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Well tonight was a breath of fresh air!! i must say, the team played tonight like it was 2006-2007 all over again. infact the last time i saw them look this dominant was the game 5 of the stanley cup championship at home! So that proves one thing…..the talent and the ability os there, something needed to be tweaked in order for everything to click. That plus the fact that Pronger finally shaved!! What was he thinking? Beards are for playoffs!!! Oye. Anyhow, no one better to beat than the undefeated sharks to help our climb back into contention. Lets keep it up boys. We all knew you could do it…..you’all just had to want it bad enough.

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Well the oilers did what i thought they would do and that is win. Although, I was pleasantly suprised by the effort the team put forth tonight. i could not help it but to think tonight felt like a playoff game. Huskins goal seem to reflect the frustration of everyone, because when he shot it he had a look of anger on his face, or was exhileration?? Anyhow, much better game play tonight for sure….but we still need to step things up. I only hope that once we break the ice, we can go on a bit of a win streak and balance out the loses. We’re in a hole, and 0-5 is right around the corner. Now back to my title, I think we need to get Bobby Ryan up here and help out with the boys. he trained all camp with the team and for what? To go down to the chops? The chemistry is off because they’re missing one of their own. Why is it that for some gosh foresaken reason, Ryan cannot come up and stay in the NHL for more than 2 or 3 games? Somethings not right. My complaint for tonight are #’s 5, 6, and 7. These guys need to get their act together quick. OR….get rid of one , send them to the chops and switch them out for Ryan! Come on ducks….DO NOT GO 0-5!!! These points will come back and haunt us!!

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this is unfriggin believeable. the ducks are playing like we just came back from england again. first off let me start by saying i can not stand #2. i dont even want to mention his name i am so angry at him. our defense sucks. its horrid how we turn over the pucks, can not make passes, and we do not shoot at the net anymore. i was going to blame jiggy for letting soft goals in….but i am officially calling out burke for trading away our defense. we need snieder…..we should have kept o’donnel. i think it was a big mistake trading away these guys for what?? for no goals. we’re hurting right now more than you think. this is going to be a long first half. I’ll tell you what though, if we continue playing like this….we wont make the playoffs…..period. I am not even speculating beyond that. We do not deserve a playoff spot right now. something big has to change….soon. my poll asks the question. we arent 0-5, but we’re 0-3. edmonton is coming to town to stuff burke. we’re not going to win tomorrow night. if we do? it will be by some fluke or shoot out.

carlyle and burke need to do something pronto!

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First off i want to giver credit to the Poster Bear, a regular ducks fan for his awesome creation for tonights game. this guy is soooo talented! Now then on with business.

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Anyone else check out what the projected lines are for the Oilers tonight?

Penner is on the third line. Ouch.

Hope they feel like they are getting their “$4.25 million” (or close to that) from him a year since they stole him from the Ducks via offer sheet last year.

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Anyone else check out what the projected lines are for the Oilers tonight?

Penner is on the third line. Ouch.

Hope they feel like they are getting their “$4.25 million” (or close to that) from him a year since they stole him from the Ducks via offer sheet last year.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Well, no goals at the end of the one period.

That should give me enough time to watch The Office in between periods. Thank goodness for the TiVo.

Okay, okay.

Bobby Ryan. Those who have chatted with me or seen discussions of which I have taken part about Bobby Ryan know that I wasn’t a big fan. First of all, I will cut the guy some slack because he was drafted right after Sidney Crosby. What a tough thing to keep in mind. I never understood what Burke or the other staff saw with him. I mean, who was drafted afterwards? Anze Kopitar. He’s worked otu well for the Kings, hasn’t he?

Well, truth is I feel like after this pre-season I finally feel like I was wrong. I attended the first game of the pre-season versus the Sharks in Anaheim and Bobby Ryan was great. He had two goals and an assist (I may be wrong about the number of the assists). He had a great sniper of a shot. He was in shape. He looked like he belonged on a line with Getzlaf and Perry.

Well, it’s the third. We’re down 3-0. Giggy makes a great save on an Erhoff one timer. The Sharks look good. I think the Ducks have taken some stupid penalties and not played the way they are capable. 10 minutes left in the game.

So I guess Carlyle has put Kunitz with Getz and Perry. We really need to strong front lines and I don’t think that will be solidified until we get Ryan up from the minors. Who do we deal for space room for Ryan? Marchant? Who takes him? Denton says F. Beauchemin will get traded, but I don’t see that happening. Burke and Carlyle are not ones to sacrifice solid D for offense.

Selanne’s opportunity from May looked great. I feel like we are all a bit nervous on the ice tonight. Nabokov is solid so far. I have him on a few fantasy teams. I had him all last year and he was a great goalie for me. Funny thing is, my two starting goalies tonight in one league are Nabokov and Giguere.

Okay, so with 6 min. left we are playing well and SCORE! Nice deflection from Rob Neidermayer. Should that be one of his 7 goals for the season? Kidding. Suddenly we pick up the pace towards the end of the game. I feel like that is how the Ducks lay hockey for the past year, catch up. They let the opponent go ahead and then play catch up. Is that why most people rate us to finish 5th or 6th in the west? Anyone else feel like the Sharks get rated high every year and then blow it? How about the Stars? Avery joins the team and suddenly they are the favorite to win the cup. Turco doesn’t have me convinced yet. As for the Sharks, Rob Blake will burn out.

