March 2010 Archives

The Ducks signed defenseman Mat Clark to a three-year entry-level contract, which begins at the start of the 2010-11 season. Contract terms were not immediately available.

The 6-3, 211-pound blueliner had seven goals and 23 points with 88 PIM in 66 games for the Ontario Hockey League's Brampton Battalion. He won the team's defenseman of the year award, leading all club blueliners in goals and ranking second in points. Following the regular season, Clark was voted the Best Body Checker and Best Defensive Defenseman in the OHL's Eastern Conference coaches' poll. All seven of Clark's goals this season came on the power play.

In six postseason games so far, Clark has two goals and six points with a plus-2 rating and nine penalty minutes, leading all club defensemen in scoring. The 19-year-old was selected by Anaheim in the second round (37th overall) of the 2009 draft.

With Jonas Hiller staying in Anaheim because of back spasms that felled him in warmups Monday, the Ducks have recalled goaltender J.P. Levasseur from the Springfield (Mass.) Falcons of the American Hockey League.

Hiller has not been placed on injured reserve, but neither he nor center Ryan Getzlaf made the trip to Denver for Wednesday's game against the Avalanche. Getzlaf has not played in the since re-injuring his left ankle in Vancouver last Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Levasseur went 8-16-1 with a 3.59 goals-against average and .896 save percentage for the Falcons. He recorded a 49-save shutout over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Feb. 14, but has mostly suffered during a last-place season in Springfield.

The 6-0, 199-pound netminder also appeared in five contests with Bakersfield of the ECHL (2-3-0, 3.63 GAA, .903 save pct.) and 16 games with Laredo of the Central Hockey League (10-3-3, 2.31 GAA, .919 save pct. this season.

Rarely does a metaphor write itself before your very eyes, let alone before the eyes of 15,070 onlookers.

Teemu Selanne was the focus of attention even before the Ducks were set to play the Dallas Stars on Monday, when a pregame ceremony at center ice recognized Selanne for becoming the 18th NHL player ever to score 600 goals. The man he was about to pass in the record books - Jari Kurri, whose 601 goals are the most by a Finnish-born player - had flown in from Helsinki just for the occasion.

So who would have guessed that Selanne's big moment would have come with a pass?

It was a very good pass too - more of a chip-shot to lift the puck over the stick of Dallas defenseman Trevor Daley - that found Nick Bonino, playing just the second game of his NHL career. The young center promptly flicked the puck past Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen at 8:11 of the second period for career goal number 1.

Back on the Anaheim bench, the 39-year-old sitting on goal number 600 handed the historic puck to the 20-year-old now sitting on goal number 1, both flashing wide smiles.

In hockey, they do not pass torches. They pass pucks.

Nick Bonino scored his first NHL goal, and Curtis McElhinney made the most of an emergency start, stopping 30 shots for his second straight victory as a Duck.

After Bonino's power-play goal - off an assist from Teemu Selanne at 8:11 of the second period - the Ducks padded their lead to 3-0 with a pair of quick-strike goals by Corey Perry and Kyle Chipchura. Loui Eriksson broke the shutout at 14:48 of the third period on a great pass from behind the net by Mike Richards. After that six-minute, 37-second span of the second period, the scoring in the game was complete.

McElhinney was called upon after scheduled starter Jonas Hiller came down with back spasms in the pregame skate. The 26-year-old McElhinney, who had never before won back-to-back games in his three-year career as a backup in Calgary, is now 2-0 with a 2.44 goals-against average as a Duck.

Selanne was honored prior to the game at center ice for scoring his 600th career goal. After receiving an engraved plate from Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli, he received a framed poster from Jari Kurri commemorating his first goal and his 600th.

More on Kurri, Selanne and Bonino to come.

Some more notes:

• Corey Perry equaled his single-season high in points (72).
• Selanne has points in six of his last eight games (two goals, nine points), including the last three straight.
• Lubomir Visnovsky has three goals and seven points in his last eight games.
• McElhinney has a .955 save percentage and 1.50 GAA in his last two starts (both wins)
• Anaheim matched Dallas in the standings with 80 points, nine behind eighth-place Colorado with seven games to play.

Seventeen years ago, March 27, 1993, then-Winnipeg Jet Teemu Selanne scored his 69th and 70th goals of the season in a 3-3 tie with the Kings. Selanne became the eighth player, and first rookie, to have a 70-goal NHL season. No other player has scored 70 goals in a season since.

On a related note, check out this comparison of Selanne and fellow Finn Jari Kurri - who will be in Anaheim for the Ducks' game against Dallas on Monday - in the Edmonton Journal.

The Ducks' lineup looked different, and younger, in Edmonton than it has all season. In the end, a few familiar faces helped salvage a win at the end of a make-or-break road trip that has mostly served to break the Ducks' playoff hopes.

Rookie center Nick Bonino will make his NHL debut for the Ducks tonight in Edmonton wearing jersey #63.


Bonino, 21, just completed his junior season at Boston University, scoring a team-leading 11 goals and 38 points in 33 contests. The 6-1, 190-pound center will take the place of Ryan Getzlaf, who is nursing a high ankle sprain, and is expected to play on the Ducks' top line with right wing Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan at left wing.

