Posts Tagged ‘Sheldon Souray’

BackChecking with Emerson Etem & Adam Brady

Posted: 05/16/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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We haven’t done this for a while. Longtime followers may remember the format. If not you’ll catch on quickly enough. Interviews or stories are republished with a comment. Comments are in italics.

Via Ducks Official Website:

Earlier this week, having just packed his locker and gone through exit interviews with coaches and management, Etem reflected on his rookie season and what’s to come for him.

What are your impressions of the season when you look back on it?
The season didn’t finish how we wanted it to. We obviously wanted to lift that Cup at the end of the two months here. But sometimes you just fall short and you’ve got to regroup in the summer, see what you did wrong individually and as a team, and be better next year. I’m going to look at my game, watch a lot of video. I was pretty happy with the way my season progressed. It started out a little bit slow, but I worked on it, from getting sent down and coming back up. I just continued to work on my shot and a lot of the areas of my game I knew I needed to work on. I finished pretty strong, especially in the playoffs, and I thought I played pretty solid. I’ll just take that into next year.

For a guy who initially struggled in the ‘A’ EE’s growth was truly exceptional. By the end of the playoffs EE had clearly establish himself among the top 9 forwards. In game six he played 3 more minutes than Teemu Selanne.

What did you feel was the most notable thing you improved on as the season progressed?

My confidence. It was not only the coaches’ trust in me with my ice time, but I think as it increased, my confidence got that much better.

There are genuine hockey reasons for that. Brady could have followed up much better than he does. But then again, he’s a P.R. not a hockey guy.

Confidence almost sounds like a cliché at times, but it really is huge part of the game, isn’t it?

Yeah, it is. If you’re getting seven or eight minutes a game, you don’t have too many opportunities, especially as far as offense is concerned. You maybe get one or two shots in there. But you feel the flow of the game a lot more when you’re playing and put in different situations. The more I was playing, the more confidence I got. It was great to have the coaches put their trust in my game.

I feel like that kid in the tv commercial, “We want more. We want more.”   Coach saw in EE that he might able to trust him on the PK.  He proved coach right. At this point EE was a solid 4th line ES and 2nd unit PK. He really didn’t consistently get more ice time until he started finishing his scoring opportunities in the playoffs. In the first question EE mentioned working on his shot but it wasn’t until the playoffs that he got rewarded for all that previous effort. What gave EE this confidence is how he met and/or exceeded the tests the Coach put on him. He did this by reading and reacting to the plays. He also used his best asset, his deceptive speed and acceleration. EE has the best acceleration I’ve seen since Bobby Orr. I hope he watches some video of Orr and picks up on how and when to use that acceleration.
Note: Bobby Orr had such power that he achieved top speed between his initial push and his next stride. EE isn’t quite there but he isn’t all that far from it.

You had a couple of big moments in these playoffs, but what pops into your head as the highlight? 

I just think playing in front of the fans, just playing at Honda Center and experiencing that for the first time. Every time I stepped on the ice, the fans got me going. It wasn’t even the goals or anything else. It was just the guys in the locker room, as a team going out on that ice and preparing to battle every game. That was the biggest thing.

Typical rookie. Nothing stood out because he was so busy soaking it all in.

The most important thing in your development is your play in all three zones. Did you see that continue to improve this season?

Yeah, for sure. Back in juniors, like a lot of guys on this team, you’re looked at as the No. 1 guy. But I think your role changes when you’re here at this level. I think I’ve carried over the defensive role I had in Medicine Hat. Obviously the offense didn’t come as quickly, but slowly but surely I was able to accomplish some of the stuff I did at that level, and I hope to keep that going.

It was EE’s accountability that earned him the opportunity to eventually begin showing the offensive ability. The goals began to come when he showed patience with the puck around the net. The skill that gave him that is his  breathtaking acceleration. One flows from the other.

What was discussed in your season-ending meetings with coaches and management? 

Just don’t change anything. What you did in the last series was great, but now it’s time to keep working hard in the summer, don’t stop and make sure you’re prepared for training camp in the summer.

No need for concern here. This is one fine young man devoted to developing his skill. The only question now is his upside.

What’s the biggest thing you learned by being at this level for an extended period of time?

The biggest thing is just to stay humble, keep working hard, learn from the veterans in the room – Sheldon Souray, Getzlaf, Perry, Teemu and all those guys. Both on an off the ice, learn what they’re doing, because it’s obviously working. I just need to make sure I follow their path.

