardom with the Chicago Blackhawks. I also didn't start attending Kings games until the season after Roenick had played in a Kings' jersey; although I understand he's not exactly a favorite amongst Kings fans. Something about underachieving...

Still, his reputation as an incredible hockey player (he's the third highest scoring American-born player in the league to date) with an incredible personality made him a hockey icon and one of the more notorious athletes in a sport that could definitely use the attention. J.R. had opinions on everything and he wasn't shy about sharing them. He played his game the same way: gritty, uncensored, passionate. Love him, hate him, or don't care, anyone with anything to do with hockey knew of Jeremy Roenick.

He was the Alexander Ovechkin of his time.


Jeremy Roenick on the red carpet at the 2009 NHL Awards

Being a Ducks fan, it's a little bittersweet that my team stole away J.R.'s last chance at the Stanley Cup. The Ducks knocked the Sharks out of the playoffs in the first round, dashing hopes that Roenick would cap off a 20-year NHL career with hockey's Holy Grail held high over his head.

As happy as I was that my Ducks won the series, I did feel a bit bad for J.R.. If anyone was more deserving after 20 years in the NHL, after doing what he did for fans and players of the sport, I would have liked to see him get there. It would have seemed right, ya know?

Well, J.R., I still admire you. Cup or no cup, you've made your mark on this sport and people will remember you for your contributions, good and bad. I'm hoping we haven't heard and seen the last of you, outspoken commentary and outrageous dance moves included: