Archive for the 'Ducks' Category

19
Mar

Bandwagon Time

By Daniel 4 Comments
Categories: 08 Season, Ducks and Hockey

It is almost crunch time and I figure I will join the internet again. I will try to be a little more objectable this year and almost root against the Ducks, but not really. I am too lazy to port all my posts over to Joomla!, but that thing is pretty much set up, if only someone would make a Worpdress to Joomla transfer mechanism.

I am happy to see Pronger getting suspended for 8 games, maybe even a game or two in to the first round of the playoffs would have been a better punishment. He has always been allowed to be a dick, knowing only one game would be his punishment. Why doesn’t Colin Campbell just tell him he face the corner and be quiet, you know, throw the book at him. But I am excited for the playoffs, because if the Ducks some how pull out this miracle run, I would be shocked. San Jose has a game in hand and easier opponents, so I doubt they get the division this year. Lets shoot for the #4 seed and beat Dallas, then an upset of the 2 or 3 seed so we can face Detroit in the WCF. Touch and go I say.

Gonna watch tonights game tomorrow with a few friends, so I will abstain from all hockey news until then.

30
Sep

Game 1

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Ducks, Game Reviews, Hockey and Players

I was mulling over my thoughts on what I thought about the first Ducks game of the year. I must say, they looked lost. This looks like a team looking for an identity, they did not look composed at all. I know everyone on the roster will battle for each other, every single player would step in and fight (except Andy Mac, sorry Andy…). So that is big positive that should work out the kinks after a few games.

Kunitz pounced on Brad Stuart’s face after he gave Perry a cheap shot. This is a nice new addition for Kunitz, that new “A” is going to really pay off and the team will get a little more from him this year, and he wasn’t too damn bad last year.

I liked what I saw from Todd Bertuzzi, he looked better than he did in Detroit. With him dropping the weight and taking care of himself, you have to be a happy Ducks fan. Bertuzzi is a bad man, he is a serious player. The Steve Moore incident is very bad, that is something that should never happen. But the league let him back in, so I will take that stand too. A good Bertuzzi will be something like 25 goals. That isn’t 48, but you can’t expect that.

I have learned that Shane Hnidy is very good at getting penalties for being a douche or generally bad play, he might be sent down when Schneider comes back, one can only hope. Bobby Ryan looks like he is 15 and taking his driving test and by that I mean he just looks very wide-eyed and excited. He knew to go to the backhand on that goal though, so he has that finishing touch. Then you have Getzlaf…I already have a post dedicated to him in the works, but he looked good in this game.

While the team searches for who they are, looking for Scott Niedermayer, they should struggle in the first few games. You know it is like the General has left the tent and the soldiers think they can slack a little. Pronger needs to whip everyone around, we need Giguere back and we need Pahlsson back so we can balance the lines.

While I am still here, I say trade George Parros for a bag of hammers and get us a real fighter. Those mustaches are like the stupid rally monkey across the 57. He wastes a roster spot where we can have a 7th defenseman or better forward.

29
Aug

A Quick Jot

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Ducks, Hockey and Players

I was poking around the LA Times website when I just happened to look at the Ducks page. Surprisingly the Kunitz signing was not the most recent article. This one was. The day Brian Burke brought in Mathieu Schneider, I had a glimmer of hope that Scott Niedermayer would return. I think the reason that Scott Niedermayer wanted to retire after this season was that he was worked very hard under Randy Carlyle. He had a puck shot at him, he apparently played with a broken bone in his foot, he missed time around the All Star game. The man played half the game, every night and had people looking to nail him. While he was good at avoiding that, you know sometimes they connected.

My guess, he comes back for at least one more year. Not because he needs to win anything else, but just because he can. He can play with his brother, he can play a lot less and he can still be the man. It will be an insane blue line, with Sean O’Donnell finding himself on the third pairing with either Kent Huskins of Joe DiPenta. Maybe even trade bait for a decent forward, to add some depth.

The bad thing about this, I think it will force Teemu Selanne to retire. Unless he plays for hockey sticks and “Pannukakku” made by Chris Pronger’s mom, the team can’t really afford him. So start trading away some assets Burke, Bryz needs to go. Isn’t his contract up anyway?