The reason we’re here BackChecking with Emerson Etem. He said, “The biggest thing is just to stay humble…” The rest, “keep working hard, learn from the vets”  flows one from the other. Fact is, he just showed the world he’s a fine young man intent on making the most of his ability. We of course get to enjoy the show.

With Teemu Selanne’s future uncertain once again, and considering your popularity with fans already, is there any thought in your mind of someday filling the void his retirement would leave for this franchise? 
I would want everyone to return no matter what they’re thinking for their future. But you always want to be the go-to guy. You work hard to be popular, just through work ethic or by what you bring every night. If you work hard, the chance of the fans loving you is pretty high. I think everyone loves Teemu here and Getzlaf and guys like that because of what they do for us. If I keep working hard, then maybe I’ll be in those names someday. But I’m nowhere close to being there yet. I’ve just got to keep working hard.

So Brady immediately tests that humility by asking the rookie to compare himself with our legendary face of the franchise. If anything shows Brady is more P.R than hockey it’s comfort with massive egos. And by working hard it’s likely EE moves ahead of Teemu on the depth chart. And yes supplants him on PP. This is partly why I hope Teemu retires now. Seeing kids pass him is just not something I want to witness. It does appear that we can trust EE’s work ethic. He gets that from his good family upbringing. He’s not carrying any baggage such that he’s one guy I think will avoid the sophomore jinx. This is one level-headed dude.

What are your plans for the next few months? 
I’m going to be training again with TR Goodman at Pro Camp Sports up in Venice once again. I’ve been training there since I was 13, so that’s not going to change. I might even get a place up in Venice, so I can be more focused up there. My buddy Beau Bennett plays for the Penguins, so we’ll be skating a lot together this summer and working hard. I’m looking forward to it.

Devante Smith-Pelly would be wise to join him.

Pregame 1: Updates

Posted: 04/29/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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#NHLDucks D Luca Sbisa (lower body) reported feeling good after going thru full practice and hopes to be available for Game 1 tomorrow.

Look for Ducks to split up Francois Beauchemin and Sheldon Souray. Fowler will play w/Beauchemin while Souray will be w/Lovejoy for Game 1.

BB wouldn’t get into it but there’s a feeling Fowler’s speed alongside Beauchemin could work better against Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

Analysis: Separating Souray/Beauchemin makes sense. Genuine concern about Souray matching up against DAZzle Line of Datsyuk-Abdelkader-Zetterburg. Souray is a fine hockey player but he lacks the quick feet necessary to move with the DAZzle Line.
Ice’ followup post confirms this analysis.

Given Dan Woods tweet the 3rd pairing will be two of Allen, Lydman, Sbisa and Vatanen. My preference is Allen-Vatanen.

@SlashSkater At this point, I’d guess Allen and Lydman, but that could change, especially if Sbisa were ready to go.

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 at the quarter season mark

Posted: 02/13/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Famed and accomplished NFL coach Bill Parcells said, “You are what your record says you are.” By that measure our 9-2-1 Anaheim Ducks are a pretty good hockey team. By every other measurable statistic our Ducks are a very good hockey club.

Ducks are second in the Western Conference trailing the team they beat last night by just two points. They’re first in the Pacific Division. Their 19 points of a possible 24 points available has them third in P% at a scintillating .792 rate. They’re scoring at the rate of 3.25 goals per game likewise places them third overall in the NHL. These Ducks are either best or second best in even strength situations. Our Ducks sport the seventh most efficient PP and next to last PK.

From my perspective Goal Differential is the single most significant measure of a hockey team, aside from total points of course. By this standard our +9 Ducks are tied for fifth overall. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that our Ducks are also fifth in most Power Rankings this week.

While the record is indeed a great one, the numbers don’t tell us how they’ve done it and why we watch. It’s really quite a story.

He might be a late bloomer as a GM. Maybe these Ducks prove the rule, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.” Regardless, Bob Murray has earned credit in more than just a couple of areas. This entire report reflects well on him as a late bloomer or as the metaphorical blind squirrel.
Following the trade of Chris Pronger and retirement of Scott Niedermayer our blue line was in shambles. It’s taken four seasons, perhaps not surprisingly to re-assemble an elite level blue line but our Bob has done it. He also put back the size and snarl into a lineup that just couldn’t match-up physically in recent seasons.
As important, our Ducks have three scoring lines again. Our Ducks are deep and the most complete hockey team since the Stanley Cup edition. Through signing UFA’s, excellent drafts and trades that are beginning to pay off three seasons after they were made, Bob Murray has assembled an NHL elite level hockey team.