Also, Curtis McElhinney will get his first start between the pipes for the Ducks. The former Calgary Flames backup is 2-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average in his career against the Oilers.

Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf will miss tonight's game in Edmonton with a high ankle sprain, but according to the team Web site, he could return as early as Monday against the Dallas Stars.

Among the possible replacements are Ryan Carter and Nick Bonino, who has been traveling with the Ducks since signing an entry-level contract last week. Bonino, a center acquired in the trade that sent Kent Huskins and Travis Moen to San Jose, decided to forego his eligibility at Boston University to sign with Anaheim.

From the Duluth News-Tribune:

Dave McNab, senior vice president of hockey operations for the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, says he was sold on Rob Bordson during a UMD home series against Colorado College in January. Bordson, an undrafted junior forward from Duluth, went on to have 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points in 40 games this season.

McNab, a former Wisconsin goalie, saw Bordson as a good pro prospect and completed a two-year, free-agent signing Sunday in Duluth. After recording zero points in 15 games as a sophomore, Bordson spent considerable time preparing for 2009-10 with offseason conditioning.

"I saw a player who really came into his own this season and is on the fast track to being a good pro player," McNab said. "We think he can make even bigger strides. He shoots well, can score goals, definitely makes plays and can skate. We went out of our way to make sure Rob knew we wanted him in our organization."

McNab figures he, along with Anaheim front office personnel and scouts, watched Bordson in 24 games. The Ducks regard him as a center or left winger. The former Duluth Marshall athlete reported to the Ducks on Wednesday for a physical and begins practicing with the team Sunday. The Ducks, with eight regular-season games remaining, will pay Bordson approximately $4,000 a day while with the NHL team. He gave up his final year of college eligibility.

The NHL competition committee has given its approval to a new rule banning blind-side hits to the head, and the rule will go into effect for tonight's games.

The rule states: "A lateral, back pressure or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted." Any violation of the rule will be reviewed for possible fines or suspensions. Beginning next season, violations will also result in a minor or major penalty being called on the ice.

The league posted a video explaining the difference between legal and illegal hits.

"We believe this is the right thing to do for the game and for the safety of our players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

NHL general managers approved the rule earlier this month before it was approved by the NHLPA. The Players Association's Executive Board released the following statement earlier today:

We fully support our Competition Committee Members' endorsement of the League's proposal to implement supplemental discipline this season for blindside hits to the head. Our agreement applies to the remainder of the 2009-10 NHL Regular Season, as well as the 2010 Playoffs. This temporary implementation will ensure that the joint NHLPA/NHL Competition Committee will have time to develop and consider a proper and full-time rule, one that includes an on-ice penalty component, this summer. We are encouraged by the League's recent willingness to explore on-ice rule changes as a means of reducing Player injuries and have no doubt that by working together, a safer working environment can be established for all NHLPA Members.

After a year of turning their top prospects into minor-league vagabonds, the Ducks have identified an American Hockey League affiliate.

Their multi-year deal with the Syracuse Crunch, announced Thursday, comes less than a week after the Columbus Dispatch first reported that the Blue Jackets and Crunch were in the process of parting ways. It also came as a relief to general manager Bob Murray, who has been anxious to find an AHL affiliate since the Ducks terminated their agreement with the now-defunct Iowa Chops in May, 2009.

"We are thrilled to be affiliating with the Syracuse Crunch in such a great hockey market," Murray said in a statement. "Syracuse is steeped in hockey tradition and we are excited to partner with an ownership and management team that shares the same commitment to winning and player development as we do."

Saku Koivu's third-period goal was the lone highlight in a loss that further reduced the Ducks' playoff hopes to a prayer. A four-game winning streak has vanished with back-to-back losses in Western Canada, leaving the Ducks 11 points behind the Detroit Red Wings for eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

Ryan Getzlaf vanished, too. He left down the tunnel when he fell awkwardly on his problematic left ankle in the second period. Getzlaf has already missed three games this month with injuries to the ankle.

Jonas Hiller stopped 26 of 29 shots, but was beaten by a pair of long drives by Christian Ehrhoff and Daniel Sedin in the first period. Alexandre Burrows' 33rd goal of the season made it 3-0 in the second period, before Koivu finally made a dent in the Canucks' lead. He took a short pass from Teemu Selanne and flicked the puck in the short side of the net past Andrew Raycroft, who got the start in favor of Roberto Luongo.

Ryan Kesler's goal into an empty net sealed the Ducks' loss, which ended a four-game winning streak against Vancouver dating back to Mar. 11, 2009.

The Ducks' record in the second end of back-to-back games dropped to 3-9-3, and their road record fell to 11-20-5. Though there won't be nearly as much at stake, Anaheim has one more chance to improve that record - Friday in Edmonton - before coming home.

It's a long way from Finland to Anaheim. But 600 goals is worth the distance.

