Posts Tagged ‘Bobby Ryan’

Wassup with all the trade Bobby Ryan and Luca Sbisa noise?

Posted: 05/20/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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The noise is coming from fans and Gossip Girl websites so it’s not serious at this point. I get it though. Corey Perry had an off-year and playoff so we should trade Bobby Ryan. Viktor Fasth had abdominal injury so what’s the first thing folks want to do? You got it, trade Bobby Ryan.

The so-called logic here is that we’re fine at forward and need help on the back line. I love declarative statements because there’s just no ambiguity in the shortsightedness. I’m not sure any team in the NHL can afford to lose two top six forwards in the same year.

The other top six forward we’re going to lose is Teemu Selanne. Even if Flash returns he won’t be coming back as a top six, first unit PP, 25 goal scoring near point a per game player. Father time took that Teemu Selanne away from us.

If you’re seriously proposing trading Bobby Ryan you must hope that the promising but still unproven Emerson Etem and Kyle Palmieri will replace the 55-60 goals that we get from Ryan and Selanne.

Far too often teams make the mistake of weakening an area of perceived strength to improve an area adjudged to be weak. Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi for Ryan Whitney was such a trade. Usually this type of trade only works to the extent you get beat a little differently. The team doesn’t improve overall.

Not only are those pounding TRADE BOBBY RYAN NOW on their keyboards using flawed logic, it’s really dangerous if for whatever reason Etem and/or Palmieri don’t move forward and Teemu shows his age.

Luca Sbisa is a horse of a different color. With Vatanen and possibly Lindholm moving up the depth chart, Luca could easily slip to 7th or lower. No team wants to pay an AHL player $2.175MM.

If we move a top nine forward, the guy most likely to go is Andrew Cogliano. I think that will prove regrettable but Murray will need the cap saving if really does intend to bring Selanne and/or Koivu back.

Gabby on slump, playoff goalie, next two games

Posted: 04/24/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Via Ducks Audio

Just the facts Ma’am highlights:

Coach said it was very difficult to motivate the team during the slump because of their position in the standings. The idea settled in that they weren’t catching Chicago and had too big a lead on the teams behind them.
Given how quickly they turned it around when the Kings reached striking distance, Gabby might be right.
I don’t think anybody ever knows what causes slumps. You’re sure glad when it’s over though.

Teemu has the night off against Vancouver and may or may not take it. Coach said “some of our high-profile guys will sit out.” Bobby Ryan, who’s dropped some weight with the flu, is expected to go Saturday in the season finale.I don’t know what Vancouver will do but teams tend to give out games off after wining their division.

As to who will be playoff goalie, Coach seemed to indicate that he will go with the hot hand. Hiller is the likely starter but that too is subject to change. Hilly draws the Canucks. Fasth the Coyotes. The rotation would go back to Hiller to start the playoffs.
Worthy of note, Boudreau said that the goalies are very supportive of each other and more importantly, Coach thinks it’s genuine.

Notes: Ducks also have a logjam of players competing for spots on the fourth line. Steckel will center ahead of Matthew Lombardi. Etem, Belleskey, Dvorak and Staubitz battle for the wingman spots.
Luca Sbisa is the odd man out on the blue line.  As he did earlier in the season for Cam Fowler, Bryan Allen is providing a stay@home steadying influence allowing Sami Vatanen to play a little rover D. Don’t look for Vatanen to come out unless he slumps badly.

 

Gossip Girls begin predicting off season moves that will never happen

Posted: 04/22/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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What does a Gossip Girl do between the Trade Deadline and the off-season? Well if your Lyle Richardson @ Hockey News you begin predicting off-season moves. Ah well, the clarity born of veracity has been absent from his crystal ball long before ‘you can play’ decided to move forward without Sean Avery, its spokesperson.

It’s also what you do when you’re a one trick pony.

Here at BackCheck’s Blog we refer to the “off-season” as the financial season. Teams are looking at cap compliance and internal budgets. The player that movement occurs during the financial season is primarily UFA and RFA signings.

There is no off-season anymore. We have a hockey season that opens mid-September to the Stanley Cup. And a financial season that kicks off with the Entry Draft or first day of free agency, whichever arrives sooner in a calendar year.

