Flames 3, Ducks 1.

Troy Bodie’s first-period deflection of a Scott Niedermayer shot was all the Ducks would get against a stingy Flames defense.

Jonas Hiller made 35 saves but allowed a pair of goals to Jarome Iginla in the second period — the first on a one-timer and the second on a breakaway tip-in, to break a 1-1 tie.

The Ducks lost valuable ground in the Western Conference standings. Though not a must-win situation, Anaheim could have matched Calgary with 67 points and kept pace with Dallas and Detroit, who both won Saturday. Instead, they fell four points back of the eighth spot and sit in 10th place in the west with 20 games left in the regular season.

Ryan Getzlaf missed the game with a sprained ankle, forcing Randy Carlyle to juggle his lines. Petteri Nokelainen, Ryan Carter and mostly Saku Koivu alternated in and out of the top-two center positions.

The Ducks travel to Edmonton to play the Oilers at 4 p.m. Sunday, their final game before the Olympic break.

Ducks 3, Edmonton 2.

The worst team in the NHL gave the Ducks a run for their money in a sloppy game at Honda Center, before Anaheim pulled out its team-record 11th straight win on home ice.

Bobby Ryan scored twice, and Todd Marchant scored the game-winning goal on a deflection of James Wisniewski’s point shot at 8:21 of the third period. Jonas Hiller made 37 saves but was beaten twice on short-handed rushes in the second period.

“It didn’t matter how we did it,” Hiller said. “We did it and it’s a great feeling.”

Continue reading “Ducks 3, Edmonton 2.” »

Afternoon reading.

Some interesting reads about Ducks past and present:

1. Joffrey Lupul has lost 25 pounds since going on injured reserve. That’s almost as twice as much as Teemu Selanne lost following his jaw surgery. Read more about Lupul in the Edmonton Journal.

2. Steve Yzerman and Team Canada’s assistant general managers will discuss Ryan Getzlaf’s health on a conference call this afternoon. Read more on TSN.ca.

3. Sammy Pahlsson is unhappy with the season he’s having in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets are in last place in the Central Division and recently fired head coach Ken Hitchcock. Read more about Pahlsson in the Columbus Dispatch.

4. John Buccigross remembers Brendan Burke and writes from Tuesday’s memorial service on ESPN.com.

Getzlaf day-to-day with ankle sprain

An MRI performed this afternoon on the sprained left ankle of Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf showed no significant ligament or muscle tears, and the Ducks center is listed as day-to-day.

Following the MRI, Getzlaf made the following statement: “My ankle feels much better today and I’m relieved the test showed no significant damage. My goal is to return to the ice this week for the Ducks, and I look forward to joining Team Canada for the Olympics on Monday.”

That collective sigh you hear is coming from north of the U.S. border. The Ducks, however, will likely have to play the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night without their leading scorer.

Getzlaf left in the second period of Monday night’s win over the Kings and didn’t return after sustaining the injury. On Tuesday morning he told reporters that “the swelling and stuff all reacted perfectly. There’s not much swelling.”

Ducks 4, Kings 2.

Something had to give and you could say the Ducks took it.

The Kings’ team-record winning streak ends at nine, and the Ducks’ home winning streak goes to 10 – matching a team record.

Teemu Selanne, Getzlaf, Saku Koivu and Corey Perry scored for the Ducks, while Oscar Moller and Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings.
Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller outdueled counterpart Jonathan Quick, making 35 saves to Quick’s 29.

Getzlaf sprained his left ankle midway through the second period and did not return. X-rays were negative and an MRI exam will be performed today to determine the full extent of the injury.

The skinny on Vesa Toskala.

Vesa Toskala has already ordered a new goalie’s mask and sounded like he couldn’t wait to shed the Toronto Maple Leafs-colored mask that he wore Sunday in his first practice with the Ducks.


“Hopefully soon,” he said, “so I can wash that blue and white out of my gear.”

Continue reading “The skinny on Vesa Toskala.” »

Toskala in, Pogge to San Antonio.

It took a week, but Vesa Toskala has joined the Anaheim Ducks.

His immigration paperwork in order, Toskala will practice with his new team Sunday at Honda Center for the first time since coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toskala has worn number 35 – the jersey formerly worn by Jean-Sebastien Giguere – for all but one of his eight NHL seasons. A team spokesperson said that Toskala’s jersey number for Monday’s game against the Kings has yet to be determined.

Goaltender Justin Pogge was returned to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

Nice debut for Sexton.

Dan Sexton, playing his first game in the American Hockey League since being sent back to Manitoba by the Ducks, scored twice in the Moose’s 5-4 loss to the San Antonio Rampage.

In six games for the Moose this season, Sexton has three goals and five points.

Ducks defenseman prospect Brian Salcido had a pair of assists in the game, including one on a first-period power play goal by Sexton. Salcido has seven goals and 14 points in 44 games for the Moose.

Report: Souray would accept trade to Ducks.

TSN is reporting that injured Edmonton Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray has included the Ducks on a list of at least six teams he would waive his no-trade clause for. The others are the Kings, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.


Souray has not played since injuring his hand in a fight with Calgary’s Jarome Iginla on Jan. 30. The hard-hitting and hard-shooting defenseman has a pair of 20-goal seasons in his career, and has expressed a willingness to leave the Oilers, who are in last place in the Western Conference.

Brendan Burke, Brian Burke’s son, dead at 21.

From the Richmond (IN) Palladium-Item:


Heavy accumulations of snowfall on Friday rendered area roads treacherous and claimed the lives of two people, injuring others and sparking a string of slideoffs and fender benders.

Brendan Burke, 21, Canton, Mass., and Mark A. Reedy, 18, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died at the scene of a two-vehicle accident at U.S. 35 north of Economy. The accident was reported at 2:50 p.m.

Investigators said Burke was driving eastbound on U.S. 35 in a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee when, according to witnesses, the vehicle slid sideways into an oncoming 1997 Ford Truck driven by 24-year-old Michael Moreland of Lynn. Moreland was not hurt.

The Toronto Maple Leafs issued the following statement today:


“We are saddened to report that Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke, succumbed to injuries he suffered in an auto accident earlier today in Indiana. The family asks for privacy at this difficult time.”