February 2008 Archives

Because of a pair of quirks in the way the NHL standings operate, the Flames could LOSE to the Ducks Friday night and still move AHEAD of the Ducks in the Western Conference standings.

The first 2008 playoff race chart was handed out to the media at the Ducks' practice today (details from practice in tomorrow's notebook). The Chart shows where each Western Conference team stands in relation to the top eight spots, how many games each has remaining, points breakdowns and such. Here's the skinny today; I'll try to update these numbers as often as time permits.

Neither Ryan Carter nor Todd Marchant skated at the Ducks' practice Thursday morning, and the news was particularly bad for Carter. An MRI on the rookie center revealed a fractured wrist, which he suffered on a freak injury in the first period Wednesday night against Colorado. Jeff Finger checked Carter into the boards next to the Ducks' bench, where Carter's wrist broke through a clear, hard shield covering a camera hole. There's only eight camera holes around the rink, and Carter's wrist found one of them on that play. There's no timetable for his return; Randy Carlyle said he'll miss at least "the next couple games." The good news: He's not expected to require surgery.

How on Earth did Ryan Carter get his wrist jammed into the photographer's lenshole when he got checked into the boards by the Avs' Jeff Finger tonight? HOW?? There's only 8 lensholes, no more than 8" wide, carved into the plexiglass boards at Honda Center. They're supposed to be shut during the game, too, unless a photographer needs to poke his/her camera through them. And yet, somehow, Carter got checked into one of those exact 8 spots, got his wrist caught inside of it, and ... we'll wait for an MRI tomorrow. I have never heard of that happening before in an NHL game. Hopefully for Ryan, he's OK.

Teemu Selanne makes his Honda Center debut tonight, but he's not all the way back to the form he flashed last year. At least, he doesn't think so.

It's Selanne's first goal since making his season debut a week ago today and the 541st of his career. He ties Paul Kariya as the team's all-time leading scorer (669 points). Ducks and Avalanche are tied, 1-1.

This just came across the desk...

According to Elias Stats Bureau, the Ducks were just the second visiting team in NHL history to defeat the three New York-area teams in a four-day span. The Nashville Predators were the first visiting team to pull off the four-day, three-game sweep in the New York area, from Oct. 16-19, 2006.  Of the 30 NHL visiting teams to play the Islanders, Rangers and Devils in a four-day stretch, only the Ducks and Nashville have won all three games.

So the Ducks are taking the annual Stanley Cup champions' visit to see President Bush today. Among the ironic subplots to this visit:

He's in the lineup RIGHT NOW, which has to feel good for Ducks fans. Five goals in the last six games isn't going to cut it in the NHL, and the Ducks need more with Teemu in the lineup. No goals against the Isles through the first 10 minutes, but Selanne looks pretty good with Todd Bertuzzi and Doug Weight.

Chris Kunitz has moved up to the "top" line with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.

Brian Bochenski (healthy), Joe DiPenta (healthy) and Travis Moen (flu) are your scratches.

The rumors are mounting that Teemu Selanne will play tomorrow for the Ducks against the Islanders. No official word has been handed down, so hold off on wagering any of that money you picked up yesterday by betting on the Giants (slight chuckle).

Should Teemu make his season debut tomorrow, it will mark almost 12 years since his Ducks debut, which also occurred in New York.  In his Anaheim debut on Feb. 10, 1996, Selanne scored his first goal as a Duck at the 13:35 mark of the first period in a 4-3 loss to the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.