Archive for the ‘Sara Keating’ Category

2 down…

Games 1 and 2…I’m pretty sure I’ve lost about 10 years from my lifespan.

Lets jump right into it…

Bobby Effin Ryan scores a typical highlight reel goal - and I love it! We’ve seen so many of those from him lately, and by no means am I down playing the beauty of his goal, but I’d rather gloat about his last minute of play. With the Ducks holding on to a one goal lead, Effin is working the puck deep in the Ducks offensive zone, making some big hits and making it difficult for San Jose to clear the puck and pull Nabokov. When it comes down to it- Effin is doing more than just scoring big goals, he’s making big plays and playing SMART hockey. He may be considered a rookie this season, but lately he’s been playing like he’s been in the NHL for years. I’m impressed to say the least.

Again, the PK was required to kill off too many penalties (I’ll be getting to those). Yet again…Todd Marchant and Mike Brown were working hard, causing turnovers and making big hits. I’ve noticed lately, Brown has taken on the roll of pest. He’s been putting pressure on the San Jose offense and you can sense they are getting frustrated, nervous and are making bad choices with the puck because of it. It’s these little things that are causing San Jose to break down. The Ducks are relying heavily on this break down because, surprise, the Ducks are taking too many penalties. HOWEVER…last night seemed to be a display of the best way to take BS penalties just because of the team you play for. Anaheim fans are used to this. We’re used to seeing the Ducks get penalties called simply because of the name on the FRONT of the jersey (a few times because of the name on the back…ie PRONGER). Here’s something that the Ducks and fans need to remember, if these penalties start to get too much, the Ducks might back off and play a weaker defense. So personally, I’d rather see penalties get killed off like they have been, than see the Ducks watch the Sharks fly by because of a sloppy, lazy defense. Normally I’m not one to complain about officiating- bad officiating is part of this game, but these past two games have been a direct result of simply who you play for. The refs even seemed to realize that a good way to allow San Jose to score would be to put Brown in the box for a weak elbowing call and it didn’t work. I don’t want to hear that San Jose hasn’t been getting their chances. 79 SOG and 12 PP opportunities in two games - more than enough opportunities! It’s simply a matter of making the most of those opportunities and the Ducks are doing a better job of that right now. Maybe, instead of talking about what’s wrong with San Jose, people should start taking note that Anaheim, THESE DUCKS- they’re HOT!

It will be absolutely pointless for me to even mention what an all star Jonas Hiller is…but I’m going to do it anyway. This guy, so calm and so collected…he is a shutdown force not backing down. The worst part, while watching NHL network last night, they still don’t want to give Hiller the credit. Look, I don’t care if Hiller was able to see 40 of those 44 shots last night cleanly, and if that’s the case, then SOMEONE in an Anaheim jersey is doing something right! Someone is keeping shooting lanes clear, someone is allowing Hiller to make great stops and give up few rebounds. But here’s the thing, San Jose is clearly getting opportunities and Jonas Hiller and the Ducks’ defense are doing a great job shutting the Sharks down. In addition, the Ducks are clearing the puck from the front of the net beautifully. It seems lately the Ducks defense has been a huge factor in helping to keep the crease clear and free of loose pucks. In both games 1 and 2 Ryan Getzlaf had some huge clearing saves in the crease that would have/could have been easy goals for the Sharks. Great. This is the team effort we like to see.

2nd line scoring. Huge factor in these games for both teams. The Ducks are breaking through by getting their Iowa boys involved. I feel confident that now that the scoring has come from a few areas, this team is going to continue to find ways to break trough. Andrew Ebbett and Drew Miller get some sloppy goals by simply throwing the puck to the net! Those kind of goals are the ones that are going to win you hockey games against a skilled San Jose netminder. Getting pucks to the net - always a HUGE plus!

