Just a quick hit: the Ducks have made their final two roster moves.
1. Logan MacMillan (not a surprise) went to Bakersfield.
2. Brendan Mikkelson (rather kinda large-ish surprise) went to Toronto (the AHL Marlies, not the NHL Maple Leafs).
This leaves the Ducks with the requisite starting roster of 23: 14 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 2 goalies.
What I find more noteworthy are Andrew Ebbett's place on the big-time roster (hooray!) and Sheldon Brookbank getting the nod in the swing position. It's as close to starting with 15 forwards as we're likely to get any time soon.
Also, count me among those greatly pleased that Sbisa starts the year in a Ducks uniform. If you're reading this, Luca: earn the spot you've been handed. You can do this. We the fans want you to.
It should be mentioned that neither of these moves precludes placing Eminger or Boynton on waivers, and Mikkelson (and Festerling, for that matter) remain dependable as backups if that's their destiny this year. At the same time, though, another of the points mentioned in last night's Fan Forum is that the Ducks' salary cap position has enough room right now for another acquisition. If that's true, then there's clearly no urgent need to move anyone's salary. That's another feather in Bob Murray's cap, in my humble opinion; let's not forget that these same Ducks were in such a precarious salary position last year that Bobby Ryan (and his entry-level $850k contract) posed enough of a problem that he had to stay in Iowa.
Then again, having cap space and having money to pay salaries are two different things. Next time you're at a game, buy a t-shirt. You'll look good in it. I promise.
That's probably going to be all there is to say until the puck drops on Saturday. However, if anything else happens between now and then you can rest assured that I'll opine about it here.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
September 30, 2009
September 29, 2009
Ducks Eat Fish?
How did my Duck-loving, sushi-loving self not know about this event?
The Ducks made sushi.
Three questions:
1. I know that Saku has caught some flack over the years for not mastering French, but is it possible that he hasn't really gotten the hang of English either? Or is the name of his roll, "When You're Finnish You'll Want More Saku" not the non-pun that I'm reading it as? Maybe he just wrote his name next to the roll's name and someone ran the two together. Either way, it's very close to a Finnish pun (and there can never, ever, EVER be too many of those) and it gave me a chuckle. So, it gets a pass. Hooray for Saku!
2. Mike Brown looks really natural as a chef, doesn't he? It seems like there's a Food Network show in there somewhere just waiting to be hatched. Hooray for Mike!
3. Nobody put shark in their rolls? For serious? In fairness, I'm not sure that would even be a viable option (in fact, I bet it's not)... but octopus is. Because screw Detroit. Just sayin'...
And just so nobody feels left out - Hooray for Scott! Hooray for James!
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
The Ducks made sushi.
Three questions:
1. I know that Saku has caught some flack over the years for not mastering French, but is it possible that he hasn't really gotten the hang of English either? Or is the name of his roll, "When You're Finnish You'll Want More Saku" not the non-pun that I'm reading it as? Maybe he just wrote his name next to the roll's name and someone ran the two together. Either way, it's very close to a Finnish pun (and there can never, ever, EVER be too many of those) and it gave me a chuckle. So, it gets a pass. Hooray for Saku!
2. Mike Brown looks really natural as a chef, doesn't he? It seems like there's a Food Network show in there somewhere just waiting to be hatched. Hooray for Mike!
3. Nobody put shark in their rolls? For serious? In fairness, I'm not sure that would even be a viable option (in fact, I bet it's not)... but octopus is. Because screw Detroit. Just sayin'...
And just so nobody feels left out - Hooray for Scott! Hooray for James!
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
Gazing Into the Ice Crystal Ball
If you've never taken a moment to think about ice, this is as good a time as any. It's amazing stuff, really. Water ice (the stuff we're concerned with as hockey aficionados) is primarily composed of a single, simple, symmetrical ionized molecule (that would be dihydrogen monoxide, or H2O) but never takes the same form twice. We've all heard that no two snowflakes are identical and, insofar as my Southern California lifestyle allows me to tell, that's true. But even more than that, no two forms of ice will ever be exactly the same. No matter how predictable the formation should be, what it will be is always variable.
And that's only true of some magical, theoretical pure ice. In reality, the ice will almost always have some sort of inclusion. The inclusion will happen, and it will change the shape of the outcome - possibly subtly, possibly not.
It might be tempting to call the inclusion an "impurity," but I don't see it that way. "Impurity" connotes a flaw that detracts some better, "pure" state. It suggests that the ideological version will always be superior to the practical version. That the version on paper is the virtuous one.
But, as they say in the sports world, the game isn't played on paper.
With that, I present my humble prognostications of the Ducks' final pre-season roster moves and opening night lineup.
Forwards
Line 1: Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan
You're not really going to ask me to explain this one, are you?
Line 2: Koivu-Selanne-Lupul
It's going to take some time to gel, and there may be more sensible options as the second wing for the Selanne-Koivu tandem, but Sunday's goal against the Kings (see it here and marvel) shows exactly what this line can do. As such, my money's on it being intact on opening night.
Line 3: Marchant-Brown-Ebbett
Here's where things get complicated. I'd have Petteri Nokelainen in this line and Erik Christensen centering the 4th line if he were at 100%. But he's not, it seems like it's Ryan Carter's eternal destiny to be a healthy scratch, and someone has to step up. By virtue of his still being on the roster as of this writing, it seems like Ebbett has indeed answered the call. If Coach Carlyle's comments have been genuine - if he really is looking to move away from a true checking line and closer to a tertiary scoring line - then Marchant-Brown-Ebbett makes good sense. All three are full of fight (if not necesasrily size), are unlikely to take too many penalties, and can chip in a goal from time to time. In this scenario I'm putting Marchant at center and Ebbett at left wing, but part of the grace of this concept is its interchangeability. It also helps that all three are, in their own way, big character guys. Odds are high that on any given shift, this threesome could be appropriately responsible and engage the (home) crowd. That's always a plus.
Line 4: Nokelainen**-Parros-Artyukhin
It just makes sense at this point. The Nokelainen-Brown-Parros line from last year was a thing of beauty. A well-oiled machine. A (insert positive imagery here). For time being, at least, I see merit in preserving a part of that line. But why, you may ask, is Artyukhin all the way down here? Simple - the bad penalties during the preseason. Coach Carlyle can't be happy about that, but I also can't see him benching the speed and muscle that Artyukhin can bring to the Anaheim system. The solution: stick him on the 4th line so he can grow with a minimal chance to do penalty damage. Ryan Carter remains a good option to center this line as well, but... see above.