Dang. Setuguchi scores. One more person that was drafted after Bobby Ryan. Sloppy recovery on the play. That just about seals the game right there. Cheecho gets the star of the game. Any surprise there?

Selanne and Morrison appear to be playing well together. How about May on a line? One thing that the Ducks have always done very well is forecheck. I think that is a reason we won the Cup a few years ago (Selanne’s goal on Hasek in game 6 ring a bell?). When we forecheck, we win games, we score goals, we look good.

Pros of this game: Giggy still looks good. Sure we are down 4-1, but Giggy played well, made great saves.
Cons: still need better offensive chances, more shots on goal.

Anyone want to take the next game under their wing?
Comment please.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Well, no goals at the end of the one period.

That should give me enough time to watch The Office in between periods. Thank goodness for the TiVo.

Okay, okay.

Bobby Ryan. Those who have chatted with me or seen discussions of which I have taken part about Bobby Ryan know that I wasn’t a big fan. First of all, I will cut the guy some slack because he was drafted right after Sidney Crosby. What a tough thing to keep in mind. I never understood what Burke or the other staff saw with him. I mean, who was drafted afterwards? Anze Kopitar. He’s worked otu well for the Kings, hasn’t he?

Well, truth is I feel like after this pre-season I finally feel like I was wrong. I attended the first game of the pre-season versus the Sharks in Anaheim and Bobby Ryan was great. He had two goals and an assist (I may be wrong about the number of the assists). He had a great sniper of a shot. He was in shape. He looked like he belonged on a line with Getzlaf and Perry.

Well, it’s the third. We’re down 3-0. Giggy makes a great save on an Erhoff one timer. The Sharks look good. I think the Ducks have taken some stupid penalties and not played the way they are capable. 10 minutes left in the game.

So I guess Carlyle has put Kunitz with Getz and Perry. We really need to strong front lines and I don’t think that will be solidified until we get Ryan up from the minors. Who do we deal for space room for Ryan? Marchant? Who takes him? Denton says F. Beauchemin will get traded, but I don’t see that happening. Burke and Carlyle are not ones to sacrifice solid D for offense.

Selanne’s opportunity from May looked great. I feel like we are all a bit nervous on the ice tonight. Nabokov is solid so far. I have him on a few fantasy teams. I had him all last year and he was a great goalie for me. Funny thing is, my two starting goalies tonight in one league are Nabokov and Giguere.

Okay, so with 6 min. left we are playing well and SCORE! Nice deflection from Rob Neidermayer. Should that be one of his 7 goals for the season? Kidding. Suddenly we pick up the pace towards the end of the game. I feel like that is how the Ducks lay hockey for the past year, catch up. They let the opponent go ahead and then play catch up. Is that why most people rate us to finish 5th or 6th in the west? Anyone else feel like the Sharks get rated high every year and then blow it? How about the Stars? Avery joins the team and suddenly they are the favorite to win the cup. Turco doesn’t have me convinced yet. As for the Sharks, Rob Blake will burn out.

Dang. Setuguchi scores. One more person that was drafted after Bobby Ryan. Sloppy recovery on the play. That just about seals the game right there. Cheecho gets the star of the game. Any surprise there?

Selanne and Morrison appear to be playing well together. How about May on a line? One thing that the Ducks have always done very well is forecheck. I think that is a reason we won the Cup a few years ago (Selanne’s goal on Hasek in game 6 ring a bell?). When we forecheck, we win games, we score goals, we look good.

Pros of this game: Giggy still looks good. Sure we are down 4-1, but Giggy played well, made great saves.
Cons: still need better offensive chances, more shots on goal.

Anyone want to take the next game under their wing?
Comment please.

Popularity: 3% [?]

By now, you must have heard of this news. Let’s dig a bit deeper. Who wins this trade? I’m going to give it to the Kings. Sure, the Ducks freed some room for Ryan. Sure, they open up the 7th defenseman spot to possibly Salcido (who was cut earlier in training camp) but I’m still going to go with the Kings here for getting such a solid defenseman for nothing. The ducks received a conditional third round pick from the Kings for Odie but here’s the catch: the Ducks only get this pick if the Kings trade Odie this year. If the Kings wait it out, they don’t have to pay the Ducks a dime. In effect, the Kings would have to find a trade offer for O’Donnell that would net them a return greater than a third round pick to get Buffalo’s native third rounder. If you think about it, the chances for that are slim.

Popularity: 3% [?]

By now, you must have heard of this news. Let’s dig a bit deeper. Who wins this trade? I’m going to give it to the Kings. Sure, the Ducks freed some room for Ryan. Sure, they open up the 7th defenseman spot to possibly Salcido (who was cut earlier in training camp) but I’m still going to go with the Kings here for getting such a solid defenseman for nothing. The ducks received a conditional third round pick from the Kings for Odie but here’s the catch: the Ducks only get this pick if the Kings trade Odie this year. If the Kings wait it out, they don’t have to pay the Ducks a dime. In effect, the Kings would have to find a trade offer for O’Donnell that would net them a return greater than a third round pick to get Buffalo’s native third rounder. If you think about it, the chances for that are slim.

Popularity: 3% [?]