Your 8th seed is showing

Posted on May 11, 2009
I have nothing.

They gave me nothing.

I’m actually beginning to wonder if they know what month we are in. Do they realize that this is May? This is not December. (Please don’t play like this is December – we saw what you were doing in December…it was ugly.) Do they know that it’s more than winning and losing? Are they not aware that if you lose, you go home?

The worst part? They lost to a better team. They lost to a team who played better, who wanted more.

Detroit wasn’t that team through the first 3 games. I almost wish they were. Maybe if they had been, the Ducks would know that you can’t sit back and wait for them to mess up!

I want to analyze the game, but there is nothing to say.

They played bad. They were lazy and unmotivated and they didn’t give enough. Their goal tender did more than enough to keep them in the game, and they were unable to return the favor.

I expected more.

“Not the typical 8th seed.”? Show me.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Ducks in a Row…game 5.2

Posted on May 10, 2009
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
-Confucius

MUST WIN.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Anyone really that surprised?

Posted on May 8, 2009

We all saw it coming. A classic Detroit beat down. I went to pickup hockey on Wednesday night, as I do every week, and I was prepared to take a beating about the Ducks win against Detroit on the “no-goal” whistle. Surprisingly I did not have to because I forgot that most of the people I play with are Avs fans. So luckily, they have all jumped on the Ducks playoff wagon. Thursday night was familiar. It was not cool. However, it was a slight deja vu experience for those of us who watched the last time Detroit and Anaheim faced each other in a playoff series. In 2007 the series went Game 1:Detroit. Game 2: Anaheim. Game 3: Detroit. Now pause with me, that was one of those most brutal games. Giggy let in a few goals and then Bryz let in a goal on his first shot. We lost 5-0. Ouch. Then Pronger got suspended for his elbow on Holmstrom. Oddly enough this series Holmstrom is the one throwing the elbows around and not getting punished at all. 


Game 4: Ducks. We came back. We built a 3-0 and Giggy stole the rest from the Wings.

Giguere. Photo taken Suzanne Broughton, www.suzannebroughton.com

Giguere. Photo taken Suzanne Broughton, www.suzannebroughton.com

There are two things that I liked about the game last night. The first is seeing Giguere back in goal. I find myself being one of the few Ducks fans that is hesitant to trade Giguere and I hope that GM Bob Murray agrees with my view on these things. Let’s rewind back to the playoffs in 2006. Bryz has the start. Bryz finishes off the Flames with two great games. He and Lupul sweep the Avs. Then we hit Edmonton and Bryz looks human. Whoa! Sound familiar. Younger, more unexperienced goalies will hit a point where they cannot make the same great saves all the time. I think HIller is a great goalie and I think he had more experience than Bryz did at that point with his Swiss leagues and world championships, but seeing Giguere out there gave me a nostalgic feeling.

Though only facing 6 shots, Giguere stopped them all and looked like the Giguere we know. I hope he starts the next game. I hope he shines. After the controversial summer where Bryz “mistakenly” told Russian reporters that Burke and Carlyle wanted him to be the starter, Giguere toughed up, had his best season and was a key player for our Stanley Cup victory. Now where is Bryz? And how is that franchise doing?

I think that it would be stupid of Anaheim to ship him off this summer. I think that Hiller is great player and his time will come soon, but I like Giguere’s resume a bit better. As he skated on the ice, Versus put his playoff stats up. Phew. Sigh. A big breath of relief. That’s our Giguere. With that much time on the bench, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back to his 2003 & 2007 form. However, if Hiller plays I am sure he will bounce back and steal one.

The other thing I liked about the game is that because the Red Wings won, there will be a game 6 and I will be in town for that game. I am there Ducks fans. I hold my head high and I expect a showing from Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf, who I don’t feel played their potential in Game 4. While this post is dwelling mostly on the past, I look toward the future. I still say Ducks in 6.

