Posts Tagged ‘Corey Perry’

In relentless pursuit of a closer

Posted: 05/10/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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These Red Wings are little more than Chicago-lite. A smooth skating puck possession team that succumbs under the physical pressure imposed by teams like our Ducks. Noteworthy, these same Wings went 6-4-1 against the NHL’s big  bad three, composed of our Ducks, St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings.

It isn’t just our Ducks that these Red Wings give fits. Frankly, I’m baffled.

Kyle Palmieri says, “They are relentless in their pursuit. (of the puck)” is that it? You can’t hit what you can’t catch? In Wednesday’s game our guys got on top of these Wings often enough to deliver 20 hits in the 20 minutes of the first period. Following the first they caught the Wings with just 12 hits in the second, third and overtime periods combined.

The media is fond to point to Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard. The papers are full of stories about how Corey Perry is being kept off the score sheet. Big whoop. For as good as Howard has been, he’s only held our Ducks to less than three goals once in this series. Ducks GF is 16 goals in five games for a 3.20 GFA.

As good as our Ducks offense has been, they haven’t solved Jimmy Howard. He’s just no different from every goalie who’s ever played the game. Get him moving, screen him, force him to give up rebounds and get bodies into the low slot and Howard proves himself to be quite human after all.

Maybe it’s as czhokej shared last night, “Detroit is a very dangerous hockey team.” They have a lot of snipers, one of whom, Henrik Zetterburg has been held off the score sheet as well. Let them hang around and they’ll find a way with their relentless pursuit to make us pay. It isn’t just our Ducks but they’ve beaten our play-a-like teams as well.

Another 4-0 win would be sweet but something tells me these Wings will remain relentless to the final buzzer. Ducks fans don’t care how our guys close these Wings out. We care that they do and the sooner the better.

Note: If our Ducks and the Kings win their respective series, they will meet in the second round of the playoffs.

Plot lines and a Prediction

Posted: 04/30/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Old v. New

Detroit has been aging for 20 years and though the transition from Yzerman-Fedorov to Datsyuk (34)-Zetterburg (32) appeared seamless there isn’t a pair of emerging young stars coming up behind the Eurotwins.

Ducks are powered up front by the tandem of Ryan Getzlaf (27) and Corey Perry (27). These Twins were united a decade ago back in Cincinnati of the AHL.

It’s a battle of old Wings looking for more day in the sun against the Ducks emerging stars.

Flash and Dash v. Bash and Smash

These Red Wings are Chicago-lite. They can skate, wheel and execute the pretty plays. While the Ducks have players have skill they wear you down physically before taking you out.  It’s boxer v. puncher.

In this plot the Wings equalizer is long time Ryan Getzlaf nemesis Jordan Tootoo.  The Ducks captain will be challenged to keep his emotions in check.

The Goalies

Jimmy Howard has had a stretch run reminiscent of the 2003 J.S. Giguere. In his last ten games Howard has posted 3 shutouts and GAA of 1.44.

While no announcement has been made I expect Jonas Hiller to get the start. As impressive as Howard’s stats are, Hiller is 2-0 with .963 SP and a GAA of 1 in his last two games. Hiller is a money goalie as his playoff record 7-6 GAA 2.23 SP .942 attests.

Coaching: Tactician v. Motivator

Playoff success eluded Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau in Washington. In Anaheim, he has a more balanced team though.

For many Ducks fans Mike Babcock will always represent the one that got away.  His teams have won the Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold. You can’t argue with success.

Prediction

With two relatively evenly matched teams, they get it done differently but each does get ‘er done, the difference is how well each is organized and the intangibles. Both of these factors weigh in favor of our Ducks.

Teemu Selanne has called this the tightest group he’s seen since the Cup winning team. It is also a healthy hockey team now that Luca Sbisa went full-bore at practice. The vets, including Getzlaf and Perry, know from experience that these opportunities don’t come along every year.

These Ducks are special. Four of them of them, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu and Sheldon Souray and Toni Lydman recognize that this may be their last best chance to win a Cup. Each is preparing to leave it all on the ice.