Defensemen
There's a lot more pure speculation here. Properly warned ye be, says I.
Pair 1: Niedermeyer-Sbisa
Hey, I calls 'em like I sees 'em. Sbisa has been very solid (if obviously young) in his brief time as a Duck. I see no reason not to give him the Beauchemin treatment and start him at Niedermeyer's side. If it doesn't work out, Sbisa can be moved. If it does work out, we could be looking at another franchise player and engaging young star. It's the right call - at least for opening night.
Pair 2: Boynton-Whitney
Nick Boynton as a crease-clearing quasi-Pronger, Whitney and his slap shot at the other end of the ice. I'm a little concerned with Boynton's speed, but his size (at 6'1" and 218 lbs he's our biggest D-man) and experience will hopefully cover that deficiency.
Pair 3: Wisniewski-Mikkelson
The Steve Eminger I've been watching for these past few weeks just isn't quite up to par. I think he'll be on the roster as a #7 (i.e. as Carter's scratch buddy). Brendan Mikkelson (who kills in NHL 10, by the way) seems like the safer option. Also, he's been getting a very long look from the coaching staff, including his stint at forward in San Jose. Putting Wisniewski on the "bottom" pairing stings me a little since I'm a fan of any man who will take a puck to the chest, suffer a lung contusion, and still want to be in the lineup the next night. Conversely, I suspect that the defensive pairings will be more fungible this year than last year, and Pronger won't be gobbling up half of any given game, so the minutes will be much more evenly distributed. If there's one point that I'm pre-emptively assuming myself to be wrong about, it's this pairing. Wisniewski could just as easily fill Sbisa's spot on the #1 pair and Boynton's spot on the #2 pair for the exact reasons already given - he could use the Captain's babysitting (it's not that he plays young, and more that... well... who wouldn't benefit from that?) and he can clear the crease. With his chest.
Goalies
#1 - Giguere
#2 - Hiller
There it is, folks. I have called it, it is published, and you may mock me after Saturday's game. I won't say that Giguere has outplayed Hiller so far this year - even if I could definitively make that case based on what I saw, too much has gone on that I haven't seen - but I will say that he's the big-hearted option.
Having said that, Hiller was a Shark-killer in April and we're talking about opening night here, so I will be approximately 0% surprised if Hiller gets the first nod.
Hooray for backing down from your own convictions!
Saturday can't get here soon enough. There will have to be a few roster moves between now and then (including Logan MacMillan's inevitable shift back down to the minors and maybe, just maybe, placing either Eminger* or Boynton on waivers to alleviate the blueline glut) so we might not have to wait until the puck drops to see what the lineups will be. And until then, we're really just trying to draw the snowflake before it forms, aren't we?
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Hey, Steve. I'm sorry for ragging on you, man. You're probably a great guy and I'd happily buy you a beer and talk puck any time you wanted, but I just can't see you fitting into the team I love. Please prove me wrong. Please.
**Edit (7:37 pm): Someone (pretty sure it was Coach Carlyle, but not sure enough to say so outright) just mentioned in the Fan Forum while discussing the lineups that Nokelainen is "injured." I guess that groin strain is a little worse than advertised. That changes my prognostications a little... and is a major bummer.
September 28, 2009
Game H (Preseason): Kings 4 - Ducks 5
Well, kids, that's it. The end of the (pre-)line. It's in the (pre-)books.
The 2009 preseason record for the Anaheim Ducks: 5-3-0
Seriously, though: why does Bobby Ryan love laying the smack down on the Kings? I personally suspect (with no factual support whatsoever) that when he was younger he wanted to stay in the Kings' system. One factoid that I've found conspicuously absent from all the blurbs and bios is the reason why a kid from New Jersey would play junior hockey in Southern California. And why that same kid would initially reject the courting of the OHL. Now that he's made the big time, it's almost as though he's showing the Kings what they don't have, and doing so with regularity.
Don't believe me? Check out his tallies against the Kings:
9-30-08 (preseason) -- Ducks 2-Kings 1 (SO) -- 0 pts
10-1-08 (preseason) -- Kings 2-Ducks 3 (OT) -- 0 pts
(Hang on. It gets better.)
10-14-08 -- Ducks 3-Kings 6 -- B-Ry didn't play
11-4-08 -- Ducks 1-Kings 0 (OT) -- Bobbyless
11-16-08 -- Kings 0-Ducks 2 -- Still no Bobby
1-6-09 -- Kings 1-Ducks 3 -- 1 pt
1-8-09 -- Ducks 3-Kings 4 -- 3 pts*
2-18-09 -- Kings 4-Ducks 3 -- 0 pts
9-19-09 -- Ducks 1-Kings 4 -- Bobby sat out
9-27-09 (preseason) -- Kings 4-Ducks 5 -- 3 pts
There you go, kids. Let the statisticians call this an insignificant sample size if they must. I see 7 points in 6 games. Still not impressed? He was only on the top line for one of those games - the most recent one - and the lines were fluctuating so much during those January and February games that he was somewhere between a 2nd-liner and a 4th-liner**.
Those are some fierce numbers. The trend is such that you have to look at that February 18 game and wonder if he had eaten some dodgy Indian food or something.
Moving on...
There were also some guys on the ice last night not named Bobby Ryan. The final and game-winning goal of the evening, and the play of the game by many accounts, went from Selanne to Koivu to Lupul to net. Beautiful. And pretty much exactly what that second line ought to be doing a lot of this season, provided that they can keep healthy and focused. Right now, I choose to believe.
Also, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each took a goal and an assist. I think that means we can officially call it a very good night for the top line. This seems like a good time to mention The Hockey News' Pacific Division preview, in which Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan are referred to as "the envy of the league." That might be hyperbole, but I accept nonetheless.
Interestingly, Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar each found the net twice for LA. I'm sure that some people will feel conflicted about that.
But 4 Los Angeles goals (on 35 shots) wasn't enough to keep Anaheim down. Not this time.
And with that, I'm off to go muse about the final roster moves to be made. Hopefully I'll be able to post my wild speculation before any solid news gets out. It's more fun that way, and I'm more likely to look like a buffoon.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Let us never forget the 2:21 hat trick.
