Ducks vs. New Jersey Devils

My work hours are very hockey-unfriendly. Meaning, I'm usually not able to watch the games as they happen because I work primarily evenings. The typical scenario is me, sitting at work, trying to answer phones and contribute to work flow while quietly listening to the AM radio on the internet. I set my VCR to record my games at home, ghetto-style, on a VHS tape, and I watch after I get off shift.

Pretty fabulous, isn't it?

Sometimes I don't even bother to try to listen to the games at work. There are way too many interruptions, and I'm not able to concentrate on either work nor the game. Tonight, I'm going to attempt to write this blog post while listening at work. Yes, I'm really that crazy.

Hopefully our Ducks give me a game worth all of this juggling!

There was some question as to what would happen to the lineups what with Corey Perry returning after his four-game suspension. Looks like he'll be on the first line with Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Kunitz. That means Bobby Ryan will probably be pushed back to the second line with Andrew Ebbett and Brendan Morrison. J.S. Giguere starts in net.

As the game starts off, I'm annoyed by way too many stupid questions over our work phones. *sigh* I miss the first goal by the Devils, but that's fine. (Although watching later, I see that it was quite a doozy, bouncing off of a Devils' helmet before landing into the goal net). And then a beauty of a goal by my Bobby Ryan, with an assist from Morrison. Well, I'm guessing it's beautiful, cuz I don't have a visual, but there's plenty of cheering on the radio, and fans chanting "Bobby! Bobby!"

Heck, that's all the proof I need. After all, we already know this kid is capable of some unbelievable shots.

Okay, now we're getting slammed at work and I'm going to have to do the rest of this entry after watching my tape. I guess there's a reason why I've never attempted to do this before!

The rest of this review is based off my dowdy VHS tape. Watching the game is so much better than just hearing it anyway. And oh man, Bobby's goal was indeed beautiful. Even before this goal and the out-of-this-world hat trick, Bobby showed lots of potential. He plays with such passion and drive, you just want to see the boy do well, ya know? And he gives you plenty of speed and agility to be proud of. I'm glad he's finally getting his chance, even though it took Selanne's injury to get him some decent ice time.

See, I got plenty of reasons to love Bobby =)

Our Ducks get to the first intermission with the lead, thanks to a marvelous chip shot by Sammy Pahlsson. Good start, guys, keep it up!

Not a lot of goals scored in the second period, but a worthy attempt by Getzlaf right against the goal crease. The Ducks' defense is definitely stepped up on this game, you can tell by the large number of ineffective shot setups by the Devils. I was hoping our boys could keep that up... until the Devils stuff another goal into the net beyond Giguere during a rare Devils power play.

That goal seemed to wake everyone up, and now we're battling. It's 2-2 going into the final period.

Quickly into it, a wrap-around shot by Kunitz that had to be reviewed on the overhead tape before it could be deemed a goal. Ducks take the lead, 3-2. I gotta give props to Giguere for pulling it together for this game. He had a number of beautiful saves, including a point-blank shot at short range. Keep up the good work, Giggy!

As much as I enjoyed having Bobby on that front line with Getz and Kunitz, I think the boys made it fairly clear that the Getzlaf-Kunitz-Perry line is a force to be reckoned with. Extending their lead to 4-2, Kunitz landed a simply elegant shot with assists from Getzlaf and Perry.

With no more than 30 seconds on the clock, the Devils manage to stuff the puck, along with six or seven hockey players, into Giguere's goal. Still, their effort fell short, Ducks FINALLY won this, 4 to 3.

Ducks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

After a day of rest, I was hoping our Ducks were ready to start off their weekend with a winning webbed foot.

I drove up to Kings' territory for this game. Hey, I can't help it if my date lives in the wrong county. He's a decent guy though, so no faulting him. And, I'm turning him into a Ducks fan so he can't be that bad, right?

Walking to dinner right across the way from the Staples Center, my date and I felt the hostility. We donned Ducks hats, but I tried to stay low-brow. I love my Ducks, don't get me wrong, but advertising my loyalty to a team that had just gotten served at this very venue two nights prior... uh, not the brightest idea.

At least they weren't playing the Kings that night. Hell, I'm not THAT stupid!

Nonetheless, my date and I were paying customers. We got one of the restaurant staffers to turn a television over to the Ducks game. We watched as the Ducks proceeded to repeat the previous night's score pattern. By the time we're five minutes into the second period, the Ducks were shut out 0 to 2.

With the exception of St Louis (by the way, probably the smallest hockey player I've seen yet), the Lightning seem to be doing a lot of fumbling. Come to think of it, everyone is doing a lot of fumbling and falling and flailing. To the Ducks credit, I can say it's probably difficult to make a cohesive team out of a bunch of newbees. I mean, we're out some major players, and we've got guys on the ice who've probably never played an official game together. Hell, Matt Belesky got called in from Iowa to cover injured Todd Marchant with only 15 minutes to get his butt on the ice.

Later in the second period, finally, a Ducks goal by Andrew Ebbett, the second in his NHL career. And then two maddening attempts for Ducks goals, answered simply with a pipe "ping!" both times. The Lightning followed up nine minutes later with another goal. There was a glimmer of hope as Chris Pronger and Steve Montador shot goals within 12 seconds of each other, bringing the score to a 3-3 tie.

Looks like we're relying on our defensemen for goals. As for our star forwards, Corey Perry is still out on his fourth of four-game suspension, Teemu Selanne is still out with his lacerated thigh injury, and my boy Bobby Ryan is looking pretty tired after having spent a huge 20+ minutes on the ice the previous night. I'm not even sure what's the problem with Ryan Getzlaf. It feels like it's been ages since he's been in the spotlight. Could it be the fact that the Lightning are covering him like white on rice?