Another flock of Ducks, Ben Lovejoy, Matt Beleskey, Nick Bonino, Dave Steckel, Emerson Etem  are successful in large part because their coach has believed in them.

Still another flock, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Francois Beauchemin, Andrew Cogliano are at or near the peak of their careers.

Two factors that can tilt a series are one-sided officiating and hot goal tending. Wings best chance of winning this series is the Ducks lose their cool and Jimmy Howard plays lights out hockey.

If our Ducks have accomplished one thing this season it is that they have risen to every challenge. They pushed the Blackhawks to the longest winning streak to start a season ever. When they had nothing left to play for they pulled themselves and finished strong.

The Wings represent a serious challenge not to be taken lightly. This is the best thing that could have happened to a team that consistently welcomes and responds to challenges.

Ducks in six.

Postgame Quick Hit

Posted: 04/08/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Ducks 4-3 SO win over the Kings was a very entertaining game which is PR code for not exactly perfectly played by either team.

For our Ducks it is a huge win. Our guys dispatched the surging and current Stanley Cup champ AND did so without our best player and captain Ryan Getzlaf .

Who doesn’t believe this morning?

No time to enjoy the win because our Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers and Justin Schultz tonight. You remember Shultzie, he’s the guy Wayne Gretzky told to sign with Edmonton because the Oilers were building a Cup contending team.

 

Pregame: LOS ANGELES @ ANAHEIM

Posted: 04/07/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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May as well shout it! We might even meet up with them in the second season.

Gabby’s out selling it, “It’s pretty hard to treat it like another game. It’s the Kings versus the Ducks. And more importantly right now, they’re nipping at our heels for the division championship. They might look 10 points back now, but that can drop in a hurry.” (Yes I cleaned up the quote. Not for F-bombs but for syntax.)

Kings are hot having gone 6-1-1 in their last eight games. So get out your measuring sticks. This is exactly the kind of opponent, current Stanley Cup champ and regional rival, where contenders and pretenders are separated.

Coach is absolutely right. Kings are nipping at our heels. This is an opportunity for our Ducks to make a statement. Kings are heating up at the right time just as they did last year. Are we good enough to push them back in our own barn?

It’s never easy. Our guys could be without Ryan Getzlaf. He’ll be a game time decision.

“I think, and I’ve always thought this, that they’re the best team in the league for us to play against. There’s nothing to sway me from thinking that. They’re a challenge and they’re starting to rev it up. It’ll be a real test.”

This is a game in which the winner earns the right to swagger. Two Stanley Cup contenders meeting in the stretch run.

With or without Getz, it’s time for our Ducks to step up and claim in one voice, “Big Bad Ducks are Back!”

This team is more than a slogan of course. These Ducks can win with speed, skill, goaltending, physicality. These Ducks can shut you down, open it up in  shoot out style pond hockey and anything in between.

You need only your rally cap to be ready for this one.

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.

Lebrun: Ducks in the market for another center

Posted: 03/20/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Taking a few minutes to post up some important info. I expect to be back sometime next week. I will be taking Easter weekend away from the blog for family.
In the meantime has U done a fantastic job of keeping up with the day-to-day job or what? Since this is all volunteer he’s certainly done more than anyone has a right to expect.

Couldn’t help but notice how Pierre Lebrun and this blog are on the same page when it comes to our Ducks. You can see for yourself here and here. Notice my post was published 20 minutes ahead of Lebrun. Obviously a case of fools seldom differ.

So when Lebrun speculated that our Ducks are in the market for a second line center, specifically Stars Derek Roy, it peaked my interest.

Via tsn.ca:

LeBrun:Derek Roy is a guy that they (Stars) have tried to sign over the last couple of weeks and it hasn’t gone anywhere. You start to think if the Stars slip out they might move him. I think they will and the Anaheim Ducks are a team to watch here. They’re looking for a No. 2 centre. People are saying they are going to trade Bobby Ryan after signingCorey Perry. It’s the contrary – they’re keeping Ryan and they want to add a No. 2 centre. Roy kind of fits the bill if they can get a deal done with Dallas.

Stephen Weiss was also a guy that Anaheim would have had interest in but obviously no longer after his injury.