BTW, Richardson links other people’s thoughts on Luongo, Montreal, Bozak and Ryan Malone.

As to Loungo, did the NHL inadvertently create a cap circumvention 5-hole  in that a team might re-sign a compliance bought out player? Could the Nucks say buyout Loungo then re-sign him? Or the Lightning Malone? Just askin’.

The good news for Ducks fans is that Bobby Ryan didn’t make the cut. This blogger’s hunch is that if Ryan (1 goal in 15 games and counting) has a poor playoff he’ll be gossip fodder all summer anyway. Gossip Girls will cue up the “Bobby Ryan going the way of Dustin Penner” chatter and Ryan to Flyers, Leafs or team du jour.

After Bonino to Fowler resulted in Fowler’s first goal of the year, maybe every goal slumping Duck should get a shift or two with Bones. Would sure make juggling lines easy.

Pregame: Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers

Posted: 04/22/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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One of the toughest things to do in sport is to beat a team twice in a row. Look for the Oilers to bring it from the drop of the puck. Arguably the fastest team in the NHL, these Oilers can really bring it.

Job 1 tonight isn’t to survive the attack. You may hear or read such nonsense advanced in broadcast or print media. Job 1 is to match the Oilers intensity. Do this, compete, and the rest will take care of itself. As we were reminded last night, our Ducks are a pretty good hockey team when they compete.

Our Ducks can clinch the Pacific Division crown and second seed in the Western Conference with a win. While it’s too soon to think about the playoffs, mainly because our first round opponent has yet to be determined, we won’t.

Keys to the Game

As mentioned, compete. Match the Oilers intensity from the get go. The challenge here is for our Ducks to keep their feet moving. You compete with the Oilers by skating with them.

Don’t look ahead. Focus on the play in front of you. Wednesday’s game against Vancouver is televised in Canada and on the NHL Network in the USA but that’s no excuse to look past these Oilers.

Second, smart positional play. Two guys deep in the offensive zone with a 3rd man high. Oilers are so quick in transition you committing 3 guys low in the offensive is the sure-fire way to get burned by giving up odd man attacks.
Force the Oilers outside in neutral zone. True their only goal came from the outside but it was their only goal because they were forced to the perimeter the entire game. In our zone every player must keep his body between his check and Jonas Hiller. We can’t let them get behind us.

Finally. finish scoring chances. Jeez Louise, from passes to nowhere, to shooting wide to hitting posts on empty nets our Ducks are having trouble putting the puck in the opposition net.
Yes we won last night but we had as much trouble scoring on an empty net as we did when Dubnyk was between the pipes.

Expecting Nick Bonino to replicate his performance might be a bit much to expect.

It’s been a quite a season for Bones. He unceremoniously caused the demotion of Teemu Selanne off the first unit PP. He settled the depth lines. It may not be long before Coach reunites the Bonino-Ryan-Selanne line. My hunch is that the second act will be far more successful than the first.

The puzzle that is Bobby Ryan

Posted: 04/15/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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One year ago, Bobby Ryan asked rhetorically, “Can you imagine how good I’m going to be playing for this guy?” Ryan was of course referring to then new head coach Bruce Boudreau. Gabby, as our Ducks coach is sometimes known, had suggested that he’d like to build a line around Ryan.

No more caddying for The Twins. No more getting blamed for the Ducks problems. No more being the first name to pop up in trade rumors.

Fast forward to one year later and the only thing that has changed is that Randy Carlyle got far more out of Bobby Ryan than it appears Bruce Boudreau may ever realize. Ryan is currently on pace for a 20 goal 55 point 82 game season.

The goal of building a line around Ryan seems to have gone the way of fax machines and proper grammar.

Nick Bonino and Teemu Selanne were the first to skate alongside Ryan when this season-short began. That gave way to a succession of line mates not named Koivu, Cogliano or Winnick.

Bobby Ryan is on pace for the worst season statistically of his career. Always a streaky goal scorer, one might argue that Ryan would get hot and finish an 82 game season with 30+ goals and 65+points. That is more wishful thinking and excuse making though.