And when he finally does take the spotlight, it's for all the wrong reasons: fighting with a Lightning. It puts him into the penalty box during a time we definitely could have used him out on the ice, making shots on the goal. One more goal from the Lightning, and the Ducks are in a scramble to try to land one more to stay in the game.

I don't know if our boys are tired, or if they're just not used to playing with each other, or maybe a little of both... it just looks like there is so little energy on the ice, so many missed passes, so many sluggish shots on goal. Aiya, no more goals in those final eight minutes, and the Ducks lose it again, 3-4.

Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings

Once upon a time, I dated an asshole. Well, he didn't become an asshole until two years into our relationship so, for the purpose of this little story, I'll refer to him instead as the ex that introduced me to hockey.

He was a Kings fan (hmm, what did I just say about becoming an asshole?), and he got tickets often for games at the Staples Center. Of course, I'd go. I'm all about free entertainment, but I never considered myself a Kings fan. I didn't feel any connection with this team, not to mention it was hard getting behind a team that kept losing!

One night, my ex told me we had tickets to see the Kings take on the Anaheim Ducks. We were late, as we always were. The game was already a few minutes in and the Ducks had already scored on the Kings. My ex was pissed. I was intrigued. Watching this cohesive team of modest players skate circles around the Kings... it was the beginning of a beautiful love affair.

And the best thing of all, they were Anaheim's team. I'd spent 17 years of my childhood living in Anaheim. I decided then and there that I was truly a Ducks' fan.

The Ducks went on to beat the Kings that night. My ex went home upset, not because of the Kings loss (that happened at most of the games we saw), but because he had to yell at me twice for cheering on the "wrong team." I went home smiling.

So maybe it's a fitting thing that I should start this Ducks blog with Tuesday and Thursday's hometown rivalry.

Tuesday's game saw the Ducks defend against the Kings at the Honda Center. My boy Bobby Ryan got the first goal in that game, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Pronger. I think people are finally starting to take notice of Bobby. I know I've begun to pay particular attention when I see the lineup of Kunitz-Getzlaf-Ryan on the ice.

Good things happen when those three are skating.

The second period saw a lot of action, including a Kings goal during a 5-on-3 power play. Jonas Hiller was phenomenal nonetheless. Having been through so much with J.S. Giguere, I get a little protective of my favorite goaltender! Although, I do have to admit that Hiller's got some mad skills.

I'm glad our Ducks don't have to play against him!

The second Ducks goal happened during the third period, a doozy of a power play goal by Sammy Pahlsson, assisted by Scotty Niedermayer. And, at the end of the game, a final nail in the Kings' coffin by Robbie Niedermayer's empty net goal.

Speaking of Pahlsson, was he hot or what winning all of those face-offs? Ducks beat the Kings that night, 3 to 1.

Unfortunately, I think the Ducks celebrated Tuesday's victory a little too much. Our boys just could not get it together Thursday night when they played the Kings at the Staples Center. Yours truly attended an official Ducks viewing party, trying to share in a little Ducks love. But, as the score was a humiliating 3-0 against the Ducks by the middle of the second period, even the tasty barbeque chicken wings were getting hard to swallow.

I was hoping, praying! our Kunitz-Getzlaf-Ryan lineup would pull a miracle.

And wouldn't you know it, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus... and his name would be Bobby Ryan! My boy scored, count 'em, one, two, three goals in less than two and a half minutes to tie up the game. If you haven't seen his incredibly beautiful hat trick, click here. My friends, that shot will be replayed in highlight reels for seasons to come.

I wish the rest of the boys could've capitalized on this amazing opportunity to take back the game. I hate to admit it, but I was disappointed in the lack of passion in the other players. Bobby made those goals like a man truly loving the game... we needed a little more of that Thursday night, perhaps we wouldn't have lost 4 to 3.

And maybe we wouldn't have lost it in a lousy power play goal that the Kings scored when the Ducks had too many men on the ice.

Maybe next time, guys.

I called it first!

This place still needs a lot of work (obviously), but hey, there's not a lot of time left in a day when you're watching Ducks games, reading Ducks articles, writing on an existing blog, and going to work so that I can attempt to pay my bills. Sometimes, I even need a few hours for sleeping, eating, and showering too!

Gah, what would I do if I had more than two pets to look after?

Anyway, I hope you're catching the recent hometown games between our Ducks and the Kings. I have a story about that, the fortuitous way I was first introduced to the Ducks two years ago. I'll cover that when it isn't 7am (I haven't slept yet). I also intend to cover reviews of the two games. All in good time.

But first, I just want to put into writing that I recognized the talent in Ducks rookie Bobby Ryan ten days before his first hat trick last night. This is an excerpt from a letter dated December 29, 2008 that I wrote to Adam, a writer for the Ducks official website:

"I particularly enjoyed your recent remarks regarding Bobby Ryan. Personally, I'm behind this guy all the way. I like finding pro athletes with a lot of potential but fairly little recognition so that I can cheer them on through their sports season. Bobby's my boy this time around, and I was glad to see you might even give a nod at my choice. =)

Here's to a hopeful start of a marvelous career."

Go Bobby, go!

A new idea

I think I've come upon a possible purpose for this here Blogger blog, besides a directional post to my REAL blog.

I've become quite the Ducks hockey fanatic this season (I've loosely kept track of them the past few seasons, but this season, I'm all about it), and I'd love to try my hand at writing a Ducks blog. At least, I think it'll be a nice side project for me through the rest of the hockey season.

I'll be making this space a bit more Duck-friendly in the next couple of days. This'll be fun!