**Logically, one might assume that "between a 2nd-liner and a 4th-liner" would mean "a 3rd-liner," but that was never really the case while Marchant-Pahlsson-Moen were together. I always thought that the Ebbett-Selanne-Ryan version of the 2nd line was pretty slick, though. Just sayin'...
The 2009 preseason record for the Anaheim Ducks: 5-3-0
Seriously, though: why does Bobby Ryan love laying the smack down on the Kings? I personally suspect (with no factual support whatsoever) that when he was younger he wanted to stay in the Kings' system. One factoid that I've found conspicuously absent from all the blurbs and bios is the reason why a kid from New Jersey would play junior hockey in Southern California. And why that same kid would initially reject the courting of the OHL. Now that he's made the big time, it's almost as though he's showing the Kings what they don't have, and doing so with regularity.
Don't believe me? Check out his tallies against the Kings:
9-30-08 (preseason) -- Ducks 2-Kings 1 (SO) -- 0 pts
10-1-08 (preseason) -- Kings 2-Ducks 3 (OT) -- 0 pts
(Hang on. It gets better.)
10-14-08 -- Ducks 3-Kings 6 -- B-Ry didn't play
11-4-08 -- Ducks 1-Kings 0 (OT) -- Bobbyless
11-16-08 -- Kings 0-Ducks 2 -- Still no Bobby
1-6-09 -- Kings 1-Ducks 3 -- 1 pt
1-8-09 -- Ducks 3-Kings 4 -- 3 pts*
2-18-09 -- Kings 4-Ducks 3 -- 0 pts
9-19-09 -- Ducks 1-Kings 4 -- Bobby sat out
9-27-09 (preseason) -- Kings 4-Ducks 5 -- 3 pts
There you go, kids. Let the statisticians call this an insignificant sample size if they must. I see 7 points in 6 games. Still not impressed? He was only on the top line for one of those games - the most recent one - and the lines were fluctuating so much during those January and February games that he was somewhere between a 2nd-liner and a 4th-liner**.
Those are some fierce numbers. The trend is such that you have to look at that February 18 game and wonder if he had eaten some dodgy Indian food or something.
Moving on...
There were also some guys on the ice last night not named Bobby Ryan. The final and game-winning goal of the evening, and the play of the game by many accounts, went from Selanne to Koivu to Lupul to net. Beautiful. And pretty much exactly what that second line ought to be doing a lot of this season, provided that they can keep healthy and focused. Right now, I choose to believe.
Also, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each took a goal and an assist. I think that means we can officially call it a very good night for the top line. This seems like a good time to mention The Hockey News' Pacific Division preview, in which Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan are referred to as "the envy of the league." That might be hyperbole, but I accept nonetheless.
Interestingly, Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar each found the net twice for LA. I'm sure that some people will feel conflicted about that.
But 4 Los Angeles goals (on 35 shots) wasn't enough to keep Anaheim down. Not this time.
And with that, I'm off to go muse about the final roster moves to be made. Hopefully I'll be able to post my wild speculation before any solid news gets out. It's more fun that way, and I'm more likely to look like a buffoon.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Let us never forget the 2:21 hat trick.
**Logically, one might assume that "between a 2nd-liner and a 4th-liner" would mean "a 3rd-liner," but that was never really the case while Marchant-Pahlsson-Moen were together. I always thought that the Ebbett-Selanne-Ryan version of the 2nd line was pretty slick, though. Just sayin'...
September 25, 2009
Game G (Preseason) Ducks 0 - Sharks 6
Hey, Justin.
Two words for you, brother: never again.
Dumb penalties were taken by the guys in front of you. I get that.
The offense didn't produce like it could (and should) have. Not much you can do about that.
Tonight's lineups were a little light and a little shaky. Nothing you can do about that.
Though admitting it hurts like face-planting on a sea urchin, San Jose was packing a lot of heat up front tonight.* That's just part of the game.
But 6 goals on 36 shots?
Never again.
That is all.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*This is an even more damning point when you realize that 3 of the 6 goals came from Douglas Murray. That's 50% more goals that he's scored in his tenure to date as a Shark.
To reiterate, tonight saw the following tallies:
Joe Thornton - 0 goals
Dany Heatley - 0 goals
Patrick Marleau - 0 goals
Rob Blake - 0 goals
Joe Pavelski - 0 goals
This guy (shown here being broken by George Parros)?
- 3 goals
My brain hurts. I'm going to go drink now.
Edit: Pogge was sent down to the minors, suprising nobody. Timo Pielmeier did a celebratory Batusi upon realizing that he, in fact, might be Anaheim's real #3 - at least based on the stats in the books during training camp and the preseason.
Two words for you, brother: never again.
Dumb penalties were taken by the guys in front of you. I get that.
The offense didn't produce like it could (and should) have. Not much you can do about that.
Tonight's lineups were a little light and a little shaky. Nothing you can do about that.
Though admitting it hurts like face-planting on a sea urchin, San Jose was packing a lot of heat up front tonight.* That's just part of the game.
But 6 goals on 36 shots?
Never again.
That is all.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*This is an even more damning point when you realize that 3 of the 6 goals came from Douglas Murray. That's 50% more goals that he's scored in his tenure to date as a Shark.
To reiterate, tonight saw the following tallies:
Joe Thornton - 0 goals
Dany Heatley - 0 goals
Patrick Marleau - 0 goals
Rob Blake - 0 goals
Joe Pavelski - 0 goals
This guy (shown here being broken by George Parros)?
- 3 goals
My brain hurts. I'm going to go drink now.
Edit: Pogge was sent down to the minors, suprising nobody. Timo Pielmeier did a celebratory Batusi upon realizing that he, in fact, might be Anaheim's real #3 - at least based on the stats in the books during training camp and the preseason.
Catching up is hard to do
So, seeing the Ducks' preseason games has turned out to be... challenging.
By "challenging," I mean "virtually impossible."
That's why the last few recaps appear the way they do. Things will get better as the season progresses and the games are, you know, viewable. I promise
As tempting as it is to opine on recent headlines, some of which involve the financial stakes and coaching staff of a certain intra-division buddy, I won't take up space by doing that, either. Gotta stay on mission, after all, and my boundless booming homerism tells me that this blog will stay Duck-centric.