Numbers, let’s talk numbers. The Ducks have won every series when leading 2-0. The Sharks are winless when trailing in a series 2-0. I don’t care. That means nothing to me. Hillers’ .975 SV% in the playoffs, THAT number speaks volumes. The Ducks killing 12 straight Shark PP opportunities, THAT number is huge! The difference, Hillers numbers represent the NOW. The Ducks PK is representative of this team NOW. What the Ducks FRANCHISE has done in the PAST, what the Sharks FRANCHISE HAS NOT done in the PAST…those numbers are irrelevant. It’s about the now. I won’t get comfortable with a 2-0 Ducks lead in this series and no one else should either. Ducks fans have seen what the Sharks have done this season, and while yes, that was the past…we know they are still capable of that NOW. I’ll be at game 3 and 4 doing what I do best for this team…SUPPORTING THEM.

I wanted game 1 more than anything. I wanted the Ducks to make all of those who had been wondering if the Sharks would school Anaheim to scratch their heads sit back and say, whoa…Anaheim isn’t going to take this series lightly. Game 2, that was just icing on the cake! I strongly feel that there is no team in the Western Conference that could have come into the Shark tank and given this team a run for their money like Anaheim has. I think there are a lot of teams out there right now, looking at what the Ducks are doing and they are saying to themselves LOOK OUT, THE DUCKS ARE HOT!

Damn right baby!

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Ducks in a Row…game 2

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”
- Will Rogers

Tonight will be a huge test for the Ducks. There is no doubt in my mind that they are going up against a team with the drive and passion to erase what happened on Thursday night.

The Ducks have to ignore that team, they have to forget about Thursday night. They have to go out there and want it more, strive for more. Plain and simple…they can’t just sit there content with 1 win.

Tonight will be a real test for the 2nd line in my opinion. With the way Andrew Ebbett, Erik Christensen and Teemu Selanne have been meshing lately, it’s going to be imperative for them to get big goals tonight. If the 2nd line is able to be a threatening presence like they were in game 1, it will give the big line room to step up and make contributions.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say no penalties for Rob Niedermayer…in the 2nd period…tonight.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 9% [?]

2-0 means 1-0

Game 1 was the exactly what I expect this series to be…

Physical, fast paced, an overabundance of Ducks penalties, too many Sharks opportunities, low scoring…and me screaming at the TV.

Physical? Oh you bet! Two guys flying under the radar on the Ducks roster right now, Todd Marchant and Mike Brown, were so crucial to the Ducks’ success last night. I don’t know what Marchants’ plans for the rest of his career are, but if he wants to “go out on top” this might be the time. He’s been amazing this season, and has really peaked since taking over the centering spot on the checking line. His speed and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team is unstoppable.

In addition, the aggressive play from Brown is allowing the penalty killing unit to be a successful factor for the Ducks. Lets face it, the Ducks took entirely too many penalties last night, and 3 unnecessary 2nd period minors from Rob Niedermayer doesn’t help. Even Ryan Getzlaf got in on the action with a lame elbowing penalty in the final minutes of the game. With the Ducks leading 1-0, seeing the top scoring forward on the team head to the box was a enough to knock at least 2 years off of my life span. When Getzlaf emerged from the box and was on the right end of a San Jose turn over to send a bullet into the Sharks chances of coming back in game 1 - Getz effectively gave me back 4 years. I heard the clink of the cross bar and saw the puck come shooting back to the middle of the ice, I thought he had shanked it right off the top of the net. It wasn’t until I saw the ref at the top of my TV signaling for a goal that I went crazy! CRAZY!

The Ducks took great advantage of what they were given. With so few shots on goal (17) - I’m starting to develop and interesting love/hate relationship with SOG. Clearly taking more shots is going to increase the odds of getting a goal, but the quality is really what’s important here. Moving the puck well is so vital to the success of teams, and when the Ducks are doing that well…it shows on the scoreboard. On the same note, having a goal tender who is able to stop the opposing 35 shots thrown at him…now that’s fantastic! Jonas Hiller in his first NHL playoff game made it look like he’s been playing nothing but playoff caliber games his entire professional career. He was saved by at least 2 posts (that I could hear), but in the end he was a wall for the Ducks - who’s defense has picked up greatly over the past few weeks with the additions of Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski. All of those guys are really adding to the incredible powers that is the always amazing Scott Niedermayer. Scotty is just…he’s the man. I don’t know that there is a better offensive/defenseman in the league. Always so calm, collected, and so smart with the puck. There will never be another like him.