By late November of 2011 the once feared Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks had hit rock bottom. Like a drunk experiencing his first day of sobriety, the change from Randy Carlyle to Bruce Boudreau breathed new life into the team. It took a few weeks but as the team bought in they went on a rip that brought them within four points of the playoffs. Just as suddenly and perhaps not coincidentally, the streak ended the day our Ducks moved past the trade deadline.
This shortened season our Ducks are experiencing their first full with an asterisk year under the new coach. System wise, our Ducks do nothing different from what hockey players have known their entire lives. System wise, our Ducks now play support the puck hockey, up and back. This system places a third man high in the offensive zone and brings a third man back to support the D. And yes, we trap in the neutral zone.
Another primary difference between  Coach Carlyle and Coach Boudreau is how each marshals his assets. Randy Carlyle relied upon his best players. Bruce Boudreau gives his depth players more time on the ice. As we’ve witnessed particularly in the past two games, Gabby will shorten his bench as he deems necessary in the third period.
BB is not so committed to tradition that he won’t show some creativity. For example, he surprised this observer by going back to No. 1 goalie Jonas Hiller after new guy on the block, Viktor Fasth earned a shutout. His forward lines are based on twosomes, Getzlaf/Perry, Ryan/Selanne, Koivu/Winnick and Bonino/Beleskey. He’ll move around his third forward based on instinct.
Last night Josh Brewster of Ducks Calls reported Coach referred to Daniel Winnick as his Brooks Laich. The go to player he can send over the boards in any situation.
In a move designed to spread out the scoring, and opposition defenses, he moved perennial 30+ goal scorer off the top line. Additionally, Coach has used Ryan to anchor the 2nd PP unit and has given it more TOI.
On the back-end Gabby has found a No. 1 pairing in new addition Sheldon Souray alongside Francois Beauchemein. This is the most hard-nosed pairing since hey day of Pronger-O’Donnell. New addition Bryan Allen will eventually be paired with the injured Cam Fowler. Toni Lydman and Luca Sbisa round the D pairings.
Not insignificantly our Ducks feature great depth along the blue line. They can call up future star Sami Vatanen or go with experienced hands of Ben Lovejoy, Nate Guenin or Jordan Hendry. Hampus Lindholm figures to get a look-see at the NHL level soon after he becomes available.

On the ice, where the games are won and lost, our Ducks are showing they have all the tangibles and intangibles necessary to compete  with the NHL’s best.
Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth have provided winning if not always great goaltending statistically speaking.
The hard-nosed guys, Staubitz, Allen, Souray, Beauchemin and Winnick are sticking up for our skill players. Allen and Souray are doing the job expected of them in the low slot in front of our goalies.
Knowing someone has their backs, the remarkable composure of Viktor Fasth and how Coach is marshaling his assets is having a positive effect on the team overall. These Ducks aren’t quitting and giving up on themselves or giving in to a natural instinct for retaliation, for the most part. The second Vancouver and the Dallas games as the exceptions that prove this rule.
Whether it’s the league’s 29th worst PK limiting the league’s top ranked team to just one shot in nearly 4 minutes of a 4 on 3 or the timely scoring provided by Daniel Winnick and the kids, these Ducks just find ways to win.
Incredibly our Ducks are doing it while their most heralded player, Corey Perry is in a slump and their best puck moving D-man is out on IR.

This isn’t to say that the wheels can’t come off. Anything from a player stepping out with the wife or significant other of another player to injuries can destroy a good or great hockey team.

What we can say is that our Ducks have met every challenge in their way so far this season. As one great coach said, “They are their record.”

Note: Ducks have sent forward Rickard Rakell back to the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. The moves leaves the full 3 seasons remaining on the player’s EL contract. Because no immediate announcement as to Rakell’s replacement is made, expect the Ryan to center experiment to continue with Koivu and Bonino moving up the depth chart if and when Coach elects to shorten his bench in the third period of close games.

Pregame: Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars

Posted: 02/08/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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NHL.com labeled it and Ducks.com promotes it so now its official, “Anaheim’s Viktor Fasth has made a seamless transition to the NHL and is causing perhaps the League’s best goaltender controversy outside of Vancouver.”

