Archive for the 'Players' Category

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?

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.

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.

30
May

Whine & Cheese - More of the Same

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

I think there were a couple of times last night where Ray Emery had the puck covered and there were two or three extra hacks at him… - Brian Murray

You know how you stop a player from sniffing around your net, poking your goalie? The same way you teach a cat to not claw your furniture or piss on your carpet, you smack it on the nose and give a stern NO! It is no different in this situation, if you want the Ducks to stop crashing the net, smack them on the nose, make it uncomfortable for them to be there. The referees will let you pound someone a little more in front of the net after the whistle or during a scramble for a loose puck. 

   

Where is the puck? Pahlsson and Niedermayer are both roaming around the net without a stick across their hands or a glove in their face. How many Senators does it take to not clear a puck? You leave Andy McDonald, all 5-11, 185lbs of him, untouched in front of the net. A guy can not score a goal if he is planted in the ice or has a glove in his face. If anyone comes around the Ducks net, they learn very quickly that they are not welcome and it will not be tolerated. Either you are going to sit in there and take the punishment or you are going to move. Tomas Holmstrom gave the Ducks fits in front of the net, that guy has some balls to stand in and take that, he was always causing a problem. That is a good example of what needs to be done.

The Senators were regularly out of position in game one, the Ducks seemed to always be behind them when it came to crease mayhem. What exactly were the Senators doing for eleven days? This was no secret in the three previous rounds, every goalie complained and commented on the traffic as did the coaches. The game plan is simple every time, get shots through and clean up anything that needs to be cleaned up. While none of the Ducks goals in game one were of this variety, you know it is coming some time down the line. Though Mike Comrie did get a goal like this, kind of, standing off to the side of the net.

We’re going hard to the net and we’re going to go try and score goals, we’re definitely not trying to do anything to provoke him or injure him, by any means. - Ryan Getzlaf

Why do I envision a smirk on Getzlaf’s face when he said that? I don’t think they are trying to injure anyone, but provoke, yes. You know that is part of the plan, to take the goalie out of his comfort zone, to make him think traffic is coming and I need to watch out for that. Less than 100% focus on the puck. The Ducks play until the whistle blows, maybe one extra poke or whack. You don’t like it, read the first paragraph. Ottawa doesn’t give it back, maybe they should try it out. Then again, we all saw what happened when you take a slapshot after the whistle blows. Either play tougher or turn the other cheek, but being bullied around figures to only help the Ducks. Seven more hours…

20
May

Obviously He’s Thinking…

By Daniel 12 Comments
Categories: 07 Playoffs, Conference Finals, Ducks, Game Reviews, Hockey and Players

I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking.

I am kind of lost in this whole mix of Randy Carlyle’s coaching strategies these last couple games. Who is Ryan Carter and Joe Motzko? I would much rather have a swift Ryan Shannon and a tough Shawn Thornton who have actual games under their belt instead of two rookies who haven’t even played five regular season games let alone Stanley Cup conference finals experience. Especially since the AHL team didn’t make the playoffs, which means they haven’t played a game for a while. I think we need to bring Bobby Ryan up too, why not, he needs the experience.

The top line is useless in this round, Selanne’s OT winner today was gift wrapped, the other was a lucky swat. McDonald is not even relative against Detroit, he is a speedy skater, that is about it. Loosing Kunitz hurt, he was that first guy in and made the defense keep their head up, or else they got steamroled. Sammy and company have done their job, I can not say anything bad about them, except Rob takes penalties, more on that in a second. The PPG line is doing what the acronym suggests, they are good for a point a game and are the most dangerous line on the team. Ryan Getlaf, you sir are a stud on skates, you are an awesome hockey player.

I think the only positive from game five was the penalties situation. I think they were clean in the first period, but really bad in the second and OK in the third. You could tell that Anaheim wasn’t pushing the issue when it came to physicality, they were avoiding the extra stuff in the mix ups in front of the net. Remember Kopecky wrangling Brad May for a good 15 seconds? He took it, whoa! The only time I saw something was when Getlaf was jawing with someone and he threw a slight punch at the Red Wings player. Other then that, they really played soft. That is not their game and it allowed Detroit to dictate the physical nature of the game and that just shouldn’t ever happen against the Ducks. I think that had a little to do with tonight’s game, they were timid and were worried about not taking penalties to give the Red Wings extra chances to score. Better fix that in game six, find a finer line fellas.

Lastly, remove your heads from your asses. Maybe the Ducks think they are just so badass that they can do whatever they want. I’ve said this before, I think Anaheim believes they can score a goal in crunch time if they want one and they will worry about winning in overtime when that time comes. Cocky attitude, but it seems to be working so far doesn’t it? Detroit fans, if you guys happen to lose on Tuesday, I will feel like you guys got robbed. I truly believe the better teams wins four games, but jesus, the Ducks should just say thanks but no thanks to advancing. Concede to Ottawa or just let Detroit represent the Western Conference, you guys look like shit run over twice. Go Ducks!

PS: Poor Andreas Lilja, he must feel like really bad. I bet that everyone in that locker room is pointing fingers at themselves though and not at Lilja. They should be at least, he did score the only goal for them. The rest of the team should have buried about five other goals if not for rushed passes on 5-on-3 situations and every other powerplay they had. Don’t chastise him Detroit, it really isn’t his fault and everyone knows it.

17
May

Cleanup On Aisle Four

By Daniel 24 Comments
Categories: 07 Playoffs, Conference Finals, Ducks, Hockey, Players and Pre-Game

Well, well, well. Here we are, it is finally Thursday and we can all waste time at work arguing EVEN MORE about the hit, the suspension and the superiority of the Yankees Red Wings. While I honestly believe the Ducks can win this game tonight, it is the first time this year that I have doubt some doubt if the team can pull one out. They have not looked dominant in very many games this postseason, which with this cast of players shocks me. Anaheim has to pull together tonight, because if they lose this game, they wont beat Hasek three games in a row. Also, losing this series will probably spell the end for the Giguere era, I doubt they can re-sign him. Then again, maybe Brian Burke can steal him for one more year and make a couple other adjustments, do it Burke.

Hopefully we see Ric Jackman and not Aaron Rome in the lineup tonight, one regular season and one playoff game are not enough experience for a game of this magnitude. Ric is dependable as is everyone else on the blueline tonight. As long as they tie up sticks and wash faces, making it as unpleasant as possible for anyone trying to get a sniff. Hockey is a game of memories. Whether it be how this guy undressed you with his stickwork or how someone pounded your face in to the glass. The Ducks wanted to send a message after being blown out, it was just a little overboard on one play. If the Ducks can play with that much emotion but keep it contained, they should be fine tonight.

And what about Chris Pronger? Well who cares really, he was suspended and now it is over. Colin Campbell and the league are a bunch of idiots though. Campbell said he thought Pronger’s hit was an intentional shot to the head. Ok, so if you believe that, why the hell was he only given one game? Sorry, but that isn’t enough time for something that could be insanely dangerous. Hockey is a tough sport, but look at some old football players, head injuries are serious, not something you brush over with a one game suspension.

Detroit fans, do with this as you will. You guys always have something to say, never objective though. Thirty-two comments in the last thread, let’s see if we can’t beat that today. But…I guess that has more to do with the game tonight, if Detroit wins you will be all over it. If they lose, you will say something like “Stupid refs” or “Chris Fucking Pronger” or “Your team was named after an Emilio Estevez movie” (Men at Work?). Always remember this, Ducks fly together!

Final Score: Ducks: 100 - Red Wings: 99 (100 goals by the blow up doll in front of the arena, per Earl’s request.)

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