Another strong factor in last night’s game was the second line. With no points to show for unfortunately, they did exactly what they need to do against the Sharks. They were a THREAT. Andrew Ebbett and Erik Christensen are meshing together well, and had a few opportunities last night in front of the crease. In addition, Teemu Selanne was looking strong with a great opportunity in the third to get the Ducks on the board that was tapped just wide. When this line creates scoring chances like this, it causes the Sharks defense to step it up for not just one scoring line, but two. Keep it up boys, those goals are going to come.

The only negative I took from last nights game was control. The Sharks clearly outplayed the Ducks for a majority of the game. They had control of the puck, yet they were unable to get anything going in terms of successful offense (thanks again for that one defense/Hiller). However, it’s just a matter of time before the Sharks start playing like the team they have been this whole season. This San Jose team has the ability to move the puck well when they are in control. The Ducks need to focus on clearing the puck well and controlling the play in their own zone. With continued defensive pressure and a burst of offense, the Ducks have a better chance than many are giving them credit for.

Overall, it was a MUST win game for the Ducks. It gets the ball rolling in the right direction. There are many areas the Ducks must improve on if they plan on making it out of this first round, but for the most part, winning game 1 puts them on the right track.

This thing is far from over…but for today, it’s feeling pretty damn good.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 20% [?]

Ducks in a Row…game 1

I’m a procrastinator. I can’t and I won’t deny it. But, I also work really well under pressure. 

The Ducks, I think they’re procrastinators too. When you think about it…they didn’t bother to show up until the end of the season. That’s the ultimate in procrastination! Here’s the positive in that…look at how well they did under all that pressure! They’re off to the post season yet again and while it could have been too little too late, in the end it was just enough, and just in time!

It’s going to take an overwhelming amount of teamwork to get me through these weeks. Like the Ducks, I’m going to need to take this game by game. Hour by hour. Document by document. Line by line. Letter by L-e-t-t-e-r. That’t just at work, the weekends…that’s a whole other story!

The Ducks are going to need to do the same. Game by game. Period by period. Shift by shift. Pass by pass.

This entire series is going to require that the Ducks work as a whole. They’re going to need contributions from everyone to pull this out. The second, third, and fourth lines must make an impact if there is going to be any room for the RGP line. If those lines can become a functioning threat, it will open up time and space for Ryan, Getzlaf, and Perry to make an impact. On the same note, the Ducks are going to need to find the same defensive drive to bring down a very powerful offensive force.

I think we’ll see Hiller in net tonight. He’s played very well over the past few weeks and has the ability to stand tall when the Ducks need him.

This is just game one of what will be a very long and difficult road for these Ducks.

 

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

But I have confidence in them!

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 6% [?]

A rare breed

One of the things I love about being a hockey fan in Southern California is that for the most part…we’re a rare breed. There aren’t many hockey fans here in So Cal…but when you find one, it’s always a treat.

 

This is Ramon’s FAVORITE time of year! He LOVES seeing all those playoff flags waving in the wind. Laker playoff time…yea, he hates it. When it comes down to it, every car here in So Cal is boasting Lakers this, Angels that, Dodgers this…even this morning I saw a RARE Clippers license plate frame - you can imagine there aren’t many Clipper fans in LA. It’s not too often that you pass a car decorated with Ducks stickers or a license plate frame. My car is appropriately adorned to show where my loyalties are…Ducks sticker, shatter puck, license plate frame (and when I’m not in my car I’m usually adorned in Ducks stuff too…my sweatshirt, purse, silver D logo that hangs around my neck).