Popularity: 16% [?]

And you played into it…

Posted on May 8, 2009

FIRST! I had SO MUCH FUN with Suz Broughton! She and I had a lot of laughs, great sliders from Ruby’s, fun with the fans around us, tons of warm up picture time (although we didn’t take ONE picture together – how lame is that?!), and she even twisted my arm into buying 3 more Ducks shirts (at least that’s what I’m telling my empty wallet). I can’t thank her husband, Larry, enough for being unable to attend. What a good man! Suz is quite the fan, and she’s made some suggestions for off season blogs (I’ll debate on whether or not I want to share some of the stories however). Even more impressive…she’s got her OWN game day shoes (that’s a blog for another day that I WILL be sharing)! Thanks again Broughtons…you rock! I can’t wait until the next game!

Here’s a great shot that Suz took of Mr. Ryan Carter for me…

Alright…onto game 4.2….

I’ve ignored the eerie similarities that everyone has been referencing regarding this playoff match up between the Ducks and the Red Wings…until now.

Of all the eerie similarities…heading back to Detroit tied 2-2, just as in the 2007 WCF, is the one I was hoping wouldn’t be repeated.

I usually go home after the game and re-watch the recording – highlights, goals, penalties, questionable moments during the game – to get a recap and a reassess my emotions from the win/loss. I was unable to do that last night and therefore won’t be nearly as opinionated about last night’s match up as I’d like to be.

I knew that this game was going to be in Detroit’s favor from the get go. Whether anyone will admit it or not, there was going to be a bit of a make up in Detroit’s favor after game 3 ended the way it did. Unfortunately, the Ducks obviously felt that this was going to be the case as well…and they played into it. They allowed Detroit to walk all over them and did very little to fight back.

I’m not going to complain about the crowd last night. I always laugh at how the Yankee Detroit fans are so proud of themselves for their presence in an opponents arena. We’re talking about a successful original 6 team franchise…they have bandwagon fans everywhere. Don’t be so surprised when they are in your building.

Overall, the Ducks were playing the lazy brand of hockey we’ve seen from them all too often this season. A huge contrast in last night’s game, compared to Tuesday’s game in particular, was the Ducks’ inability to shut down the neutral zone effectively. When it comes down to it, the Ducks have seen two very different opponents here in the post season. San Jose, in my opinion, plays a very similar style to the Ducks. A shorter, chip and retrieve type of game with a physical aspect similar to the way Anaheim plays the puck. Detroit plays a much smoother passing game, with an attempt to control the puck from one end of the ice to the other. If the Ducks are unable to put a stop to these successful offensive transitions…trouble…

Unfortunately for Jonas Hiller, he was bound to have an off night. I don’t know that I can blame him completely as it seemed the defense was very off of their game last night as well. In fact, everyone seemed to be chasing Detroit, chasing the puck, chasing their own bodies since they were clearly not moving their feet…and they paid for it. Hiller’s soft 5-hole goals were going to catch up to him eventually, and I’m really surprised Detroit has yet to exploit the fact that when they take shots directly in front of the crease, Hiller is quite soft. It was nice to see JS Giguere get some time in net, but I’ll be honest, I hope that we see Hiller in net on Sunday.

There has been a lot of talk about the Ducks being insanely out shot over the past 10 post season games. Quality over quantity in my opinion. The Ducks may not be talking as many shots as their opponent, but I’d be interested in a stat showing timed puck possession. I would bet that those numbers are probably more reflective of why the Ducks have had success. They may not be taking as many shots as their opponents, but they’re making them count. In the end, the scoreboard is all that matters anyway.

