Monthly Archives: February 2010

Kings 6, Ducks 4.

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Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored in the final six minutes of the third period to break a 4-4 tie, and send the Ducks to their third loss in three meetings against their Southern California rivals.

The Ducks looked as good as dead at 1:44 of the third period, when Jack Johnson scored the Kings’ fourth straight unanswered goal to make it 4-1. But Troy Bodie, Matt Beleskey and Ryan Carter put pucks past Jonathan Quick over the next eight minutes to tie the game at 4, and put the Ducks in position to gain at least a point.
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Whitney added to U.S. Olympic roster.

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Defenseman Ryan Whitney was added to the U.S. Olympic roster for the Vancouver Games this morning.

“It will be amazing,” Whitney said. “I’ve played for my country before and it’s quite a feeling. It’s really a feeling like no other.”

The 26-year-old has represented Team USA at the 2001 World U18 Championships (Heinola/Helsinki/Lahi, Finland), the 2002 World Junior Championships (Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) and the 2003 World Junior Championships (Halifax/Sydney, Canada).

This season for the Ducks, he has four goals and 24 points — tied for seventhamong U.S.-born defensemen in the NHL –through 57 games. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason was also named to the team on Thursday.

“You have a lot of pride, you’re just happy to be a part of the team that’s representing your nation,” Whitney said. “I can’t wait. I’m so excited. I think it’s going to be quite an experience.”

Whitney joins teammates Bobby Ryan (USA), Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry (Canada), Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne (Finland), Jonas Hiller and Sbisa (Switzerland). Ryan and Whitney become the second and third Ducks selected to Team USA in franchise history and could be the first to appear in a game. Former Ducks goaltender Guy Hebert was named to the 1998 Team USA Olympic squad, but did not play.

Ducks prospect Luca Sbisa, who is playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, is also expected to play for Team Switzerland.

Hiller beginning to take ownership?

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Jonas Hiller signed a four-year, $18 million contract extension on Saturday, smack-dab in the middle of a shutout streak that ended Wednesday night at 1:55:03. That’s the longest of his brief NHL career, and about two periods shy of Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s team record (2:37:07).

Is Hiller’s recent success directly tied to his new contract, and the expectations that come with it? Is it a result of being named the team’s undisputed, number-one goalie? Or is the team just playing better in front of him?

Maybe it’s all of the above.
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Ducks 3, Detroit 1.

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The Ducks gained a critical two points in the standings against a tired Red Wings squad before 15,180 at Honda Center. Their 61 points in the standings matches 10th-place Dallas, and trails the three eighth-place teams (Detroit, Nashville and Calgary) by three.


Ryan Whitney, Kyle Chipchura and Bobby Ryan scored for Anaheim and Jonas Hiller made some spectacular saves among his 46.

Whitney deflected a point shot off a skate to score the game’s first goal, and Steve Eminger shot the puck off Chipchura’s hand to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead after one period.

Bobby Ryan scored cleanly to make it 3-0 before Pavel Datsyuk capped the scoring with a breakaway power-play goal late in the second period.

Anaheim improved to 11-4-0 in its last 15 games, and its nine-game winning streak at home is one shy of tying a team record (Feb-March 2008).

More to follow …

Komisarek out, two U.S. Olympic ‘D’ spots open.

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U.S. Olympic defenseman Mike Komisarek of the Toronto Maple Leafs will have shoulder surgery that will knock him out of the Vancouver Games and the rest of the NHL season. A date for the operation has not yet been set, the Maple Leafs said Wednesday.

“Our team doctors have recommended this after a determined effort to rehab the injury without surgery,” Komisarek said in a statement. “Having this done immediately is the right thing to do for the Leafs. I am truly sorry that I will not be able to represent my country at the Olympics.”

Team USA recently lost New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin to a broken left forearm, leaving two openings on the blue line. The Ducks’ Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski are already among the names being bandied about as possible replacements. Others include Pittsburgh’s Alex Goligoski and the Kings’ Rob Scuderi.

Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres and Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes are the leading point producers among U.S.-born defensemen, but were not on the initial list of 60 players submitted to the IIHF as Olympic candidates by Brian Burke.

Boynton to AHL, Beleskey up, etc.

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Nick Boynton has been assigned to the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose, and Matt Beleskey has been recalled from ECHL Bakersfield. Boynton cleared waivers on Tuesday.

Presumably, this leaves the Ducks with six defensemen and 15 forwards for tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings at Honda Center.

Also, minor-leaguers Shawn Weller and and Mark Mitera have been reassigned from Bakersfield to Abbotsford (B.C.) of the AHL. Weller, a forward, was leading the Condors with 18 goals and 46 points and was the team captain. Mitera, a defenseman selected in the first round by the Ducks (19th overall) in 2006, had three goals and 13 points in 36 games.

Giguere shuts out Devils in Toronto debut.

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From the Canadian Press:


Brian Burke’s team had a good night Tuesday, as Phaneuf and his new teammates rolled over the New Jersey Devils 3-0 to snap a six-game winless streak. The Leafs beat their Eastern Conference rivals thanks in large part to the energy provided by Phaneuf, new forward Fredrik Sjostrom and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Giguere finished with 30 saves, becoming only the second goaltender in team history to record a shutout in his debut. Ed Belfour was the first, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0 on Oct. 10, 2002.

Olympics: Martin out; Whitney or Wisniewski in?

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New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin announced today that he is withdrawing his name from consideration for the U.S. Olympic Roster. Martin, who is currently on the Devils’ injured reserve, was named to the team on New Year’s Day. But his recovery from a fractured left forearm isn’t progressing as quickly as hoped, and Team USA will need to name a defenseman to take his place.


Two Ducks blueliners should be on general manager Brian Burke’s short list. Both Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski received calls just prior to the Olympic roster announcement to let them know they weren’t on the team, a sign of respect not afforded every player who was thought to be on the bubble.

Whitney attended the team’s orientation camp last August, while Wisniewski has had the better season for Anaheim. Both have three goals and 23 points this season, but Wisniewski has accumulated his stats in five fewer games and has a minus-1 rating compared to Whitney’s minus-10. Wisniewski has also proven adept in shootouts lately.

No word yet on who might be chosen as Martin’s replacement.

Ducks 3, Florida 0.

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The Ducks’ goalie of the future certainly looked like an $18 million man Monday.


Two days after signing a four-year contract extension, Jonas Hiller stopped all 33 shots he faced. Goals by Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry provided the offense for the Ducks.

Getzlaf scored off a costly giveaway behind the Panthers’ net by Keith Ballard at 15:17 of the second period to open the scoring.Selanne, playing his first game since returning from injured reserve, put in a power-play goal off a James Wisniewski shot that hit the goal frame with half a second left in the second period. Shortly after Anaheim killed off a pair of minor penalties — including a 44-second long 5-on-3 shift — Perry knocked home a pass from Getzlaf with 2:42 left in the third period to provide the final score.

Jason Blake, skating at left wing on a line with center Saku Koivu and Selanne at right wing, was held scoreless in 14:03 time on ice. Getzlaf’s 13th goal of the season ended a five-game scoreless drought, while Perry’s 19th of the season ended a six-game drought.

The Ducks (26-23-7, 59 points) are now tied for 10th in the Western Conference standings.