Instead, I'll just sign off now and look forward to the opportunity to enjoy a radio broadcast of tonight's game. In my mind, it's being billed as "Ducks/Sharks II - The Fish Have No Finns."*
Time will tell, and October 3rd really can't get here fast enough.
Until next time...
The Raving Duck
*The world can never, ever, ever, EVER have too many Finnish puns. This was just an easy one.
By "challenging," I mean "virtually impossible."
That's why the last few recaps appear the way they do. Things will get better as the season progresses and the games are, you know, viewable. I promise
As tempting as it is to opine on recent headlines, some of which involve the financial stakes and coaching staff of a certain intra-division buddy, I won't take up space by doing that, either. Gotta stay on mission, after all, and my boundless booming homerism tells me that this blog will stay Duck-centric.
Instead, I'll just sign off now and look forward to the opportunity to enjoy a radio broadcast of tonight's game. In my mind, it's being billed as "Ducks/Sharks II - The Fish Have No Finns."*
Time will tell, and October 3rd really can't get here fast enough.
Until next time...
The Raving Duck
*The world can never, ever, ever, EVER have too many Finnish puns. This was just an easy one.
Game F (Preseason): Ducks 3 - Canucks 2
I lovelovelovelovelove the idea of the Ducks as spoilers. As dream-breakers. As the tenacious (and pugnacious) little bastards who take your little plans and dreams and drop kick them into a brick wall because they can.
Vancouver just got a little taste as their perfect preseason was wrecked by Anaheim.
Awesome. And great payback for that shutout loss last week.
Also, Teemu rocked it with the game-winner.
Fantastic.
It is October yet?
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
Edit: Found this photo and am risking the wrath of the AP by running it, but I'm placing it here as good luck. As a harbinger of things to come. All things considered, we should be seeing this image quite a bit during this season.
Vancouver just got a little taste as their perfect preseason was wrecked by Anaheim.
Awesome. And great payback for that shutout loss last week.
Also, Teemu rocked it with the game-winner.
Fantastic.
It is October yet?
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
Edit: Found this photo and am risking the wrath of the AP by running it, but I'm placing it here as good luck. As a harbinger of things to come. All things considered, we should be seeing this image quite a bit during this season.
Game E (Preseason): Sharks 2 - Ducks 3
Hey, Sharks! What's up? How's work been going? How's your mom?
Yeah.... great, great.
You remember the Ducks, right? I know that it's been a while since you've seen each other.
Perhaps you'll recall the flaming thud that was the end of your best season ever? Aw, sure you do - it was only in April, so it gave you a nice, long summer to seethe about it.
Those guys who whupped your flashy and skilled yet non-commital asses? Those were the Ducks.
And they're back. With a purpose.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck.
Yeah.... great, great.
You remember the Ducks, right? I know that it's been a while since you've seen each other.
Perhaps you'll recall the flaming thud that was the end of your best season ever? Aw, sure you do - it was only in April, so it gave you a nice, long summer to seethe about it.
Those guys who whupped your flashy and skilled yet non-commital asses? Those were the Ducks.
And they're back. With a purpose.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck.
September 18, 2009
Game B (Preseason): Canucks 3 - Ducks 0
The Anaheim Ducks beat the Carolina Hurricanes in 5 games to win the Stanley Cup!
Oh, wait. That was just on my Xbox.
Apropos, since the real Ducks apparently spent last night wishing that they were at home with their video game systems of choice. Seeing as how I was unable to watch the game myself, I'm relying on statistics to tell the story. Those statistics say that in their debut as an NHL tandem, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu combined for 6 shots and no points in 36:04 of ice time.
Bummer.
They also say that Corey Perry and Andrew Ebbett were effectively shut down, notching only 2 shots in 16:52 and 1 shot in 18:26, respectively. That's not really damning for Perry, but Ebbett needed to come out strong in order to earn a spot on the roster.
In fairness, 3:01 of Ebbett's 18:26 was on the PK (second only to Mark Mitera and James Wisniewski, who each logged 3:13 on the kill), so clearly there's some confidence there. Still, the tale of his numbers is one of malaise. It's what the kids would call "weak sauce," and it was indicative of the team's performance as a whole.
Or as Randy "Ray of Sunshine" Carylye put it: "We got outplayed."
On the bright side, Justin Pogge stopped 19 of 20 shots, so he's on pace for a GAA of 1.98 with the Ducks. That's a 119.6% improvement from his time in Toronto. Think about that. A 119.6% improvement*. Pretty groovy.
Alrighty then.
The team is off to Phoenix for a rematch. I'll start thinking happy thoughts now.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Yes, I'm fully aware of how specious that statistic is, and that it doesn't mean anything about anything, but I couldn't bear to write an entirely negative post.
September 17, 2009
Game A (Preseason): Coyotes 2 - Ducks 3 (SO)
Did you miss the warm embrace of a Ducks victory as much as I did?
On paper, the preseason opener against Phoenix was a close one, but the Ducks were never really in danger of losing it.
Some thoughts about the game last night:
All in all, it was a fine showing for the flock of new Ducks. Call it premature if you like - you won't be wrong to do so - but I'm sensing very big things for this team.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Yes, I know that there have been rumblings of the Ducks attempting to roll three scoring lines at the expense of a true checking line, but I won't believe it until I see it. The configurations of Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan, Selanne-Koivu-Lupul, Marchant-Brown-Artyukhin, and Parros-Nokelainen-(probably Carter) seem too solid not to try in most situations.
On paper, the preseason opener against Phoenix was a close one, but the Ducks were never really in danger of losing it.
Some thoughts about the game last night:
- So, that Bobby Ryan kid is pretty good, eh? None of his three goals for the night were particularly pretty, but they were effective. Honda Center was only about half full last night, but you wouldn't know it from the volume of the "Bobby" chants.
- Joffrey Lupul, on the other hand, seemed like he spent most of the night warming up. He wasn't skating particularly hard and lagged behind a few plays. Then, when the team needed him most, he potted a very slick shootout goal over Jason LaBarbera's shoulder. It's good to see him back in a Ducks uniform, and the shots that he did manage to pop off make me very interested to see how he looks on the seemingly-inevitable line with Selanne and Koivu.