 

When I do see a car on the road with some sort of NHL logo, no matter what the team, I feel it’s necessary to have a bonding moment. Yesterday while driving home and sitting in more than my fair share of traffic, I passed a guy with a Philadelphia Flyers license plate frame on a California plate. As he passed me again, we exchanged knowing smiles, “My team is better than yours.”

 

Lets face it, there are no Laker fans who give each other the thumbs up on the freeway, because there are so many of them…they’d be waving to each car they passed.
 
We’re a rare breed, So Cal hockey fans…but when you pass me and I see Ducks pride on your car…I notice, I smile, and I usually feel it’s necessary to say, “YEA BABY!”
 
GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Do you know the way to San Jose?

It’s time for the playoffs baby!

Yikes!! I’m already nervous. For the record, I would have been nervous if the Ducks were playing Colorado in the first round…nervousness is a given from me.

Let’s start at the end…

…which in reality, is just a beautiful beginning.

How classy is this Ducks team? During the final home game of the regular season, lead by Scott Niedermayer, the Ducks took a lap around the rink, sticks raised, to show respect to their fans who have stuck by this team through thick and thin.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN!

This is the team that lost brutally to the Atlanta Thrashers. This is the team that couldn’t stand up to the New York Islanders, or the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the team that lost the season series to the cross town rival Los Angeles Kings.

No. That was the OTHER team.

That was the team with no chemistry, no connection, no drive, no determination, no passion. That was the team that couldn’t put together 3 straight wins. That was the team before the trade deadline.

THIS TEAM, these Ducks…they’re the ones who just did what very few believed they could…THIS TEAM, just went 11-5-1 (since the trade deadline) to clinch their 4th straight playoff appearance. THIS TEAM has chemistry, a connection, drive, determination, passion. THIS TEAM has all star players, playing like all stars. THIS TEAM has low profile guys scoring goals, making big hits and sacrificing their bodies for the post season.

THIS TEAM, 6 months late…are actually just in time.

True, at the beginning of the season (well, BEFORE they went 1-4 to start the season) I expected them to be at the top. I expected they would be battling San Jose for the Pacific
Division. I expected them to be dominate all year. I have high expectations from a team 2 years removed from a cup…maybe that’s just me.

I was thinking of what my blogs look like in review…and it goes something like this:

September: Did you see the pre-season? Did you see what this team can do? Did you see the way Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are tearing it up?! Bobby Ryan! Look at that kid go, he’s going to be great to watch!

October: WHERE’S THE TEAM FROM THE PRE-SEASON?! WHERE ARE THE GOALS?! WHERE IS THE DEFENSE?! WHERE IS THE GOAL TENDING?! DID THEY MISS THE PLANE?! Teeth?! What about Getzlaf’s teeth? He’s a hockey player…he doesn’t need TEETH!

Late October/November: ahhhh, now this is more like it…just what I’d expect to see from this team! Very successful string of wins…this looks like what we’re going to be enjoying all season long! This is going to be a fun year! Sad to see Beauch get hurt, but we get the fabulous Bobby Ryan in his place…no problem!

December/January: What is with this team? Why can’t they get it together? ANOTHER 4-3 LOSS?! Why can’t we hold on to a lead? Why can’t we stop the puck? Where is the defense? WE NEED A CHANGE! But man…have you seen that Bobby Effin Ryan?! Amazing!

January/February: Up down Up down…Losses to the worst teams in the league?! CHANGE IT UP! DO SOMETHING! DO ANYTHING! SHOW US YOU WANT THE POST SEASON!

Early March: Where have the boys gone? What happened to my boys?! We lose some of the core group of the 07 cup run and this is supposed to help?! This team will NEED an October/November. This team is going to need to find a way to win game after game after game. This team better find the chemistry now………

End of March: LOOK AT THESE DUCKS NOW! LOOK AT THE CHEMISTRY, LOOK AT THE FIRE, LOOK AT THE PASSION, LOOK AT THE DETERMINATION…

April: This Ducks team may just be the HOTTEST team in the league right now. LOOK OUT PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME!!!!!