This is killing me, but I really hope that I don’t have to change his name from Bobby Effin Ryan to Effin Bobby Ryan (I usually save that for when Ryan Getzlaf does things to piss me off). I’m still sticking to my “he’s hurt” assumption, but it’s definitely clear that something is bothering him. I don’t think it’s simply the pressure of the playoffs, I think it’s the pressure from EVERYWHERE ELSE that is potentially getting to him. I think in particular it’s the pressure from the 2 or 3 guys in Red Wings jerseys who immediately attach themselves to him once he touches the puck. I still believe he’ll find a way to break through. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so damn amazing during the regular season causing a mini post season slump to make him stand out like a sore Thronton thumb. Hang in there fans…he’s still the Effin we all know and love.

Also, what happened to Getzlaf last night? He disappeared during the third (much like Effin did in game 5 against San Jose and hasn’t been the same since) and I noticed immediately, but haven’t seen anything other than “he’s sick”. I’m not buying it. Anyone have another thought?

Finally, I’d just like to mention how much I loved Francois Beauchemin’s fight last night. Again, I’m not a fan of the fighting, but that felt right last night. It was a great fight…and yet again someone was surprised to find out Beauchaboy is a lefty! LOVE IT!

In the end, I hope that last night’s game didn’t put doubt into the team’s head. They’re going to need to be the better team on Sunday. They need to do it for their moms…for Ryan Getzlaf’s 24th birthday…and for the pure reason that this is the post season, there is no room for error.

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 12% [?]

Ducks in a Row…game 4.2

Posted on May 7, 2009
“Get used to this phrase: how could both referees have missed that?”
-Mike Brophy

I expect A LOT of that tonight.

I am really excited about tonight’s game! Wait, scratch that…I’m ALWAYS excited about the game, but I am a little extra excited about my company tonight! Suz Broughton and I will be cheering it up and probably beer-ing it up…orange towels in hand and tons of Detroit hating (she’s really good at that if you follow her on Twitter)!

There is no question that Detroit (and their fans) are looking for revenge. There is also very little question on whether or not they are going to get some EXTRA calls in their favor tonight. Unfortunately, it’s just the way the puck bounces, and tonight, I don’t think it will be in the Ducks’ favor.

That being said, they’re going to have to play extra hard if they want the win. First and foremost, Bobby Effin Ryan is going to have to show that he can play through a slump and get his groove back. In addition, the Ducks need Ryan Getzlaf to play like he wants to win. The second line will need to step it up again and make something happen, and to say that the Ducks will need some assistance from the third and fourth line is just a given.

It’s always possible…now just go out there and make it happen!

I hope the Honda Center is ear shatteringly loud again tonight…Suz and I will definitely be doing our part!

DO IT FOR WISNIEWSKI!!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Ducks vs. Wings: Game 3 Analysis; Game 4 Thoughts!

Posted on May 7, 2009

 Game 3 was, as I predicted an intense battle on the ice. It had it’s controversy, but show me a Red Wing vs Ducks game that did not have a controversial goal? For that matter, these are the moments that become Playoff folklore for years to come. I can remember an incident involving the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers in which the goalie makes a save, and yet it looks as if the puck passed the goal line, (See it here) That’s playoff hockey! Who can forget the infamous Brett Hull goal in the SC finals? (See it here) In fact if you do a search for controversial calls, you’ll get a long list of results. That’s what makes sports so fantastic. ABC used the phrase “The Thrill of Victory, and The Agony of Defeat.” That sums it up. Game 3 was a hard fought battle, and as Hiller so eloquently put it, the Ducks fought hard, and when you fight hard, you earn the right to be a little lucky. That can be said for either team. And let’s remember, these two teams seem to always play one point games.

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So game 3 is behind us with the Ducks up 2-1, so what’s the prediction for tonight? PAIN. If you read the boards like I do, Wing fans everywhere are up in arms and looking for revenge tonight. So look for not only the Wings to come out and explode with everything they have (personally I think they’re too old and tired) and look for the refs to give the Red Wings a Mulligan for the last game. Tonight game is basically a make up game for the Wings; and I have a feeling that Refs are looking to redeem themselves by giving the Wings a few blind eyes. Bottom line: I’m expecting the defending Stanley Cup Champs to make an appearance tonight, giving us the dream match fans have been calling this series. Its going to be the 2007 SC Champs Anaheim Ducks v.s. the 2008 SC Champs Detroit Red Wings! Whats at stake? Bragging rights; Pride, and the Conference Finals. Tonight is game 4. Tonight one team goes up 3-1, or one team ties the series 2-2. Which team will show up?