Is this a message to Bonino, Holland and us fans? You bet it is. Make no mistake, our Ducks are going for the Cup this year.

Locking up Getzlaf and Perry before the April 3rd trade deadline was key. Credit the org’s willingness to spend and also credit the new CBA. Our Ducks are expected to qualify for up to $20m in revenue sharing next season, just as The Twins’ new contracts kick in. Credit Henry Samueli for his willingness to invest that revenue sharing money back into operations. He could have used it to pay himself back for years of operating losses. But I digress.

With all that Getzlaf and Perry gossip and speculation out of the way, GM Bob Murray can now focus on acquiring that last piece. The forward Bruce Boudreau identified as the missing piece. More specifically as Lebrun muses that ever elusive second line center.

Derek Roy isn’t the only guy out there though. Other pending UFA’s include Washington’s Mike Ribiero, Patrik Elias, Andy McDonald, Nik Antropov, Matt Cullen, Matthew Lombardi and Danius Zubrus.

Andy Mac would be nice but St. Louis is looking for a Top 4 D-man and we don’t have one to spare. Likewise I don’t see the Wild sending us Matt Cullen or Phoenix shipping Matthew Lombardi.

That leaves, Roy, Ribiero, Elias, Antropov and Zubrus. Of those, Ribero and Elias have the most talent with the gritty Ribiero arguably the best fit on our Ducks. Elias would be a good second choice but at 36 he’s still the leading the Devils in points. He may not become available if the Devils remain on the playoff bubble.

Ribiero would seem to have better chemistry with Bobby Ryan while the slicker Roy and Elias can skate and execute give and goes with Flash.

Antropov and Zubrus bring vet savvy but I’m not convinced either is an upgrade on Holland or Bonino. Holland still has a couple of weeks to make his case.

 

Ducks believe at mid-season – Part I

Posted: 03/11/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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At the mid-point you have to say that 18-3-3 is no longer a great start. It’s a great half-season. In an 82 game schedule our Ducks would be just rounding the quarter pole. The season is different. It’s a sprint rather than a grind.

At the team barbecue last summer Ryan Getzlaf talked about it taking a team to win. On the day he signed his new contract Bob Murray talked about how Getz has grown into the role of captain. No doubt Ryan Getzlaf is now showing the promise of realized potential. If it weren’t for that pesky Sidney Crosby, Getz would or should be the leading Hart/MVP candidate.

As he said himself, it takes a team to win. While Ryan Getzlaf is the most dominant force our send over the boards, he is only part of what makes this Ducks team the most successful, in terms of won/lost record.

The goaltending tandem of Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth have kept our Ducks in games and given them a chance to win every time out.

“It’s a 180 degree turn from last season,” Hiller noted, “Last year we played not to lose. This season we’re playing to win.”

Playing to win is an attitude missing from our Ducks since the 2009-10 season. That Cup team had a swagger to it. This team is more humble. It’s a quiet confidence reinforced by the belief in a record of 18-3-3 and trust in your teammates.

Our Ducks Cup team played aggressive in your face hockey. As the brash Chris Pronger said of opposing teams and their fans, “(We like to) Send ‘em home cryyyyying.” This team issues a “Show us what you’ve got” challenge then proceed to pick the opposition apart with quick strikes before working the clock and shutting down the opposition.

Getzlaf calls it boring hockey. Purists would agree. To fans, winning is never boring.

Corey Perry deflected the temptation to “think bigger” when prodded by OCR beat reporter Eric Stephens. “I think we take it one game at a time. I mean we’re at the half-way point and we still have a lot of hockey left. If we keep continuing to play the way we are, we’re going to put ourselves in a good position.”

Perry added, “We play our system. Everyone in here knows what’s going on, what they’re role is and adapting to it.”  That sounds remarkably close to Ryan Getzlaf’s summer, “It takes a team” mantra.

Probably the guy most responsible for our ducks newly earned self-confidence is coach Bruce Boudreau. Upon arriving in December of 2011 “Gabby” found a room disheartened as though the life had been sucked out of it, as one former Duck described it.