THAT team or THIS team…they’re MY team. They’ve taken me through months of expletives and profanities. They’ve made me scream at the TV and shake my head in confusion. They’ve made me wonder if they were capable of meeting the post season and succeeding.

That’s right, MY team is there. They may have lost to the Islanders, the Thrashers and the Kings. But where are those guys now? They’re at home watching MY team head off to the post season.

YEA BABY!

Here is something to remember…what has happened, what this Ducks team has done, what OTHER teams in the league have done…that’s all irrelevant. That means nothing to the NOW.

This is the playoffs baby…this is a whole new season. There is no time to rest or play catch up. These Ducks need to come out strong from the very beginning and never let up, never back down.

This first round match up, could prove to be the biggest upset of the playoffs. When it comes down to it, these Ducks have everything a team could need to make a very successful playoff ambush. They have the scoring hands of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Effin Ryan, Teemu Selanne, Andrew Ebbett, and Erik Christensen. The shut down powers of Todd Marchant, Mike Brown, Petteri Nokelainen and Rob Niedermayer. The defensive mastery that is Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Francois Beauchemin, Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski. The hot glove hand of Jonas Hiller and the playoff powers of JS Giguere. THESE Ducks can do so much damage on any given night…and I believe they will.

There is no point in speaking positivity if you don’t believe in this team. I believe this team has the ability to go far this post season. Do you?

Since the Ducks’ fate was decided on Sunday evening, I’ve been thinking about this first round match up. I’ve been analyzing and and looking back over the season, trying to come up with an outcome for the future…

What a waste!

Everything that has happened this season…it’s all in the past. Those wins and losses of the regular season mean nothing now.

Thursday…that’s the first meaningful game of this season.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Angels in Anaheim

Those of you who know me personally know how much I dislike baseball. I’m just not a fan. It’s slow, it’s boring…it’s got nothing on hockey.

Last night I joined my best friends Ramon and Mini, Ramon’s sisters Mari and Yana, Ralph (a Twins fan…random) and their daughters for the Angels game. Long story about spending too much money on crappy seats and sitting in cheaper better seats short…….we actually had a lot of fun. Thanks to the girls, I didn’t freeze my butt off, and at one point we thought Ramon was a goner as apparently he doesn’t swim too well during the “wave”. oh Ramon.

With all of that being said…it hits a little closer to home when I heard about last night’s starting pitcher, Nick Adenhart passing in a fatal car accident early this morning. I just want to say that I don’t really think it matters who you are or what you do for a living, hearing of a tragedy such as this is awful. My thoughts are with his family, and of course, his Angels family in Anaheim.

Kinda makes you appreciate the little stuff, doesn’t it?

Popularity: 7% [?]

Wins, Losses, Blue Line Tosses

Lets quickly cover some of the basics.

A HUGE thank you to Sammy Pahlssons’ Chicago Blackhawks for defeating the Nashville Predators last night in a 4-2 win. Awesome! Bryz and his Yotes weren’t so wonderful and the Ducks will just have to thank them in their own special way later this week. On a similar note, Dallas did not do their part to eliminate Minnesota either. So again, the Ducks will have to offer some friendly advice on how to do that as well. I’d also like to say just how freaking happy I am that Dallas has been eliminated already! Nothing puts a smile on my face like knowing the team who eliminated the Ducks last year are already GONE!

Also, Edmonton lost to the Kings (yea, I know…even the Kings helped the Ducks out, what’s wrong with you Phoenix?!) and they are completely eliminated from the playoffs. SUCKAS!

Alright, so on to other GOOD GREAT stuff!!

The potential return of Francois Beauchemin (Beaucheboy as he’s so lovingly referred to by Ducks in a Row) to the line-up as soon as Friday!