Bobby Ryan is his record. Right now his record is, to be polite about it, disappointing.

Two things show up in his stats that might have something to do with Bobby Ryan’s “off-year.” His TOI is down substantially from his 34 goal 71 point career best season in 2010-11. Back then Ryan’s ATOI was 20:10 per game. This season his ATOI is 16:35. The other stat that leaps off the page is his shooting percentage of 10.87 is down from a career average of 14.8. For a guy who takes 204 to 270 shots on goal per season, Bobby’s accuracy issue is costing him 8-10 goals this year.

Note: This is also the first time in his career that Ryan’s ratio between goals and assists is statistically significant.

The question of course is why? One difference between how Ryan is used is that today he is almost exclusively used a sniper. When was the last time you saw Ryan deke out a couple-3 opposition players on his way to the net? Thought so, it’s been quite awhile.

There’s a huge difference between going to the net and/or getting into a shooting lane and attacking the net with the puck on your stick.

Ryan must become a tad more selfish with the puck and take more responsibility for finishing plays in the offensive zone. Bobby Ryan is among the league’s best, one on one, and he simply isn’t exploiting those opportunities.

This would fix most of it but not all. Obviously, Ryan needs to take more shooting accuracy drills. Pull out the old shooter tutor and have at it. Me? Most times I’d pick a spot on the boards and shoot at it. Try and hit it from different angles. That shooter tutor was the best goalie I ever came up against.

 

Post game injury report

Posted: 04/03/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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First, the captain is okay. “He got hurt a little bit, came back out,” Coach Boudreau said. “When he scored the goal I said ‘That’s it for you, let’s rest it here.’ That’s why he went back in to get it iced. He’s sore. He’s going to be OK but he’s sore.”

If you saw the stick Matt Beleskey took to the eye, oh man, I worried he lost his eye. Turns out,  “It’s another black eye for the season, I guess,” Beleskey joked after the game. “It’s all good, just some stitches. I got lucky it didn’t hit my actual eyeball. How it wasn’t a penalty, I guess they missed that one too. It’s part of the game.”

I wasn’t too worried about Getz’ injury because he didn’t twist the knee but rather went back on it a bit. That usually causes more sprain and strain with swelling symptoms. It’s painful as all get out but recovery is measured in days.

It’s when you twist the joint while putting the pressure of your own weight on it is when you suffer the pops that are diagnosed as torn ligaments. So yeah, credit an excellent athletic feat by Ryan Getzlaf and his incredible strength to maintain while all of his momentum was forcing the weight of his body to go against the natural movement of his knee-joint.

I suppose we should all call Getz out for stepping on the stick in the first place, (((DOH))) One second klutz the next he’s Michelle Kwan.

We dodged a couple of bullets tonight.

Ducks 4 Blackhawks 2

Posted: 03/21/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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It was a game billed as a Clash of Titans. It was game history taught us, courtesy of Elias Sports Service that matched the two winning-est teams in the  96 year history of the NHL. In a world full of P.T. Barnum style hyperbole, it was a game that lived up to its billing.

This is about as good as NHL hockey gets during the season. Just imagine what it might be like experience a playoff series between these two teams. It doesn’t matter which team we support. There are no losers in a game like this, merely survivors.

As they’ve done 14 times this season, our Ducks hung around long enough to when their leadership, physicality and a break combined to inspire them past Chicago in the final 5.5 minutes of the game.

This was a game in which the difference was the Ducks scouting and 3 goals that came off center lane drives to the net. The first came as Peter Holland was Johnny-on-the-spot when he buried a rebound that landed on his stick about 5 feet out.

For a quick and nervous moment it appeared that Brandon Bollig had put the ‘hawks up 3-1 but the goal was disallowed when the replay showed the young cheap shot artist had kicked the puck past Jonas Hiller.

Ducks got the tying goal off a fat rebound from a Ryan Getzlaf shot that Corey Crawford  directed to Bobby Ryan trailing, who had found space opened up by Kyle Palmieri’s drive to the net, who also provided a screen.