- Apparently, a happy Mike Brown is a dangerous Mike Brown. The guy was all over the ice, ramming everyone he could into the nearest board and smiling about it afterwards. Prior to tonight's game I had stubbornly hoped Brownie to stay on the fourth line with George Parros. However, if he can keep up the tenacity that he had tonight, he'll be better used on a checking line* with Todd Marchant and...
- ...Evgeny Artyukhin. Seriously. Evgeny Artyukhin. He may have displayed stone hands last night, but they couldn't weigh him down. The man was all over the ice mopping up everything that Brown left behind. A few of his hits were awkward and he invited a couple of holding calls (the thankfully didn't come), but with a little time to refine his skills he could wind up being a major role-player this year.
- Who greased up the sticks before the game? They were falling out of players' hands left and right - Dan Sexton's most of all (but that didn't stop him from notching two assists, so I suppose it's alright).
- It occurred to me while watching the game that it can't be easy to be Peter Holland right now. When you're looking up the roster and seeing Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu (!) and Todd Marchant as surefires, plus have guys like Nokelainen, Carter, Christensen and Ebbett all ready and willing to play Center ahead of you, you know it's going to be a long road. Unfortunately, it also seemed to occur to Peter Holland that it can't be easy to be Peter Holland right now. His little mistakes built through the night, and by the end of the game he was sitting on the bench, hanging his head like a scolded grade-schooler. He definitely needs some more time to develop.
- As does Timo Pielmeier. The goal he gave up was mostly due to Sheldon Brookbank's sudden and inexplicable decision to take a nap with the puck in the crease, but some extra lower-body strength on Pielmeier's part would have been enough to keep that puck on the right side of the line.
- Hiller looked pretty good out there, even if the goal he gave up was an unfortunate one. He has to work on that rebound control, though. There were too many juicy second chances just waiting to be had. It's a good thing, then, that Phoenix is apparently too cool to capitalize on second chances.
- If you've noticed how little I've said about the defense, it's because less is more in this case. Luca Sbisa was decent, but was veering way too low whenever he got a chance (I caught Mike Brown covering the point while Sbisa was crashing the net on two separate occasions; it really ought to be the other way around). Poor Steve Eminger mostly looked lost out there. Brookbank and Mikkelson both made too many little mistakes for the outing to be considered a true success, and Brian Salcido didn't fare much better (though he was definitely the best of the three returning Ducks defenders and showed some much-needed tenacity). Only Nick Boynton really held his own out there. Then again, we're talking about the preseason opener, so there's plenty of time left for three of these guys (and/or maybe possibly Brett Festerling) to rise to the call.
- Last but not least, Troy Bodie won a few hearts last night with his fight. If and when he gets called up to the big game, I'll be happy to see him. That said, he's another one of those unfortunate bubble players who's probably too good for the minors, but won't be able to cut it in the majors. Maybe if he grows a moustache...
All in all, it was a fine showing for the flock of new Ducks. Call it premature if you like - you won't be wrong to do so - but I'm sensing very big things for this team.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Yes, I know that there have been rumblings of the Ducks attempting to roll three scoring lines at the expense of a true checking line, but I won't believe it until I see it. The configurations of Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan, Selanne-Koivu-Lupul, Marchant-Brown-Artyukhin, and Parros-Nokelainen-(probably Carter) seem too solid not to try in most situations.
September 16, 2009
The Final Countdown
We're hours away from our first preseason game. There seems to be an extra crackle in the air, and it's deeply gratifying to know that some time very, very soon, the Honda Center doors will be opening on a new frontier.
According to the official Ducks website, we'll have an interesting mix of players strutting their stuff tonight. It's probably time to eat a little crow about my earlier write-off of Timo Pielmeier, as he's highly-thought-of enough to warrant tonight's backup job. I would've bet $5 that Pogge would have been on the bench, but that would have made me $5 poorer.
There aren't any big surprises in the forward lineup, but I do find it kind of amusing that Bobby Ryan is leading the charge tonight. Don't get me wrong - I'm as impressed with the kid as anyone and can't wait to see what he can do with a full season (in a contract year) on the top line - but it's another sign of Anaheim's rampant turnover that the premier skater in tonight's game has been with the team full-time for less than a year.
On defense, we have three new faces in Luca Sbisa, Nick Boynton and Steve Eminger, and three of our more interesting developing D-men with Sheldon Brookbank, Brian Salcido and Brendan Mikkelson. I fully expect Coach Carlyle to swap around several of these pairings to see who plays well together. But what about Brett Festerling? Is his omission here something worth noting, or simply a side effect of just how many players are competing for, at best, three spots on the blue line? Perhaps it's best to wait until we see tomorrow night's lineup before we make any calls.
Meanwhile, I'll be watching the clock wind slowly to 7pm. The skates are sharp, the ice is fresh, and the nacho cheese is heating up.
It's almost here.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
According to the official Ducks website, we'll have an interesting mix of players strutting their stuff tonight. It's probably time to eat a little crow about my earlier write-off of Timo Pielmeier, as he's highly-thought-of enough to warrant tonight's backup job. I would've bet $5 that Pogge would have been on the bench, but that would have made me $5 poorer.
There aren't any big surprises in the forward lineup, but I do find it kind of amusing that Bobby Ryan is leading the charge tonight. Don't get me wrong - I'm as impressed with the kid as anyone and can't wait to see what he can do with a full season (in a contract year) on the top line - but it's another sign of Anaheim's rampant turnover that the premier skater in tonight's game has been with the team full-time for less than a year.
On defense, we have three new faces in Luca Sbisa, Nick Boynton and Steve Eminger, and three of our more interesting developing D-men with Sheldon Brookbank, Brian Salcido and Brendan Mikkelson. I fully expect Coach Carlyle to swap around several of these pairings to see who plays well together. But what about Brett Festerling? Is his omission here something worth noting, or simply a side effect of just how many players are competing for, at best, three spots on the blue line? Perhaps it's best to wait until we see tomorrow night's lineup before we make any calls.
Meanwhile, I'll be watching the clock wind slowly to 7pm. The skates are sharp, the ice is fresh, and the nacho cheese is heating up.
It's almost here.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
September 15, 2009
It's Game Time
Video game time, that is.
Pardon the brevity, but I'm about to immerse myself in NHL 10's many refinements. But before I do, here are a few random observations that have no bearing on anything of import, but are interesting nonetheless.