I love Beaucheboy. I’ve always considered him the poor mans Scotty. You can’t afford a Scott Niedermayer offensive/defenseman? Get yourself a Francois Beauchemin. He’s an affordable puck handler with wonderful speed and an amazing ability to see the play forming ahead of him. Just like Scotty, he’s not afriad to jump into the play and take an offensive stand now and again. He’s going to be valuable to the Power Play and for all purposes, it will mean having an experienced blue line once again.

So who does he replace? I say he takes the spot of Brendan Mikkelson. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s a bad D man, but I think Sheldon Brookbank has more of the power that the Ducks need. He’s a big guy with guts (again, did you SEE that black eye?). Suddenly, the Ducks have gone from employing an insanely inexperienced blue line, to having potentially three very VERY threatening walls of defense.

The return of Beauchemin can only be a positive to this group. He brings experience that the Ducks need. He’s obviously well rested (and hopefully not too out of shape) and can bring an extra boost to the Ducks roster during this push into the playoffs (IF IF IF they make it). I don’t fear that he will ruin or disturb any chemistry, I only imagine he will improve upon it.

I’ve really missed Beauch this year, however we all know that if he had never been hurt in the first place, we might have missed any chance of seeing Bobby Effin Ryan. Well, now we get them BOTH!

GO DUCKS!!! Hello Beauchemin!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Wait, there are other teams in the NHL?

OHHHH, there are plenty of other teams in the NHL. Some better than the Ducks…quite a few worse than the Ducks…and 2 very important teams playing tonight.

Here’s a little look at the standings BEFORE tonight’s action.

6. Columbus 79 GP; 90 Pts; 40 W
7. Anaheim 80 GP; 88 Pts; 41 W
8. Nashville 79 GP; 86 Pts; 39 W
9. St. Louis 79 GP; 86 Pts; 38 W
10. Minnesota 79 GP; 83 Pts; 37 W
11. Edmonton 79 GP; 83 Pts; 37 W

In terms of Minnesota and Edmonton, 1 loss for either of them AND/OR one point for Anaheim, and they will be officially out of contention with the Ducks.

Both Nashville and St. Louis are hot on the heels of the Ducks and they are both playing in some big match-ups today. Tonight, for one night only…I hope Sammy Pahlsson and his Chicago Blackhawks tear the Predators apart…and by some great fortune…I hope that we see Ilya Bryzgalovs’ Coyotes take care of business against the Blues. Losses for these teams are HUGE right now. Come on ex-Ducks…we need you right now!

In addition, if the Ducks win both of these final games they are guaranteed a spot…7th in fact. If the Ducks win the final 2, they will have 92 points, and even if both Nashville AND St. Louis win all 3 of their games, Anaheim will still have the tie breaker with MORE WINS. 2 wins? That’s do-able right? The other possibility is that the Ducks win just ONE game…and EITHER Nashville OR St. Louis lose just one game…the Ducks are officially in.

I have a first round playoff preference, but I wont get into that until later this week when their fate is more defined.

In the meantime, I want it to be known that I’m not against this 4 day break. Let the boys get some rest and heal some battered bones (they were plenty abused Sunday evening). I really believe that this hot streak is not a fluke. I think that finally…FINALLY…we’re seeing the Ducks we were meant to see from the beginning of the season. Exactly 2 weeks after the trade deadline, the Ducks started tearing it up. Having gone 10-3-0 in their last 13 games is not a fluke, it’s not even a hot streak in my opinion. It’s what good teams do. Ladies and gentlemen…this Ducks team is GOOD. No, really…they are DAMN good. They have the chemistry we expected them to have. They are playing with the fire we want from them. They have the passion…the desire…the WANT.

Thanks NHL schedulers for giving this bear a break. Does anyone remember mid LAST season when the now long gone GM Brian Burke referred to the team as a waking bear?

