I was listening to the live feed on TSN’s trade center with the likes of Darren Pang, Barry Melrose and a couple other guys. Melrose has been on the Ducks all year, saying they would win no problem. Right before the broadcast ended, the guys were asking about their picks now that the deadline was over. Melrose still went with Anaheim, but I think it was more because he didn’t want to turn his back on his pre-season pick, because they still have a very good team. He is right, they do, but so does San Jose and Dallas.
Monster deals, they are both on par with Anaheim. San Jose can now throw out multiple lines without having to see the shut down line on Thornton.
Line matchups will become a key part of the games played between the two teams, I really hope they meet in the playoffs, that would be like clashing titans. Dallas will still struggle to score, but with Nordstrom, they have a similar combo to Anaheim on the blue line, just not as good. Detroit is another story for me, because I don’t think Bertuzzi is all that big of a deal. A couple leans on the back, some cross checks and the Red Wings are going to need some WD-40 on their wheels of steel.
The Anaheim Ducks have gone through a roller coaster this year. They kicked ass at the start, they got injured in the middle and have faltered since then, even with everyone healthy. The good news is, it is not the goalies that are playing badly. They are probably the most consistent players on the roster and everyone knows they can steal you a series. It seems like the media has turned on the Ducks and looks at them as almost a “what could have been”. All I can say is, wait until the playoffs. Of all the high profile players traded to make their new teams so much better, which ones can say they are playoff tested? Forsberg for sure, Guerin and who else? Tkachuk hasn’t had a good run since 2001. Bertuzzi? Choked with the rest of the Canucks. Norstrom? Miracle on ice 2 against the Red Wings a few years ago and some first round knockouts.
Give me a break, the Ducks’ game breakers are all seasoned playoff veterans and the goalie has a Conn Smythe trophy. I can’t wait to see Dan Wood of the OC Register jump on Burke for not signing a dominator.
So, that is why Brian Burke traded Shane O’Brien! He needed Gerald Coleman so he could trade away Michael Wall and still have a goalie in the minors to go after…Brad May? It all makes sense to me now, because with San Jose and Dallas getting minor upgrades, we needed more grit. Brad May better have 20 goals in him over the next 20+ games. Because the Ducks already are the toughest team, even without O’Brien. I don’t think the Ducks needed to do much, but some kind of depth forward would have been nice. Where the hell do you put Brad May? The shutdown line is already set, so do you put him with Shawn Thorton and Todd Marchant when he gets back? That wouldn’t be that bad actually. I still would have liked someone else who can score.
Since I am still stricken by this deal, I figured I would follow up on it a little. So I went out and grabbed some articles related to Shane O’Brien in Tampa Bay, here and here. I think he will do very well and I will circle the date on next years schedule when these two teams play each other, because he is going to be one pissed of sophmore. To have a Stanley Cup run ripped from your grasp has to upset him. All the luck in the world in Tampa Bay, I hope he can kick some ass over there and watch out for that third instigator penalty, don’t get suspended.
When I played in minors I used to jump into the play a lot and I enjoyed that. When we played Tampa, after the game I was commenting that it looked like fun to be doing what they are doing. They have good D men here that can do it and hopefully I can chip in. - Shane O’Brien
It’s not how hockey used to be, but you need a little bit of toughness. In Anaheim, our skill guys didn’t have to worry about anything. We had guys who could answer the bell. Now we have them in Tampa. - Shane O’Brien
So, according to this, the Ducks have dealt Shane O’Brien and a 3rd round pick to Tampa Bay for some random goalie and a first round pick. That will surely shake things up in the locker room, because that kid flat out worked his ass off and played some amazing hockey. Especially when Pronger went down, I can not think of another defensemen who stood out more, the double or triple ice-time didn’t phase him at all. He is a restricted free agent this year, but I am sure that he will not be coming back to Anaheim.
So, now Burke can push Ric Jackman in to the starting lineup and he snagged a first round draft pick. Now I am thinking he is going to bet the farm on some random expiring forward. Or, my real hope is that he rattles some cages by showing the team that anything can happen and they better pull their heads out of their asses and start playing. I hope for the latter, because no one else deserves to come in and win the Cup riding this teams talent, only those that have been playing all season and contributed. Bad move Burke, I don’t think I like it one bit.
UPDATE: Here are some quotes from the GM
“The first-round pick is already in play and it gets us into the card game,” Burke said. “We wouldn’t have made this deal without him,” Burke said of Coleman.
I find it hard to believe that Gerald Coleman was the dividing factor in this deal, but he has a record of 32-2-2 in the CHL for the London Knights. I don’t care what league you play in, that is pretty damn good. To say the least, Brian Burke really doesn’t play favorites. He seems like the guy that would deal his mom if he could help his team succeed.
I think that was one of the better hockey games I had seen in a while, it had pretty much everything. It was nasty in the beginning, it was tight in the middle frame and it had an exciting finish. The Kings had many chances to put some pucks past Giguere and the Ducks had the opportunities to score on Garon. I am hoping that todays game is going to be just as exciting, too bad its being broadcasted on KDOC.