One thing about shameless promoters is they never let facts get in the way of a juicy story. There is no goalie controversy on the Anaheim Ducks. There won’t be a goalie controversy unless and until there’s a problem between Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth. Thus far, all the evidence indicates each goalie is a team first guy. Unless and until that changes, there is no goalie controversy involving the Anaheim Ducks. You are well served to ignore unfounded sensationalism. Even when yellow journalism is practiced by our Ducks front office.

OC Register beat reporter Eric Stephens has the straight skinny.

Viktor Fasth is the hot hand. He earned the start tonight by shutting out the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

The real story on this tilt is that our Ducks are facing a team on a winning streak. Stars have won two straight on the road and three of their last four games.

Our Ducks have won four straight. More importantly, Sheldon Souray summed it up recently saying our Ducks were looking to earn respect around the league.

Tonight our guys face a team that beat them in five of six head to head contests last season. And the Stars, though very different this year, are on a bit of a roll. With the favored to win the Western Conference St. Louis Blues on the docket tomorrow, our Ducks could be looking past the Stars.

Get out your measuring sticks as our Ducks get ready to focus on the game immediately in front of them and dispatch a nemesis of recent seasons.

A subplot is the all time goal scoring race between Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne. Currently, Jagr is tied with Luc Robitaille in tenth spot. T is 12th just five goals behind. Barring injury, both JJ and T should enter the top ten all time this season.

Sheldon Souray visits his former team for the first time this season.

Postgame: Ducks 3 Avs 0

Posted: 02/06/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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In four games Viktor Fasth is 4-0, .962 SP and 0.98 GAA and oh yeah 1 SO. Tonight was about him. The fast Avs weren’t Fasth enough. yeah, bad, eh. OC Register columnist Mark Whicker called our Ducks the Fasth and Furious. Get used to it. We’ll have Fasth puns all season.

The upshot is this could have been a something to 3 loss if not for Fasth. The Ducks did not play their best game but skated off the ice with two points. After 4 games there is now a book on Fasth. Look for him to be genuinely challenged going forward.

Coach Boudreau flat-out said, “It’s good to win the first game of a road trip. but we’re going to have to play better to win anymore.”

Kyle Palmieri had a goal taken away by the review committee. He and T raced to the net. As Selanne drew the Avs D in his direction and backhanded a dish across the flow that Palmieri snapped toward the net. The replay clearly shows Varlamov caught the puck over the goal line. Still the review committee called it inclusive.

As the Ducks continue to show more discipline our guys will earn more favorable calls. Tonight we got a 5 0n 3. In the third Chuck Kobesaw speared Sheldon Souray in the thigh. Souray retaliated and surprisingly both went off. Usually Refs miss the initial infraction and call the retaliation.

The Ducks got on the board first 6:20 into the game when Sheldon Souray blasted a Ryan Getzlaf feed for his third of the season.
Saku Koivu buried another lucky bounce coming off the stick Avs defender Greg Zanon. Selanne and Souray were awarded assists on the play. For T it is  #750 tying Larry Robinson at 41st All Time.
Midway through the second Francois Beauchemin completed a tic tac toe passing play with Koivu and Winnick.

From there the Ducks played eat the clock. Avs pressed and Ducks did get more chances but Varlamov was sharp which kept the game interesting.

Notes: Ducks head to Dallas for a tilt Friday with the Stars. Coach has a few decisions to make, not the least of which is which goalie starts. Does he go with the hot hand or get some Hiller some work?

Sami Vatanen is going to be a fine NHL hockey player but he is also going to get burned a few times before he learns when to pick his spots. Luckily, Colorado didn’t make him pay tonight. And yeah, it was good Bryan Allen played a steady game alongside the gifted rookie.

In a pregame interview with Dan Woods, Corey Perry admitted that his timing isn’t quite right yet. Corey said he feels like would coming out of camp. Right now he’s going against a lot of guys who played in Europe. Look for Pears to start light it up within 5 games.

Ducks are beginning to get national hockey media attention. Pierre Lebrun watched the game and tweeted numerously about Fasth. Kevin Weekes says our Ducks are for real.

Post game: San Jose 1 Anaheim 2

Posted: 02/04/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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A bounce. A rocket. A great goal-tending performance from Viktor Fasth. Ducks beat the Sharks 2-1 in regulation time.

For two periods our Ducks outshot, outhit and earned a noticeable territorial advantage in play. As happened last Monday in San Jose they simply weren’t getting rewarded for their effort. Demers gets a stick on an Andrew Cogliano snap shot. Greiss tips a Souray blast just over the net.