*Out of the box, the Ducks are rated 87 on Offense, 84 on Defense, and 88 on Goaltending. Compared with 89/87/89 for the Penguins, 87/85/91 for the Sharks (in their pre-Heatley configuration, sure to be updated shortly), 85/86/88 for the Stars, 86/86/86 for the Kings and 86/83/88 for the Coyotes, I find only the Sharks 91 in goaltending to be off-kilter. The rest seems fair enough in my humble estimation. Also, Detroit rates at 87/85/87, meaning that they're almost exactly on pace with the Ducks in the eyes of the fine folks at EA. Again, I find that to be a fair estimation.
*The forward lines are set as Getzlaf/Perry/Ryan, Koivu/Selanne/Lupul, Christensen/Ebbett/Carter, and Parros/Marchant/Brown. I suppose that 2 out of 4 isn't a terrible rate of success, but even based on before the last bits of our offseason trading frenzy fell into place those bottom two lines seem... off. Still, it's good to see #48 getting some love.
*The defense pairings are Niedermeyer/Wisniewski, Boynton/Whitney, and Sbisa/McCarthy. All three are highly suspect and appear to be driven only by players' in-game ratings.
*Last, but not least, Hiller is slotted as the #1 goalie despite being rated 84 overall, while Giguere (and his slyly-grinning portrait) holds an 85 rating and the #2 seat.
Also, the Ducks' "logo" (I think we've already established that I'm a fan, so you'll know where I'm coming from when I say that the word "Ducks" in pointy letters isn't a logo, it's a font) is awkwardly placed in several of the selection screens. At the moment, I'm looking at a pre-game screen with the Winged Wheel and... an orange U.
Enough rambling - I'll see you in the EASHL.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
Pardon the brevity, but I'm about to immerse myself in NHL 10's many refinements. But before I do, here are a few random observations that have no bearing on anything of import, but are interesting nonetheless.
*Out of the box, the Ducks are rated 87 on Offense, 84 on Defense, and 88 on Goaltending. Compared with 89/87/89 for the Penguins, 87/85/91 for the Sharks (in their pre-Heatley configuration, sure to be updated shortly), 85/86/88 for the Stars, 86/86/86 for the Kings and 86/83/88 for the Coyotes, I find only the Sharks 91 in goaltending to be off-kilter. The rest seems fair enough in my humble estimation. Also, Detroit rates at 87/85/87, meaning that they're almost exactly on pace with the Ducks in the eyes of the fine folks at EA. Again, I find that to be a fair estimation.
*The forward lines are set as Getzlaf/Perry/Ryan, Koivu/Selanne/Lupul, Christensen/Ebbett/Carter, and Parros/Marchant/Brown. I suppose that 2 out of 4 isn't a terrible rate of success, but even based on before the last bits of our offseason trading frenzy fell into place those bottom two lines seem... off. Still, it's good to see #48 getting some love.
*The defense pairings are Niedermeyer/Wisniewski, Boynton/Whitney, and Sbisa/McCarthy. All three are highly suspect and appear to be driven only by players' in-game ratings.
*Last, but not least, Hiller is slotted as the #1 goalie despite being rated 84 overall, while Giguere (and his slyly-grinning portrait) holds an 85 rating and the #2 seat.
Also, the Ducks' "logo" (I think we've already established that I'm a fan, so you'll know where I'm coming from when I say that the word "Ducks" in pointy letters isn't a logo, it's a font) is awkwardly placed in several of the selection screens. At the moment, I'm looking at a pre-game screen with the Winged Wheel and... an orange U.
Enough rambling - I'll see you in the EASHL.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
September 14, 2009
Holy Star Treatment, Batman!
Seriously, did the NHL read my "nobody loves us" comments below?
Yeah, okay, it's just the start of 2009-2010 season previews, but I don't really care. Better to just take this warm embrace and run with it. Just in case our front page glory is gone by the time you're reading this, check out the main article here.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
The 2-Headed Beast
Is anyone else as riveted as I am by the surge of press coverage about the upcoming war between J.S. Giguere and Jonas Hiller?
Of course, something tells me that it won't be the war that's been hyped. Frankly, it probably won't even be a skirmish.
Why?
Because both gentlemen are professionals. This summer has really gotten me thinking about how lucky the Ducks are in one key regard: they are a team of men.
To use a timely example, when was the last time you heard of a Duck player assaulting a cabbie? For that matter, when was the last time you heard of a Duck assaulting anyone? (And no, Mike Brown's hit on Jiri Hudler this past postseason doesn't count as assault - for the last time, it was a clean hit, dammit.)
On top of that, I can't remember a single occasion post-lockout (i.e. under the current set of financial limitations faced by teams) where a Duck asked to be traded out of Southern California. As an OC native, I can intuitively understand why a player might be a little slower to leave here than, say, Ottawa (*coughcoughHeatleycough*), but it's still interesting to note.
Saku Koivu's quip from when he was traded probably sums it up as well as any: "Coming from Montreal to sunny beautiful California is going to be different. It’s been nothing but hockey in Montreal for 14 years, and I’m sure it’s going to be different. I’m fairly confident I’m going to like that."
(A minor digression: That's part of what made Francois Beauchemin's departure a tough one, in my mind. I have no doubt that he would have stayed if he could have, and in all likelihood the departure of Pronger would have automatically anointed Frankie B as the #2 defenseman, but he thought he was worth more money and Brian Burke proved him right. Tough deal for us, and I hope that I'll get to hear some candid feelings from him about his new environs, but in the interim I'll keep my autographed puck in the display case...)
And this takes me back to the Giguere/Hiller situation. I can't believe that either of them actively wants to leave Anaheim, so the only reason either of them is likely to do so is if they've lost our #1 netminder job and someone else comes calling. Sure, it could happen, and from a salary standpoint it's a lot more likely that another team will try to snipe Hiller than Giguere, but the trade has to be approved by both parties and the Ducks won't let go of either goalie easily.
So what's going to happen? If our front office is as intelligent as I give them credit for being, they'll keep up the "1A and 1B" spiel right up until somebody hits either a hot streak or a slump. That's when things will change. But as Giguere himself recently alluded, the battle won't be between the goalies, it will be in each goalie's head.