“Watching our team come together is like watching a bear wake up at the zoo,” Burke said. “He shakes his arms out and he shakes his legs out and it’s a process. But when he’s awake, he’s a bear.” AB’s Blog

Yea I know…that was in reference to last years team, but I think it applies to this years team as well. All season we’ve been watching a hibernating bear. A team with the power and tools necessary to rip other teams apart…and yet, the bear has been slowly waking up…slowly stretching his limbs. Well, now that he’s awake, we’ve seen the power that he posses and the strength of each individual muscle within.

THE BEAR IS AWAKE AND READY FOR THE FIGHT!

GO DUCKS!!! (andforonenightonlygoChicagoandPhoenix)

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tough loss to the refs!

This game started so much like last night against the Sharks. The Ducks came out with tons of energy they were hitting, forceful and strong. A beautiful little shortie by Petteri Nokelainen and the Ducks have all the motivation, the crowd behind them, and most importantly…the LEAD!

Wow! Keep this game up Ducks and we can take these two points from the Sharks right now…

Hold on, still so much more hockey to be played.

Some back and forth play in the second period has me scratching my head! What happened to those forceful, smart Ducks?! Emotions getting the best of them, they started taking weak penalties and breaking down defensively. What happened to strong physical play? What happened to making smart passes? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENERGY IN THE BUILDING?!

With such a shaky 2nd, the Ducks would need a HUGE momentum shift on both ends of the ice in the third period. Unfortunately, they let their frustrations get the best of them. Chris Pronger lazily clears the puck in the defensive zone that would send the Sharks on the ultimate 5 on 3 opportunity for 1 minute. While the Ducks were able to kill that minute of play, there was no doubt that San Jose would find a way to score while still on the man advantage with 1 minute remaining in their PP opportunity. What were you thinking Pronger? There was NO ONE around. That insane puck lifting clear was NOT necessary! You not only threw away the puck, ultimately, you threw away the game. Such a frustrating penalty. With the Ducks having to battle with the refs all night (who seemed completely unable to call the OBVIOUS), the Ducks didn’t need another reason to find themselves in the box. In addition, later in the third, Corey Perry gets called on a rather WEAK high sticking penalty. It was quite obvious he wasn’t happy about it. Don’t worry Pears…the fans weren’t either.

I can’t imagine I’ll find anyone to disagree on this one…but where were the refs tonight? In the final minutes of the game there was so much pushing and shoving, cross checking and hitting…in the end, there were MANY penalties handed out:

At the 20:00 minute mark, penalties as follows:

Anaheim Ducks:

Corey Perry: Roughing; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Interference on goalkeeper; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Roughing; 2 min

Ryan Getzlaf: Misconduct; 10 min

Teemu Selanne: Misconduct; 10 min

Andrew Ebbett: Roughing; 2 min

Andrew Ebbett: Misconduct; 10 min

San Jose Sharks:

Jonathan Cheechoo: Misconduct; 10 min

Joe Thornton: Roughing; 2 min

Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Roughing; 2 min

Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Misconduct; 10 min

Brian Boucher: Goalie leave crease; 2 min

WOW! Even at the end of all that, the Ducks still get the short hand. It was a frustrating game all across the boards. The fans felt the frustration that the Ducks were showing on the ice, and for good reason. The important thing is to keep your cool…and the Ducks were unable to do that.

Hot-headed men fighting for the playoffs…watch out!

Here’s a huge factor to watch out for over the next week. The Ducks not only need to win BOTH games for safety reasons, but they really need Nashville AND St. Louis to lose at least 1 of their remaining 3 games. If in the end, all the teams end up with 90 points (which would mean only 1 win for the Ducks and 1 LOSS for BOTH Nashville and St. Louis), the Ducks will have the advantage having won 42 games vs. Nashville with 41 and St. Louis with 40…and therefore a playoff position.

When it comes down to it, I’m thrilled the Ducks got at least 2 points out of this weekend. It’s just very hard to swallow when they could have reasonably taken all 4.

I can’t believe these playoff hopes are coming down to the final 2 games of the season.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 3% [?]

 Page 4 of 6  « First  ... « 2  3  4  5  6 »
Return top