That is my opinion, I think we see #27 back in the new threads. Plus, I don’t want to see Chris Pronger with a “C” on his jersey. I think he is a great hockey player, but not so sure he deserves to be the captain…

26
Jul

Son of a Bitch

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Ducks, Hockey and Players

I do not like Kevin Lowe, this really pisses me off. Edmonton wants to give Dustin Penner $21.5 million over 5 years huh? Brian Burke said he would match any offer that was given to Penner, but this one is pretty tough to swallow.My math is bad, but that’s something like $4 million a year. That is a lot of money to offer a player who had a great rookie season, but was sometimes put in the doghouse for lack of effort, punctuation and willingness to get hit by pucks shot by Chris Pronger. Can Burke really match this offer and fit Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne under the cap, if they so wish to return? If he matches this offer, at the very least one of those guys has to go, will Burke really tell them that? My gut feeling is that the Ducks will not match this offer, they gambled and got burned. I bet he is on the phone right now with Niedermayer, asking him what he is leaning towards right now.

Does this mean we get back all of our picks from the Chris Pronger trade?

21
Jul

Posting While Drunk - The Prequel

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Ducks and Hockey

This is probably a bad idea, Knob Creek seems to be no joke, but who really reads this anyway right? Who really cares, I will write a post just to spite myself.

I should start by saying something about the signings the Ducks have made, that would be the best part. First off, Brian Burke has started to sign a lot of guys with NHL experience who spend most of their time in the AHL this year, just in case someone gets hurt. This is a good idea, because we do not need to trade for Ric Jackman in the middle of the season and have him play horrible defense in the playoffs, then score one goal and be a hero, now do we. So a big thumbs up to Burkie for doing that, way to think ahead, way to think that your two Norris defenders are not invincible.

Now on to the good signings that we have made.

First we start with the man protecting the net. Jean Sebastian Giguere should officially retire an Anaheim Duck. This man is 100% class, he is a family man and he gives you everything he has without sugar-coating a thing. Giguere says the right things to the media without coming off as a douche bag, praises his teammates and loves being an Anaheim Duck. What more can you ask for? He also took a huge discount to play for the Ducks. I think the doctors and Francois Allaire had a very small part to do with his decision, but I believe the biggest reason was that he felt management did him right and the team has a chance to be good for a couple of years at least. Thank you J.S. and thank you Brian Burke, you made the right decision.

Let us move on to Mathieu Schneider, the heir apparent to the impossible. Not since Elvis Grbac in San Francisco has a single player had to replace such a integral part of team. Welcome to Anaheim Matt. Grbac did a really shitty job when he was with the 49ers, I really hope that Schneider doesn’t have the same fate. I am not too familiar with him to be honest. My buddy, who happens to be a Kings fan (I know, I know…”buddy”) says that he was upset when the Kings traded Schneider to the Red Wings, so that makes me think he is a decent player. Being 38 scares me a little bit, but so does Chris Chelios and he almost as old as my dad. So let me say that I think #23 will stop the bleeding if Scott Niedermayer retires, but will not heal the wound.

Now on to my favorite signing, Todd Bertuzzi. I am pretty sure I ragged on him when the Ducks were playing Detroit in the WCF, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the guy. In fact, I am a big fan of Todd Bertuzzi. I was hoping that Burke traded for him two years ago, but that never happened. What he did to Steve Moore was down right vicious, he should probably be in jail or should have been, but he isn’t. I base everything on the here and now. Todd Bertuzzi is here in Anaheim and now has a chance to help out the club I cheer for. Funny how a change in uniform can change your opinion on a guy huh? Not really, he scared me in Detroit, if he played big, the Ducks would have probably lost that series. I will go out on a limb and say that Todd Bertuzzi has a productive season and flirts with 80 points 2008. But Burke over paid for him, that is for sure. He should have said here is $2,000,000, if you want $4,000,000, go get some points. Nothing drives an athlete like money.

I wont say much on the retirement issues. I think they both retire honestly, with Scott Niedermayer the most likely to return. Teemu Selanne accomplished what he wanted to, he has no contractual obligation to come back and I think his age, with his family, will play a big role. Both men have nothing to prove, Selanne is one of the best European players to ever lace them up and I will let Niedermayer’s resume speak the volumes it already has. I will be very sad when Selanne says he is officially done, he has been my favorite player since 1993, he radiates class. I was very honored to have my picture taken with him and to play a couple hands of blackjack with the man, he really is as charismatic as he seems.