Teemu Selanne netted the winner when Ryan Getzlaf drove through the center lane, dished to Flash who doesn’t miss wide open nets often.

Sheldon Souray took the air out of Chicago and put in under the feet of a capacity home crowd with an EN with about 19 seconds left in regulation time.

From the opening face-off to the final buzzer Ryan Getzlaf played his most energetic game of the season. That in and of itself is an incredible feat given Getzy played with the flu bug that put both Bryan Allen and Nick Bonino on the IR.

The game has had effects already as our Ducks are instantly viewed as a worthy challenge season long No. 1 rated Blackhawks. Ryan Getzlaf elevated himself from honorable mention to legitimate contender alongside Jonathon Toews and Steve Stamkos in the Hart Trophy balloting.

The Captain’s leadership example was magnified when Brandon “Cheap Shot” Bollig performed dental surgery with a vicious high stick to the mouth of  Andrew Cogliano on the face-off following Teemu’s go ahead goal.

It takes more than a few broken teeth to force lion heart Cogs out of the game. In a move that astounded fans of both teams Cogliano stayed in and took his next shift.

And there you have the hi-lights. Leadership, physicality, scouting and a little luck combined to inspire our Ducks to victory. Someone who was obviously paying attention once said, “Luck happens when hard work and opportunity collide.” As former Leaf goalie Johnny bower once said, “You have to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky.”

Our Ducks have earned their luck.

Dan Sexton traded to Tampa Bay Lightning

Posted: 03/11/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Okay big whoop. The kid we affectionately tagged “Big Sexy” turned out to be a career minor leaguer. He deserves a footnote rather than a post.

Except I can’t get out of my head those 20 or so games when he stood in for an injured Teemu Selanne, alongside Saku Koivu and Bobby Ryan and helped keep our Ducks advancing. Many of us thought he might be at least part of the answer to the long sought after secondary scoring dilemma that challenged Ducks management.

Jeez, I compared him to Martin St. Louis. Then again, I’m a sucker for a good underdog story.

But the play I’ll always remember Dan Sexton for fondly was the game in which he tied up Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard in knots, deked the big enforcer out of his shorts, twisted him up like a big pretzel and moved the puck out of our zone. Just like he was Andrew Cogliano. Embarrassed at being made to look foolish, Boogaard went after Big Sexy and Ducks D-man Nick Boynton stepped in and obliged him. No doubt saving Big Sexy from certain harm,  unless of course Boogaard might have never touched him. Sexton is just that quick.

Sexton will get a chance with a new org that has had enjoyed success with smaller men in the lineup. He may forever be a career minor league player but one I’ll remember fondly.

In a trade of players needing a change of scenery Ducks got back 28-year-old 6’2″ 200# center Kyle Wilson.

Notes: Ducks have recalled Patrick Maroon and Devante Smith-Pelly from Norfolk. Former Duck Steve Montador has been placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks. If Monty clears waivers his next stop will be ‘Hawks minor league affiliate in Rockford.

Ducks win ugly

Posted: 03/09/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Anaheim Ducks were flat but effective in beating the spirited but ineffective Calgary Flames 4-0. Viktor Fasth was outstanding turning aside 29 shots.

Daniel Winnick got things started at 1:15 of the first attacking the low slot and snapping a feed from behind the red line from Andrew Cogliano.  It was Winnick’s sixth goal of the season and first in 18 games.

Our Ducks would then play a passive defense shell for the next 35 minutes. The Flames took territorial control and out shot our guys 10-4 in the first.

Not even a dance invitation from former Duck Bryan McGratton to Brad Staubitz was accepted. It was the smart play by Staubitz. McGratton was only trying to fire up his teammates. By refusing, Staubitz denied them the opportunity, not they needed it.

In a similar play to Winnick’s goal, Ryan Getzlaf raced to a loose puck along  the right mid-boards and whipped it behind the net to Corey Perry. Pears spotted Ryan racing into the left slot shooting lane to complete the tic tac toe score. It was Ryan Getzlaf’s 500 career point, all with our Ducks.

Note: Video links of the first two goals are included to show set plays and also note how both Winnick and Ryan one-timed the pass.