I was feeling that if we got one we might a couple-3 more in succession. It wasn’t to be though. Our Ducks showed tremendous discipline in gutting one out they might have thrown away as recently as just a couple of weeks ago.

Bryan Allen was the marked man again tonight taking 3 minor penalties, the first two of which were bad calls.  Give the Sharks credit. Adam Burrish faked a trip. The hold on Wingells was called very quickly. I’ll give the Refs the right call for the cross-check Couture. Teh problem for guys like Allen is that you don’t notice them until the make a mistake. Quick and don’t look, how many shots did Allen block tonight? How many good first passes did he make?

What is really impressing me is that not so long ago a couple of bad calls like those on Allen and our guys would have started whining to be followed by a penalty parade to the sin bin. Not with this Ducks team though. This team is not giving up on themselves. This team is sucking it up and continues playing their hearts out. And finding ways to win.

When was the last time you saw a Ducks team win a Coach’s nightmare 7-4 and come back and win the next game 2-1? This speaks volumes for what this team might accomplish this year.

Emerson Etem took 3-4 shifts on the top line in the third period. He looked like he belonged.

Bobby Ryan didn’t get on the scoreboard. He made some great defensive plays from the center position.

Nick Bonino followed up his hat trick performance by taking key defensive face offs against the Sharks PP late in the third.

Ryan Getzlaf didn’t score but he finished the game tied with Sheldon Souray for shot leader with 4 apiece. This will pay dividends as Getz becomes less predictable.

Sticking with Getz, I saw something tonight absent since we traded Pronger. The Captain drifted back from the face off dot for a quick chat with Sheldon Souray. Usually guys are confirming assignments. It was good to see Ryan Getzlaf having somebody he check off with.

Enjoy the win. Enjoy that our Ducks took 3 of 4 points from the Sharks in two games. Let’s remember that Sharks played each game without their top two D-men, Dan Boyle and Brent Burns. Sharks will be better when those two guys get healthy.

If somebody had told you that our Ducks would start the season 6-1-1 but that Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan would total just 3 goals between them, would you have called them crazy or asked them to share?

The next test  for our Ducks is a 6 game road swing. Ducks begin in Colorado on Wednesday. The trip then includes stops in Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit and Nashville.

With 3 days between the Chicago (2/12) and Detroit (2/15) games and that Chicago will be our twelfth game of the season, look for a quarter pole report at that time.

Pregame: San Jose Sharks @ Anaheim Ducks

Posted: 02/04/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Sharks remain undefeated in regulation time but lost one a OT tilt to Nashville Saturday night. It was the third consecutive game in which San Jose was forced into overtime. The other two coming against the our Ducks and Minnesota Wild.

The Sharks seem to be tapering off after a torrid start while our surging Ducks are among the surprises in the early going of this condensed NHL season. Anybody who predicted that these Sharks and Ducks would be first and second in the Pacific Division at any time has earned a maintenance day. Sharks are four points ahead of the Ducks who have played one less game.

Seems odd to bring up the Standings before either team has played its tenth game. It would be except that in a 48 game schedule nearly 20% of the season is in the books. That’s right, I began drafting this blog’s annual 1/4 pole report over the weekend.

Every game is magnified by a multiple of nearly 2. Every game carries approximately twice the importance in a 48 game schedule as it would in a 82 game season. A four point game becomes an eight game. Lose in regulation and our Ducks fall three (6 points) games behind the Sharks with just two games remaining between the clubs.

This is what a sprint is all about.

Ducks are sporting a little different look than the team visited the Shark Tank a week ago. Coach adjusted his D pairings putting Francois Beauchemin and Sheldon Souray together in support of the checking line. Toni Lydman and Luca Sbisa became the 3rd pairing. Upfront the Bobby Ryan to Center experiment continued though Coach put Bonino out there on the 2nd Unit PP after Bones scored his hat trick Saturday night.

Cam Fowler is listed as day-to-day after Jared Stoll’s cheap check from behind. I don’t understand why the league has refused a hearing on the hit. Maybe the NHL isn’t serious about head injuries. Maybe it’s another in the long line of official decisions that go against our Ducks. Sami Vatanen could play in his second NHL game if Fowler can’t go.

Asking 38-year-old Sheldon Souray to play three games in four nights is expecting a lot. Look for a last-minute call-up later today.