It's up to Giguere to put his personal demons behind him and keep his eyes on the puck. If he can do that, and if he can swallow shots like we know he can, he'll be back to his old self in no time. Having Pete Peeters as a new and apparently highly-supportive voice can only help in that regard.
It's up to Hiller to ignore the cacophany that now surrounds him, and to tighten up his already tight system so that he allows as few rebounds as possible. Until our new defensive corps proves that they'll be able to retrieve any pucks that Hiller leaves prone, the onus will be on Hiller not to leave them prone in the first place. And again, having a few all-new tips from Peeters (or at least an all-new perspective on the same old tips) should be a boon.
And what about that Pogge kid? It's almost impossible to say at this point. He simply hasn't yet done what the scouts and pundits thought he could. Maybe he'll turn that around here, maybe not, but being without a steady gig in the AHL will be a damper on his development.
(I'm sorry, Levasseur and Pielmeier, but you've got some waiting to do. Unless a long string of unlikely events occurs, you're not going to be part of this year's conversation.)
All in all, we're lucky to have two excellent netminders and a potentially solid #3. Nobody is going to request a trade unless they bring it on themself by underperforming. Nobody is going to directly compete with anyone or anything outside of their own body. And most importantly, nobody is going to be locker room poison just because they're feeling pouty (looking at you again, Heatley).
Now, if Bob Murray thinks that he can move a certain 2-year, $13 million salary and get a decent return on it, that's another story...
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
Of course, something tells me that it won't be the war that's been hyped. Frankly, it probably won't even be a skirmish.
Why?
Because both gentlemen are professionals. This summer has really gotten me thinking about how lucky the Ducks are in one key regard: they are a team of men.
To use a timely example, when was the last time you heard of a Duck player assaulting a cabbie? For that matter, when was the last time you heard of a Duck assaulting anyone? (And no, Mike Brown's hit on Jiri Hudler this past postseason doesn't count as assault - for the last time, it was a clean hit, dammit.)
On top of that, I can't remember a single occasion post-lockout (i.e. under the current set of financial limitations faced by teams) where a Duck asked to be traded out of Southern California. As an OC native, I can intuitively understand why a player might be a little slower to leave here than, say, Ottawa (*coughcoughHeatleycough*), but it's still interesting to note.
Saku Koivu's quip from when he was traded probably sums it up as well as any: "Coming from Montreal to sunny beautiful California is going to be different. It’s been nothing but hockey in Montreal for 14 years, and I’m sure it’s going to be different. I’m fairly confident I’m going to like that."
(A minor digression: That's part of what made Francois Beauchemin's departure a tough one, in my mind. I have no doubt that he would have stayed if he could have, and in all likelihood the departure of Pronger would have automatically anointed Frankie B as the #2 defenseman, but he thought he was worth more money and Brian Burke proved him right. Tough deal for us, and I hope that I'll get to hear some candid feelings from him about his new environs, but in the interim I'll keep my autographed puck in the display case...)
And this takes me back to the Giguere/Hiller situation. I can't believe that either of them actively wants to leave Anaheim, so the only reason either of them is likely to do so is if they've lost our #1 netminder job and someone else comes calling. Sure, it could happen, and from a salary standpoint it's a lot more likely that another team will try to snipe Hiller than Giguere, but the trade has to be approved by both parties and the Ducks won't let go of either goalie easily.
So what's going to happen? If our front office is as intelligent as I give them credit for being, they'll keep up the "1A and 1B" spiel right up until somebody hits either a hot streak or a slump. That's when things will change. But as Giguere himself recently alluded, the battle won't be between the goalies, it will be in each goalie's head.
It's up to Giguere to put his personal demons behind him and keep his eyes on the puck. If he can do that, and if he can swallow shots like we know he can, he'll be back to his old self in no time. Having Pete Peeters as a new and apparently highly-supportive voice can only help in that regard.
It's up to Hiller to ignore the cacophany that now surrounds him, and to tighten up his already tight system so that he allows as few rebounds as possible. Until our new defensive corps proves that they'll be able to retrieve any pucks that Hiller leaves prone, the onus will be on Hiller not to leave them prone in the first place. And again, having a few all-new tips from Peeters (or at least an all-new perspective on the same old tips) should be a boon.
And what about that Pogge kid? It's almost impossible to say at this point. He simply hasn't yet done what the scouts and pundits thought he could. Maybe he'll turn that around here, maybe not, but being without a steady gig in the AHL will be a damper on his development.
(I'm sorry, Levasseur and Pielmeier, but you've got some waiting to do. Unless a long string of unlikely events occurs, you're not going to be part of this year's conversation.)
All in all, we're lucky to have two excellent netminders and a potentially solid #3. Nobody is going to request a trade unless they bring it on themself by underperforming. Nobody is going to directly compete with anyone or anything outside of their own body. And most importantly, nobody is going to be locker room poison just because they're feeling pouty (looking at you again, Heatley).
Now, if Bob Murray thinks that he can move a certain 2-year, $13 million salary and get a decent return on it, that's another story...
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
September 13, 2009
Hello There!
Welcome to the party, Ducks fans!
First, a bit of pre-history. It's really all about Blades of Steel (play a halfway decent version here). My dad and I would play for hours on end, letting the NES controller jam its hard little corners into our sweaty palms. Surely there were some Oedipal overtones in my trying to draw my father into fights, but I won't examine that too deeply right now...
I usually played as Toronto because I liked the blue players, and my dad was usually New York. So many fights. So many zamboni interludes. So many angry goalies pounding the ice like an 8-bit King Kong.
Also, there was some dude named Gretzky playing up the road in LA. Apparently that was a big deal or something.
And so it was that the NES and grainy telecasts of Kings games spurred me into wanting to play hockey. I took one skating lesson that resulted in my falling and breaking my wrist after about 5 minutes on the ice.
With playing hockey ceasing to be an option, I was left with a renewed passion for the game and an irrational fear of slick, hard surfaces.
~Fast forward a couple more years~
Disney made a hockey movie. My mom took me to see it, and it was pretty good. Not only did the good guys win, but they did so with an awesome Triple Deke. Realism be damned - how can you not love that?
Then, next thing you know, the Mighty Ducks were going to be a real hockey team. And not a team of misfit kids led by a washed-up lawyer. Like, an actual team. A hockey team that would play hockey in Orange County. Wham, bam, thank you Disney.