Coach knew the team had the top end talent to compete with anybody. He set out to find out if the team had the necessary complimentary and supporting role players. Immediately the new coach set about to rolling four lines and spread the TOI more evenly throughout the lineup. Nothing changed in that first month as our Ducks continued to lose. Then along about Christmas of 2011, starting with Saku Koivu and Jonas Hiller and spreading one by one throughout the roster our Ducks began to buy into the new program.

The team went on an incredible run that ended with a thud the moment the trade deadline came and went.

During the financial season GM Bob Murray set about to make our Ducks more like the Big Bad Ducks of the Brian Burke era. The incoming included the underrated Daniel Winnick, a rejuvenated Sheldon Souray, match-up specialist Bryan Allen and enforcer Brad Staubitz.

The last main ingredient is the infusion of youth that Bob Murray either drafted or acquired by trade. The maturation of Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey as reliable and trusted everyday players, is complimented by the breakthrough of Kyle Palmieri. Luca Sbisa seems to have discovered the secret to consistency. The shuttle from Anaheim to Norfolk is paying dividends as prospects such as Emerson Etem, Peter Holland and Pat Maroon have exhibited measurable growth with every trip to and from.

In part two I’ll take you through the change in the system. An excellent primer is to start here, where Scott Cullen uses advance stats to prove that center lane drives, or carrying the puck over the blue line results in measurably more shots and scoring chances than the dump, chase and cycle attack.

 

Ducks wear down Blues 4-2

Posted: 03/10/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Ryan Getzlaf described it well, “We played a boring game. We made them work and tired them out.” Good plan considering it was the Blues third match in four nights and second of back to back road games.

If that was the plan it sure fooled most onlookers as the Blues clearly won the first period, exiting the ice with a 1-0 lead. Jonas Hiller stood tall allowing only a pinball type careen, carrom and deflection finally credited to Ryan Reeves.

Ducks were unable to capitalize on a 5 on 3 PP but did get the equalizer when Emerson Etem chipped one ahead that sent Andrew Cogliano in alone on Halak.  Even though the penalty calls benefited our Ducks it was another example of the NHL providing totally incompetent officials. The blind mice tonight were Dan O’Halloran and Kyle Rehman.

Patrik Berglund put the Blues back up at 1:41 of the third as he skated down the LW and fired one that deflected off Toni Lydman and beat Hiller short side.

Ducks would get a bounce at 3:11 when Francois Beauchemin let go a blast from the point that rebounded off the backside of Ryan Getzlaf and into the wheelhouse of Bobby Ryan who promptly buried it past a stunned Jaroslav Halak.

Our Ducks took over from there. About 2 minutes after Ryan’s goal, Corey Perry got is stick on a Ryan Getzlaf shot that earned our guys their first lead of the night. Getz was originally awarded the goal but lobbied the Refs to give it to Pears. Who luvs ya Corey!

Ducks then worked the clock until Perry got his second of the night, an EN with 40 seconds remaining that put the game out of reach.

It was our Ducks 11th consecutive home victory, tying the record set by the 2009-10 Ducks. Francois Beauchemin had 3 assists and Ryan Getzlaf two helpers.

Saku Koivu was great in the FO winning 14 of 21 for a 67% winning rate. Ducks combined were 32 of 67 for a 48% win rate.

Nick Bonino was late scratch with the flu. Coach had him on the bench in the first period so as not tip Blues coach Ken Hitchcock that we were playing with a man short.

Ducks now hit the road for games beginning Wednesday against the Wild, Stars and finish the trip in St. Louis.

Teemu chips in on signing Corey Perry

Posted: 03/10/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Via Eric Duhatscheck, Toronto Globe & Mail:

For Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, it just makes sense for Perry to stay on, if they can get the dollars to work.

“A lot of times, when you find someone to play with, who has so much chemistry like Getzy and Perry, for me, it would be crazy to go anywhere else when you have almost everything you need here,” Selanne said.

“You have a franchise which really wants to win, and which treats a player so well. You have an unbelievable player to play with. So I can’t see why this place wouldn’t be a happy place for both of them for a long time, but that’s not [up to] me.It’s up to them. But I’d love to see Corey Perry do the same thing.”

When you factor in quality of life away from the rink, Corey Perry could do a whole lot worse than 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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