And my biggest question of them all, will Bobby Ryan show up? I think tonight will suprise everyone.

Go Ducks!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Twitter Weekly Updates for TheDucksBlog.com

Posted on May 6, 2009
  • There is a chance I will be intown for Game 6. I hope there isn’t a game 6, but if there is anyone have a spare ticket they want to sell me? #
  • Retweeting @ElPolloLocoInc: Could #1000 be you? Be the 1000th follower & person who referred & WIN FREE CHICKEN FOR A YEAR from ElPollo Loco #
  • Is “Wheezer” or “The Wiz” an appropriate nickname for Wisniewski? What do his team mates call him? Maybe Wheezer is fitting bc of his lung. #
  • In all “fairness” Wings got a power play on a play where OUR got went to the hosptial and the Ducks got a break when the ref couldn’t see… #
  • @whitenebula nice work…. in reply to whitenebula #
  • @Suzbroughton that’s awesome… distinct kicking motion… in reply to Suzbroughton #
  • @Suzbroughton me and @nancyrandle are sitting here with our two brothers in utah watching the game… can you hear us? in reply to Suzbroughton #
  • @whitenebula @nancykohler Very Jealous. Have a great time! in reply to whitenebula #
  • Who is actually at the game tonight and tweeting live? #
  • Great hustle by Marchant getting back on that play. #
  • That is what we like to see from Teemu. Phew. Feels good to get the first one. #
  • Pre-Game blog is up!!! http://theducksblog.com/2009/05/05/517517/ #
  • @HondaCenter didn’t even get the message close enough to answer… drat in reply to HondaCenter #
  • @HondaCenter is the answer “Who is Paul Kariya?” just kidding… in reply to HondaCenter #
  • Cheering for the caps over the pens. Gotta love Kunitz and I wish him the best, but I really enjoy watch Alex the Great. #
  • @whitenebula that doesn’t sound very humane… in reply to whitenebula #
  • @SKeleven @Suzbroughton I can’t comment on the beard because mine would be about the same… in reply to SKeleven #
  • A superstitious win for me yesterday… phew. Glad we will see the Ducks at home this week. Let’s see those matchups Mr. Carlyle. #
  • Aren’t we all glad we kept Marchant this year? This guy is great in the playoffs. Great character, great faceoffs, and now a great goal! #
  • New Post Game Blog!! http://tinyurl.com/c3a68g #
  • Ducks Pre-Game Blog! http://tinyurl.com/dao35x #
  • @larrybroughton that’s hilarious. in reply to larrybroughton #
  • I don’t think browns hit should be compared to braesher’s ryu like street fighter tribute uppercut… #
  • @ larrybroughton you and your wife are hilarious #
  • @Eklund I cleared it up on @brycerandle, my personal twitter. Check out TheDucksBlog.com while you are at it. in reply to Eklund #
  • @liltwinstars The wings did, but @eklund just said the Ducks did… I don’t know about the ducks breaking his arm. Nice try though. in reply to liltwinstars #
  • Eklund… the 07 Stanley Cup Champion Ducks did not have Schneider on the team. #
  • @LockonRyan9@SKeleven @philhulett thanks for the #followfriday mentions! #
  • If you know of any film/video editing jobs or new media jobs in Orange County, please DM me. #

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Saved by the whistle!

Posted on May 6, 2009
Whew! That was a close one last night. Probably should have been closer than it was…but the fact of the matter is that the Ducks got the “W”.