Until next time folks, it is midnight and my eyes are getting really heavy. Deftones was the only thing to keep me awake while I wrote all this.

28
Jun

Busy Time

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Ducks, Former Ducks, Hockey and Players

For being the off season, it sure is a busy time in the NHL. You get a rich Canadian with an obsolete product trying to buy a good franchise and ship them from Baltimore to Indianapolis Nashville to Ontario, then his maverick tactics get him kicked to the curb. My favorite story is the one of Keith Tkachuk, that is simply bullshit. Trading rights back to a player for exclusive negotiating services, sorry but that is just plain wrong. Honestly though, who cares, I am pretty much waiting for the two super stars to say what they are going to do in Anaheim.

smyth One of the interesting things I read was about Ryan Smyth perhaps being a target of Burke’s if Selanne does happen to retire. I don’t know what the fuss is all about honestly, he’s good in front of the net and is a good leader. But he is made out to be some messiah, like he changes the entire dynamic of your team. Sure he will score you some goals, but I don’t think he is worth all that, to be fair I am not an Oilers fan and don’t watch a lot of his games though. Some size up the middle would be welcome though, Penner doesn’t stand in front with a mission quite yet. So lets say I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened, but unlikely.

kariya The most humorist post was concerning Paul Kariya. Haha. He doesn’t have a good shot of signing with the Ducks. I believe one of the reasons he didn’t want to stay in Anaheim after 2003 was because he didn’t enjoy Mike Babcock’s defensive style of hockey. That wont really fly with Carlyle or Burke. Selanne was the least physical of all the Ducks players last season, he must have had some kind of pass or something because even McDonald did some forechecking. Paul Kariya is no longer welcome, so I say this deal has about a 10% chance of happening.

souray Scott Niedermayer can not be replaced. Sheldon Souray is said to be the best defensemen up for grabs in free agency and he can’t hold a candle to what Niedermayer brought to the locker room or ice. Pressure alone would probably eat this guy up, stay away. Get some proven 3-4 guys that can fill spots. Francois Beauchemin can do a lot of what Scott Neidermayer did on the powerplay with Chris Pronger. His decision making will need some work, especially since he might not have Scottie backing him up when he steps up to drill someone with his head down. Joe DiPenta probably wont be back either, but we still have Pronger.

But…we did sign some players as well. That goalie guy is locked in for another four years as are some of our depth defenders. It really doesn’t look like a bad off season so far and July 1st hasn’t even come along yet. Bryzgalov will probably move on, another $1-1.5 freed up. Get some more speed on the wings and a big center who has just the right amount of brain cells missing to stand in front of the net while Pronger and Beauchemin rip pucks towards their general direction. Ryan Smyth looks better to me after I say it like that.

18
Jun

I Just Can’t Do It Captain

By Daniel 3 Comments
Categories: Articles, Ducks and Players

According to this EJ Hradek blog post, Scott Niedermayer is in decision mode on whether he wants to retire or continue playing. Wont that really hurt the whole repeat train. I don’t even know what to think about it honestly. I wouldn’t be upset to see him retire, it would honestly make sense. The resume is long and distinguished, he can’t accomplish anything else, so he would simply have to do it because he loves to play hockey. He can go out on top, helping his brother win a cup and bringing it to a new team without Scott Stevens. The guy is a winner in every sense of the word and can you think of anyone as decorated as he is, in any sport, ever? Plus, he is so classy and plays the game with respect. I feel like I am writing a eulogy here, as I write more, I get the feeling that Scott Niedermayer played his last game of hockey.

If it is, I hope he rides off in to the California sunset and sits on the beach for the rest of his life, raising his kids and being a great dad.

08
Jun

Quack Quack Quack Mr. Ducksworth

By Daniel 3 Comments
Categories: Ducks, Hockey and Players

Ok, just because I thought this was really funny, I figured people would really get a kick out of this.

I was using my time wisely on Wikipedia today and I went to the Anaheim Ducks page, it had been erased and some jerk off had replaced it all with some jibba-jabba. It was restored in a matter of minutes, no big deal. So I went to the talk page for the entry and saw perhaps the funniest thing linking the NHL Ducks to the three wonderful movies we all grew up watching.