The Predators, even with Forsberg, lost for the second time in a row. That puts the Ducks 3 points behind them in the conference standings, but 4 points behind the Red Wings for first. Both Detroit and Nashville have an extra game on the Ducks, so lets be positive and say they are 1 and 2 points ahead of them. I am thinking with the Predators young defense and Detroits old players and lack of good depth players, they wont last in the playoffs.
Still no deal either, which I think will end up being the case after the 27th. Anaheim is better then every team in the West, they don’t need anyone amazing. I wish they snagged Nagy, but oh well. Go Ducks!
Anaheim, in town to play Wayne Gretzky’s Desert Dogs last night, were furiously bidding for Forsberg, with the Flyers looking for one of winger Corey Perry or forward Ryan Getzlaf, and prospect Bobby Ryan. - Toronto Star
Good thing that stupid fucking deal didn’t happen. Keith Tkachuk is gonna cost too damn much as well, that is such a joke. The Ducks need to get some midrange forward, they better not bet the farm on whoever they get. Because I refuse to believe that this team can not beat the Predators in to the ground, even with Peter Forsberg. Same thing with the Sharks, they aren’t much of a threat unless a key player gets injured. The start of the season was no fluke, I think people forget that. The defense is solid 1-6 and Giguere, hmm, he is pretty good in the playoffs isn’t he? Didn’t he and the backup have some amazing shutout streaks in the last two playoff runs the team has had?
Elvis ain’t singing in Tennesse, bring out the fat lady, it’s all over…and Burke doesn’t have to get anyone to realize that, he knows it.
Oh yea, that time of year…
We are almost to the trade deadline and the biggest prize has already been claimed by the Predators. Whoopie! Way to give up too much Nashville, talk about a loaner. This gives the Predators some favorable depth up front, but can you name any of their defensemen past the local boy Vishnevski? Timonen maybe, but who else? Shea “Glass Jaw” Weber? Is he even playing yet after Travis Moen rocked him? No doubt the Predators will score some goals, but man, I don’t think they will be stopping any from going in.
The Ducks on the other hand can actually score, though watching the last few games one would say not. They also have depth on defense, all six defensemen deserve to be on the bench. Then as backups we have Ric Jackman and Ken Huskins who did very well and gained a lot of experience while stepping in. The Ducks need to add a depth forward, that is it. Someone who can give them one or two goals a playoff series, plays tough and can play two way hockey. I have been saying this for about two months now to people I chat with online, but the Ducks need to try to get Keith Tkachuk. The only problem is, he might come at too steep a price and he has made it clear he wants to return to St. Louis next year, kind of like Doug Weight. That worked out well for the Hurricanes though, maybe Burke should look in to that. Whatever they do, Bobby Ryan better not be involved in the deal, what an awesome young corp of forwards we are going to have next year.
So that is my opinion, can anyone else name a good forward on a struggling team with a semi-large contract that might be on his way out?
Well that was a damn good game and KDOC can simply stop broadcasting games, looks like an old printer in motion. Anyways, what a great game. The Ducks opened up on fire, tailed off and got frustrated, then you saw the composure of the veterans to rally the troops. Francois Beauchemin fought, so you knew this game had to be a little different, the edge was there. You certainly saw the frustration the Ducks exuded, but also the perseverance. They really never did give up if you look at every shift.
I do think it is safe to say that the team is going to take this game and run with it, use it as a building block and move forward. Not to say that they might not hit more bumps in the road in the next few games, but still, I think this is very positive to come back from 3 goals down and win in overtime. I enjoyed watching both Anaheim teams, the confident team and the struggling team. The vets will make sure that everything goes smoothly.
So, lets beat the Kings ass on Saturday!
That would pretty much sum up my feels on the recent scoring drought. 139 minutes I believe it is, feel like the playoffs last year but in reverse. Oh well, time to step up and smack the Coyotes around. Who is jumping up and down for that KDOC coverage, my new TV is going to hate me.
“The guys in the dressing room have to turn it around,” Anaheim leading scorer Teemu Selanne said. “We need more confidence to score right now, and it’s a little frustrating.”
Well, I am pretty sure they will turn it around sooner then later. Some people are critical of the Ducks, especially the local papers. Is that all they do is bitch? How about they actually cover the team, not read the box scores and then write the article. Don’t put random sports writers in place to cover the Ducks, get a knowledgeable hockey person in there.
A lot of stuff has happened to me since I last posted on this blog, November 28th. Damn that is a long time ago. The Ducks have since then dropped all kinds of games, had all kinds of injuries and whole lot of inconsistent play. Everyone knows the deal, so oh well, time to move on. The team is back at full strength and I am sure that by the time the playoffs come, it is going to be business as usual.
As for this site, I updated to the latest version of Wordpress and installed a new theme which I really really like. So in the coming days I will try to post as usual and maybe more in general hockey posts. I just got myself a 56″ DLP TV and HD cable, so I am infatuated with HD sports and hockey looks simply incredible. Until then…