At this point, I don’t think it matters how this series turns out, the Red Wings and their fans aren’t going to be happy. They’ll be looking at what they consider to be a questionable hit in game 1 and now a goal that shouldn’t have been called off and continue to call the Ducks “lucky”. When it comes down to it, the Ducks got a call in their favor for a change. Plain and simple. Was it pay back for a kicked in goal during game 2? Was it to rectify an elbow to the already injured James Wisniewski? It doesn’t matter. What everyone needs to remember is that questionable calls are going to happen in every game. Sure, it’s easier to be okay with a questionable call when it goes in your teams favor, and I’m not trying to excuse it. Every team has suffered a fate from the whistle, and this time it was a positive for the Ducks.

“He didn’t make a mistake. In hindsight, if he had a slow-motion camera to review it, he may not have (blown the whistle). He did what all officials are instructed to do. Blow the whistle when they don’t see the puck. And he didn’t see the puck.” – E.J. McGuire, series manager and spokesman for officials. Anaheim Ducks Official Web Site

We all know humans are going to make mistakes. When it comes down to it, referee Brad Watson was simply doing his job. Referees aren’t always good at their job, but it’s part of the job description to be hated by fans across the league. He’s currently getting top billing as employee of the month from me!

Way more important than screwing over the Red Wings (which I love more than you can imagine) is the status of James Wisniewski. I didn’t see the play as it happened, but did notice immediately that he was hurt after the elbow to his face. While watching the replay of the game at home, it was obvious that he took a shot to the chest and was in considerable pain from that. To add further injury to injury, he then received an elbow to the face from Tomas Holmstrom. Scott Niedermayer was the only man sent to the box on that play for a hooking call, and Detroit scored on the following PP opportunity. It’s okay though, the Ducks got that call back when the whistle sounded in their favor at the end of the game. Reports from the Anaheim Ducks Official Web Site is that Wisniewski has suffered a lung contusion and was kept over night for monitoring. He is apparently doing well however, and I know I’m just one of thousands of fans who hopes he is doing well. I’m sure it’s too much to ask that we see him tomorrow night, as I have no idea how long this type of injury may last, but hopefully sooner than later. He’s become a HUGE reason the Ducks have had their recent success, and I’m a big fan of the Wiz. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Another daunting message from last night was revealed in MANY tweets I received via Twitter regarding Effin. Those messages were all the same…”Where’s Bobby Effin Ryan?”. Even the constantly angry guy sitting behind me (he complained about EVERYTHING) couldn’t help but voice his frustrations every time the kid couldn’t maintain control of the puck. Is it possible Ducks fans were spoiled by his regular season brilliance? Is he folding under the pressure? Is he too good to be true? I say, “nah!” to all of those things. It’s quite possible that he’s just hit a dry spell. It’s also very possible that Detroit knows better than to give Effin an ounce of breathing room, knowing very well what he is capable of. I say, give the kid some time. Get off his back for a bit and let him be a rookie. This is his first time in the post season and I’m sure the nerves are there and the pressure is definitely there…give him a day or so off of the criticism block and let him play his game. The goals and the points will come.

On that same note, it’s a great thing the Ducks have players like Ryan Getzlaf to rely on. He didn’t have a big night last night on the scoreboard, but I was watching him closely- and wow, is he underrated. It’s so much of the little things that Getzlaf brings to the game that are remarkable. The way he handles the puck is unbelievable in it’s own right, but how he controls a play, and moves around the ice is fascinating to watch. In addition, he’s very smart with the puck up against the boards. I watched that closely last night and to see the way he uses not only his stick, but his feet, his legs, and his body to make space for puck control…thats a talent that can’t be taught- it’s natural. I give Getzlaf a lot of crap from time to time, and I’m realizing just now that it’s because I’m really understanding why Brian Burke constantly remarked that he can “be as good as he wants to be”. It’s amazing at how good he is when it appears he isn’t even trying…and when he is trying, the guy is quite possibly unstoppable.