Seems there’s an anon fetish with adding ‘Charlie Conway’ to the team captains section & ‘Gordon Bombay’ to the coaches section. GoodDay 17:27, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Does it get any fucking better then that, seriously? I almost fell out of my chair.

In real Ducks news, the team has signed Travis Moen and George Parros to two year extensions. So two more years of the shut down line and two more years of the nation, official WWE t-shirts coming soon. Why was Spazway the captain anyway, he always screwed it up.

07
Jun

Wow, What A Season

By Daniel 1 Comment
Categories: 07 Playoffs, Blog, Ducks, Hockey and Stanley Cup Finals

ducks_cup

From the fans singing the National Anthem to Selanne raising the cup high above his head, you have to be proud to be a Ducks fan today. After all the years of hearing the Disney jokes, the Mighty Ducks cartoon, Wild Wing, the “eggplant” in the jersey, being from California and not being a real fan base or deserving market, it finally ends in amazing fashion. Today it feels good to be from Southern California, the crowd singing the National Anthem was spine tingling and I wasn’t even in the building. I know it happens a lot in Canada, passing a huge Canadian flag around the arena is awesome too, but that was very touching to hear that come from Orange County. It will save you from me bashing the OC for the rest of the week, I promise.

The series played out exactly how I figured it would, the Ducks made quick work of the Senators. Ottawa thought it wasn’t going to be close, you were right, but oh so wrong. Game five was the final stamp on a season you know was going to be special, I guess you had to be a real Ducks fan to know that. The up’s and down’s during injuries were nerve racking, the Detroit series was shameful at times but the finals showed everyone who the best team was.

I will have some more posts coming later today and later in the week, but we are having DNS issues at work so I have to deal with that. I have some great things in the wings and it will be a great offseason. I am going to come back with a new domain, a new site structure and what should easily be the most interactive Ducks site, if not hockey fan site on the internet. I was going to close up shop a couple times this season, but got inspired during the playoffs, go figure. Thanks to all the bloggers, especially those from Detroit, you guys were a riot.

I even called the own goal, that is scary!

06
Jun

Put Me In Coach

By Daniel 3 Comments
Categories: 07 Playoffs, Ducks, Hockey, Players, Pre-Game and Stanley Cup Finals

To have one’s name engraved on the Stanley Cup certain requirements must be met. A player must have at least 41 games played with the club or one game played in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, in 1994 a stipulation was added to allow a team to petition the Commissioner for permission to have players’ names put on the Cup if extenuating circumstances prevented them from being available to play. - NHL Fun Facts

parros_cup I have already stated in the previous post that I believe the Ducks will close it out tonight, so no assumption. Now, to get to what really bites ass, George Parros will not get his name on the Stanley Cup if he does not play tonight. He has played in 34 regular season games and only 5 playoff games this year. He still travels with the team, skates in practice and drills but that wont really matter. Sure, the team can petition Gary Bettman, but I think he will just shoot it down. Not being a particularly good hockey player is not an “extenuating circumstance” for not playing.

I don’t really like Parros all that much, I get the whole “fans love him” thing, he is a fighter and he has a unique look. Put aside my own thoughts on his hockey skills, this guy is a draw for the team. They even sell mustaches at the arena, that is some real fan appreciation with a hint of keen marketing. When Snoop supports you, you know you got a role on the team. His teammates seem to love him too. How can you not love someone who’s job is make sure your safe in your workplace? So the fan support is there, the team support is there, but will the commissioner care?

That means Joe Motzko, Ryan Carter and Drew Miller get their names on the cup after playing 4 games combined in the finals? Ryan Shannon will also get his name inscribed after he played 53 games in the regular season. It seems very crappy that Parros will miss out. Randy Carlyle is a take-no-shit kind of coach and he doesn’t care about things like this, in my eyes at least. Which is a great asset for a coach, that means he wants the team to win first, correct. I personally think George Parros sits in the locker for game five, which really sucks for George Parros, but is a good thing for his team. You can’t take a spot from a player who can at least contribute. But if he did get the chance to dress, you know the Honda Center would erupt, about as loud as when the final horn blows tonight. Bench the balloon and put Parros out for a shift, I personally think he deserves it.

Ducks: 50 - Ottawa: -3 (3 own goals that will count as negatives)

PS: If Randy Carlyle does this, it is a mistake and might backfire by hyping the Senators up. Then again, they really shouldn’t need to be hyped up, this an elimination game and all.

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