Sheldon Souray put the home squad up by three just 2:12 following the Ryan goal. With Peter Holland providing the screen, Souray blasted a Brad Staubitz pass into the Calgary net.

Ryan Getzlaf put the game out of reach at 16:18 of the third when he took a no look redirect from Bobby Ryan and pushed it behind Kiprusoff.

Coach Boudreau summed it up pretty well, “We sure were outplayed in the first half of the game,” he noted. “Thank goodness for Viktor. Once we scored the second goal, we started to get our legs and started to do the right things, and I think they were frustrated. A win is a win.”

It was the tenth consecutive home win for Anaheim.

Ducks lose another SO point

Posted: 03/04/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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For the second consecutive game our Ducks failed to protect leads in the third period. Tonight we failed to protect two third period leads. It’s the first sign of adversity our Ducks have been challenged by this season.

Ducks drew first blood at 10:12 of the first period when Matt Beleskey scored on a twisted wrister from the top of the slot.

Antoine Vermette answered fifty-nine seconds into the second. Six and a half minutes later Keith Yandle blasted one past Hiller to put the Coyotes up 2-1. Phoenix continued to dominate the period but somehow failed to build on their lead.

Suddenly, Ryan Getzlaf, who is playing his best hockey since that 26 game stretch and playoff run back in 2009, got to a Corey Perry chip in and fired one past Smith to tie the game.

Right then and there Ducks color-man Brian Hayward calls the goal a momentum changer. a tad premature but Hazy might be telegraphing exactly what is wrong with our Ducks right now.

Corey Perry got the first go ahead goal of the third at 1:56 on a tip in of a Ryan Getzlaf feed. Cam Fowler, who is showing some great reads and decisions on when to join the rush earned the secondary assist on the play.

Just 11 seconds later Ben Lovejoy got caught flat-footed at the blue line and gave up a Doan/Chipchura 2 on 1. Doan buried it behind Hiller for the tie.

Bobby Ryan  put us up with his first goal in 8 games. Once again the Coyotes tied it up just 1:18 later. Our Ducks, bottled up in their zone, turned it over to Chipchura who got it back to Michael Stone at the right point. Stone slapped one through Hiller. The scorekeepers gave it to Stone, then said Matthew Lombardi had tipped it then reversed again giving the goal back to Stone.

Ducks lost two in a row for the time this season. True they got the sister-kisser points for the regulation tie but we have to come expect more from a team off to its best start in franchise history. Such is the impact of rising expectations.

Tonight it looked like we were still congratulating ourselves for taking the lead long after the refs dropped the puck to start the next play. Brian Hayward knows better than to call declare a goal a momentum changer. Momentum change is something you note after the fact, not in the moment.

Turned out Hazy’s foresight was spot on though. Perry put us up 3-2 just inside the third period. And that’s when we went to sleep and let the ‘Yotes tie it back up. Ben Lovejoy may have bought himself a ticket to Norfolk tonight.

And again, we let down after Bobby Ryan’s go ahead goal when a Corey Perry turnover led to the second tying goal of the third period.

Maybe it’s part fatigue. Maybe it’s a result of early success. maybe it’s in part the inability to play solid hockey for 60 minutes. Whatever the cause or reason our Ducks are facing their first adversity of the season. The inability on two consecutive nights to protect a lead in the third period of a hockey game.

It looks like we anticipated outcomes before we actually earned it.

From personal experience I will share that when this happens, even during the game, the player or player’s know it. You have to re-focus. Maybe eat a little humble pie and talking yourself down back into the moment. It’s born of over thinking and expecting the desired outcome forgetting that you first have to earn each and every point.

And yeah, sometimes the Refs drop the puck before you’re quite ready.And yeah, getting ready is the player’s responsibility.

Jonas Hiller accepted responsibility for his part. “Two or three of the goals were bad goals and you want to get them back,” Hiller said. “These things find a way through even though you think you’re there and playing big.”

While our goaltending was troubling in Phoenix, the Coyotes also exposed some slow feet along our blue line. It was the combination that led to the usually low scoring Coyotes offensive surge.

This is the adversity that can make or break a hockey team.

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