Another highlight of the night was the beautiful little backhander by Teemu Selanne to put the Ducks on the board. Most impressive on that play was the great feed from Ryan Carter. I’m not one to pat myself on the back…but I will say this:

I’ve been calling for the Ebbett-Carter-Selanne line for months! MONTHS!!! I’m glad to see that it’s paying off for the Ducks. Maybe more importantly, I’m glad to see the inspiration for Carter to stay in the lineup means he’s got 4 points in his last 5 games. The Ducks need scoring from anyone – and with Detroit working so hard to keep the Ryan-Getzlaf-Perry line down, second line scoring is huge. So is converting on breakaways…maybe Selanne should have a little sit down with Drew Miller and give him a few tips on how to be successful going one-on-one. Couldn’t hurt.

One more thing…the Honda Center was insanely loud last night. My friends and I were having difficulty talking to each other from time to time. I don’t know if it was the combination of too many Red Wings fans in the building, or just the fact that these playoff games bring out the emotions in everyone, but it was great to hear all of the fans doing their part. We’re going to need to bring this continued support as I feel the refs are going to be making up for the late “no goal” in game 4′s match up.

It’s great to be up 2-1 in this series, but this thing is FAR from over!

See you there tomorrow night, it’ll be a doosie!

GO DUCKS!!!

Popularity: 15% [?]

Game 3: Pre Game Thoughts

Posted on May 5, 2009
deflatewingsBoy… this is familiar territory now isn’t it? we’re back home for game 3 after splitting 2 games in Detroit during the playoffs. And how about game 2? Three overtimes…whew! That’s a lot of hockey. I would first like to thank both the Ducks and Wings for an entire day of hockey and also a rabid Ducks fan that creates marvelous posters for games, like he did for tonight. It seems like playoff games go by so fast; it was actually nice to be sweating all day long while watching the Ducks. Now on too business…..
Tonight is game 3, and one would seem the teams are tired. These two teams are going to play their butts off tonight. I do not think that either team can afford to let the other take the lead in the series, so look for both sides to play hard but cautiously. Once again the Ducks need to just concentrate on their game. The pressure is on Detroit right now (Sound familiar) because they are the unofficial Stanly Cup champions this season. I woke up to different papers basically saying the Ducks have been very lucky to make it this far, but the cup belongs to the Wings for the taking. The press has been so disrespectful to Anaheim, the Denver Post went as far as saying that “in this sport, more than any other, a team can be lucky in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as was the case for Anaheim in 2007.”
Are you kidding me? Not only did they disrespect the Ducks with a stupid comment like that, but the entire NHL and previous cup champions as well. Lucky?
Were the Wings lucky last year? Were the Hurricanes lucky? Tampa Bay? How about the Avalanche, being that the story comes out of Denver? If it just takes luck, why are there only 17 different Champions in the Cups 100 years of existence? Luck? I think not.
Tonight’s game will be intense, hard hitting, unforgiving, and loud….but one thing these teams are not….is lucky.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Ducks in a Row…game 3.2

Posted on May 5, 2009
“When you’re riding, only the race in which you’re riding is important.”
-Bill Shoemaker

One game at a time.

These next two will be at home for the Ducks…

One game at a time.

There is no looking ahead at any point in these playoffs. Tonight, the Ducks are going to have to take each period, each shift, one at a time. Game 2 was exhausting I’m sure, but the good news is that BOTH teams are tired.

We’re going to need to see a lot from our big guys tonight, most importantly Bobby Effin Ryan. Randy Carlyle made an example out of him in game 2, and I have a feeling the kid won’t take lightly to that. GOOD! With the way the other lines performed in game 2, I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a very similar line-up tonight.

And again tonight, as with every home game this post season…the fans MUST bring their “A” game!

GO DUCKS!!!

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