The official anti-Anaheim bias didn’t help the LA Kings Saturday night. Our guys will again have to maintain their composure to beat the Sharks. These Ducks have shown real character since the home opener. We can and will get a fair shake from the league eventually. Fact is, our Ducks have been whiners and crybabies for several seasons. A change in perception will take some time. The whining has to stop. No Ref likes to be F-bombed, and/or hear comments about their mothers, sisters and significant others or that the Ref should perform a physically impossible act upon himself. Even when the player mutters such to himself and not directly to the Ref.

Getzlaf and Perry need to stop whining!

These Ducks are showing that they can beat anybody. All they need do is give themselves the chance.

PreGame: Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks

Posted: 02/02/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Local media calls it the Freeway Series. How exciting. What’s at stake is SoCal Raz Rights. It happens at award shows, at pre-camp skates and at Golds Gym. Given the passion fans invest in the series it’s a rivalry deserving of its own trophy.
Last season Kings were the clear Raz Rights winner going 5-1 against our Ducks.

Stats and previous records mean nothing. Though how the Kings have managed to eke out a 2-2-2 record while scoring less than two goals (1.83) per game is noteworthy. Kings virtually must play perfect hockey to win these days. The fact their doing it even half the time is remarkable. Kings have scored more than two goals just once in their first six games, beating Phoenix 4-2 last Saturday.

Ducks are winning while in a state of flux. Getzlaf and Perry are on their third left winger in just six games. Nick Bonino was moved off the second line for the game last night against the Wild. Sheldon Souray is anchoring a PK unit. The Bobby Ryan to center experiment was revived absent any fanfare. Coach just did it. The fourth line is drawn from rotating call-ups, an enforcer and a rookie who can only play one more game. On the back line Fowler and Allen are the only ES pairing that has survived intact through the early going.

Last season the Kings won the Cup while seemingly hardly breaking a sweat. They were that dominant. Kings pushed our Ducks around like our guys were boy toys. This is the game in which Ducks fans should truly see the impact Dan Winnick, Bryan Allen and Sheldon Souray bring to our team. Nashville Predators aren’t exactly pushovers but these LA Kings may still be hockey’s most physically dominant team.

Ducks new compete level was on full display last night when Bryan Allen battled Zenon Konopka in front of Fasth.

Earlier in the week many eyes were fixed on the Sharks game as a measuring stick for our team. This game is an equally important measuring stick because these Kings will test our mettle and character. Prior to this short 3 game points streak the Vancouver Canucks got under the skin and exposed our Ducks for the bunch of whiners and crybabies they became on that night.

Our guys have done a great job of cleaning that up for 3 consecutive games. This game will show us if their newly found character is real. In other words, avoid the extra-curricular trash hockey, goof-ball retaliating and match the Kings physicality within the game itself; our Ducks are showing they can play with anybody, even Stanley Cup champions.

Post Game: Minnesota 1 Anaheim 3

Posted: 02/01/2013 by bc in Uncategorized
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Another great effort by a team that keeps its feet moving. Good things happen when you keep the legs moving. This is three solid games in a row. Skating is the basis for our Ducks success to date.

When you’re skating, you’re advancing the play. You’re moving forward and less likely to stop, retaliate and take a stupid penalty. It goes hand in hand.

Following effort, the trust Coach is showing in his players as well as what he’s asking of them is paying dividends. Fowler and Vatanen manning the points on the PP in the waning minutes of a 1 goal game? Sheldon Souray logging more time on the PK (1:15) than on the PP (0.57) Really? The Twins killing the waning seconds of penalties? Bobby Ryan moves back to center and his line produces all 3 goals. Ryan Getzlaf is team leader in FO%. Our checking line is one part smooth, one part speed and one part grit. Not the usual grind it out checking line.

By trusting his players and expecting them to perform in all situations is what leads to the effort and result we witnessed tonight, and in recent games. Coach Boudreau is asking our guys to be complete players. Obviously, they are responding.  Our Ducks were so dominant hockey’s hottest line was held without a shot on goal until a PP late in the third.

As Gabby has said, 3 consecutively consistent games is too soon to make conclusions. Let’s see if they can do it through a very demanding stretch in the schedule, which is upcoming. Three consistent games is a start. It’s also three games in seven days with little travel.

The defense is consistent. The offense right now is a different line every week or game. Tonight it was Ryan-Palmieri-Selanne who lit the lamp. Jeez though, if not for miracles performed by Saint Backstrom between the Wild pipes, Beleskey, Etem, Bonino and Fowler would have scored goals too.

As with each of our Ducks recent games the score was closer than the scoring chances and territorial play indicate. IF they can keep it up, we’re in for an exciting and successful season.

 

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