Coincidentally, the company that my dad was working for at the time was intrigued by the new arena in Anaheim and went in on a suite with a few other companies. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you create a Ducks fan. My impressionable little mind made its decision right then and there at the very first game I attended: Wild Wing was awesome, and so was the team. Paul Kariya! Guy Hebert! Oleg Tverdovsky! A bunch of other guys with awesome names!
I was an instant die-hard. My commemorative Inaugural Season puck, bought at that very first game (#5869 of 9394, by the way) remains a cherished possession, fresh and clean in its original package. And yet, I was young enough at the start that the attraction was at least as much about being able to throw peanut shells on the floor as it was about the game itself.
One man changed that. Teemu Selanne.
Allow me to repeat that.
TEEMU SELANNE.
This guy right here. This is the guy.
To this day, I couldn't tell you exactly what it is about him that I found so magnetic, but there you have it. From the moment he became a Mighty Duck, I was myself unable to take my eyes off him. If he was on the ice, so was the entirety of my attention.
Teemu Selanne.
Oh, sure. There were and are and surely will be plenty of other luminaries to don a (Mighty) Ducks sweater, and each of them has added their own special spice to the OC hockey gumbo.
That's part of what makes the Ducks so... unique. Even after all the wins, after all the big names and personalities to arrive (some of whom stayed, some not so much *coughFedorovcough*), and after an especially good offseason in 2007, we somehow remain a footnote. We aren't a love-us-or-hate-us team like so many other upper-echelon teams are. We're more of the love-us-or-forget-we-exist option. As a local, and as a Day-1 fan, it's fascinating to watch my team get overlooked with such shocking regularity. Hell, even the NHL's own "30-in-30" piece on the Ducks alluded to their inability to get the respect they deserve.
Up or down, winning or losing, the Ducks will be respected here.
"So, what's this blog gonna be about, anyways?"
Good question, faithful reader. In addition to the occasional worship at the altars of Selanne, Niedermeyer, Parros (yeah, that's right - I'm a 'stache fan) and the rest of the core that makes us so freakin' fantastic, you can come here for a Duck fan's perspective on as many of our 8 preseason, 82 regular season, and 16 postseason* games as my fingers will allow. This promises to be an outstanding year of hockey here in Anaheim, and as soon as that first puck drops on September 16, I'll be here to tell you what I see.
There will also be plenty of Shark-bashing and Red Wing-hating. You've been warned.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Yes, I just predicted a loss-free run to the Cup. So sue me. I'm an optimist.
First, a bit of pre-history. It's really all about Blades of Steel (play a halfway decent version here). My dad and I would play for hours on end, letting the NES controller jam its hard little corners into our sweaty palms. Surely there were some Oedipal overtones in my trying to draw my father into fights, but I won't examine that too deeply right now...
I usually played as Toronto because I liked the blue players, and my dad was usually New York. So many fights. So many zamboni interludes. So many angry goalies pounding the ice like an 8-bit King Kong.
Also, there was some dude named Gretzky playing up the road in LA. Apparently that was a big deal or something.
And so it was that the NES and grainy telecasts of Kings games spurred me into wanting to play hockey. I took one skating lesson that resulted in my falling and breaking my wrist after about 5 minutes on the ice.
With playing hockey ceasing to be an option, I was left with a renewed passion for the game and an irrational fear of slick, hard surfaces.
~Fast forward a couple more years~
Disney made a hockey movie. My mom took me to see it, and it was pretty good. Not only did the good guys win, but they did so with an awesome Triple Deke. Realism be damned - how can you not love that?
Then, next thing you know, the Mighty Ducks were going to be a real hockey team. And not a team of misfit kids led by a washed-up lawyer. Like, an actual team. A hockey team that would play hockey in Orange County. Wham, bam, thank you Disney.
Coincidentally, the company that my dad was working for at the time was intrigued by the new arena in Anaheim and went in on a suite with a few other companies. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you create a Ducks fan. My impressionable little mind made its decision right then and there at the very first game I attended: Wild Wing was awesome, and so was the team. Paul Kariya! Guy Hebert! Oleg Tverdovsky! A bunch of other guys with awesome names!
I was an instant die-hard. My commemorative Inaugural Season puck, bought at that very first game (#5869 of 9394, by the way) remains a cherished possession, fresh and clean in its original package. And yet, I was young enough at the start that the attraction was at least as much about being able to throw peanut shells on the floor as it was about the game itself.
One man changed that. Teemu Selanne.
Allow me to repeat that.
TEEMU SELANNE.
This guy right here. This is the guy.
To this day, I couldn't tell you exactly what it is about him that I found so magnetic, but there you have it. From the moment he became a Mighty Duck, I was myself unable to take my eyes off him. If he was on the ice, so was the entirety of my attention.
Teemu Selanne.
Oh, sure. There were and are and surely will be plenty of other luminaries to don a (Mighty) Ducks sweater, and each of them has added their own special spice to the OC hockey gumbo.
That's part of what makes the Ducks so... unique. Even after all the wins, after all the big names and personalities to arrive (some of whom stayed, some not so much *coughFedorovcough*), and after an especially good offseason in 2007, we somehow remain a footnote. We aren't a love-us-or-hate-us team like so many other upper-echelon teams are. We're more of the love-us-or-forget-we-exist option. As a local, and as a Day-1 fan, it's fascinating to watch my team get overlooked with such shocking regularity. Hell, even the NHL's own "30-in-30" piece on the Ducks alluded to their inability to get the respect they deserve.
Up or down, winning or losing, the Ducks will be respected here.
"So, what's this blog gonna be about, anyways?"
Good question, faithful reader. In addition to the occasional worship at the altars of Selanne, Niedermeyer, Parros (yeah, that's right - I'm a 'stache fan) and the rest of the core that makes us so freakin' fantastic, you can come here for a Duck fan's perspective on as many of our 8 preseason, 82 regular season, and 16 postseason* games as my fingers will allow. This promises to be an outstanding year of hockey here in Anaheim, and as soon as that first puck drops on September 16, I'll be here to tell you what I see.
There will also be plenty of Shark-bashing and Red Wing-hating. You've been warned.
Until next time...
-The Raving Duck
*Yes, I just predicted a loss-free run to the Cup. So sue me. I'm an optimist.
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