Jari Kurri is scheduled to be present Monday when former teammate and fellow Finn Teemu Selanne is honored for scoring his 600th goal Sunday - one short of Kurri's 601. Kurri, who played for the Ducks with Selanne during the 1996-97 season, was Selanne's childhood idol and is a longtime friend. He will be flying in from Finland specifically for the ceremony.

Prior to Anaheim's contest against Dallas at Honda Center (7:05 p.m.), Selanne will be presented with gifts from the team at center ice for his historic achievement. He will also be greeted by Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli.

The Flames won the faceoffs, the open-ice battles and, inevitably, the game.

Scott Niedermayer scored the Ducks' only goal, and Jonas Hiller's black-and-white helmet debuted with a 25-save effort.

The standings picture grew bleaker for the Ducks, who remained nine points behind the idle Detroit Red Wings for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Dallas Stars won, dropping Anaheim into 12th place in the standings.

With the game tied at 1 and 1:35 left in the third period. Calgary took advantage of an ill-advised play by Corey Perry. Looking for a shot, Perry skated the puck around behind the net, then all the way out to the blue line before Jarome Iginla poke-checked the puck off his stick. Rene Bourque picked it up and skated in uncontested for the go-ahead goal.

The Flames made it 3-1 at 3:05 of the third period when Niklas Hagman beat the Ducks' defense through center ice, then scored off a perfect diagonal pass in the slot from Iginla.

Calgary won 26 of 43 faceoffs, a 60 percent success rate. They also got lucky when Bobby Ryan chose to pass instead of shoot into a wide-open net with about 12 minutes left in the third period, a sequence that could have brought the Ducks within 3-2.

The Ducks fell to 11-19-5 on the road this season.

The Ducks recalled Brendan Mikkelson from Toronto of the American Hockey League. Mikkelson was most recently with the Ducks from Feb. 25 through March 1, but returned to the AHL after the Olympic break.

Mikkelson has two assists and eight penalty minutes in 22 games this season.

**Update: Mikkelson isn't in the lineup tonight against the Calgary Flames, but head coach Randy Carlyle wanted more injury insurance on the blue line than recent signee Jake Newton, who has never played in an NHL game.

The Ducks have signed University of Minnesota-Duluth junior Rob Bordson to a two-year, entry-level contract.

The 21-year-old, listed as both a center and a left wing, came out of nowhere last season to record 12 goals and 40 points in 40 games for the Bulldogs. From the UMD Web site:

Bordson, a native of Duluth, Minn., placed in a tie for third on the UMD scoring charts this past winter with 40 points on 12 goals and 28 assists after going pointless in 15 outings as a sophomore. That represented the second largest one-year scoring improvement of any Bulldog in 17 years. Named insidecollegehockey.com's WCHA Breakthrough Player of the Year for 2009-10, Bordson currently ranks sixth in the league in overall assists and third in power play points (23).

Bordson becomes the sixth Bulldog since 2007 to leave school early for the professional ranks, joining winger Mason Raymond (with Vancouver in 2007), defensemen Matt

Niskanen (Dallas in 2007), Jason Garrison (Florida in 2008) and Evan Oberg (Vancouver in 2009) and goaltender Alex Stalock (San Jose in 2009).

Bordson's career stats:

Season         Team                           League           GP         G           A       Pts.           PIM   

2006-07       Cedar Rapids             USHL              47           6          29       35 26                            

2007-08       U. of Minn.-Duluth    WCHA            27           1            6          7                6                             

2008-09       U. of Minn.-Duluth    WCHA            15           0            0          0                6                             

2009-10       U. of Minn.-Duluth    WCHA            40         12         28       40             18  

From ESPNChicago.com:

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook is hoping to play Tuesday night for the first time since Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski knocked him out of a game last Wednesday.

Seabrook missed games in Los Angeles and Phoenix after the hit, which cost Wisniewski an eight-game suspension.

"He has skated three times now ... and he's looked fine," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday. "He seems ready to go."

The Hawks host the Phoenix Coyotes, who have a nine-game win streak, on Tuesday.

"I want to play," Seabrook said. "It's going to be up to the coaching staff and the trainers.

"I got better gradually, rode the bike, had some headaches and wanted to skate and get out there and started feeling better. I started feeling less pressure in the head."

But Seabrook hasn't been able to shake the disappointment of being injured by a friend. Wisniewski is a former Blackhawk who invited Seabrook to his wedding. Seabrook said Friday he's not sure if he's going to attend.

"Any time something like that happens, i think it's tough to handle, regardless," Seabrook said. "But coming from a friend, coming from a guy I know pretty good, it's got to be one of the most difficult things to get over."

Teemu Selanne got a 600-goal monkey off his back, and the Ducks are staying alive.

Selanne reached the milestone 34 seconds into the second period with Anaheim skating 5-on-4.

Jason Blake, Matt Beleskey, Troy Bodie and Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Ducks, who chased Craig Anderson with Bodie's short-handed goal at 12:45 of the second period.

Jonas Hiller made 26 saves for the victory. Anaheim remains seven points out of the eighth and final playoff position, currently held by the Detroit Red Wings.

Here it is:

The Ducks have locked up one of their top prospects, signing Boston University center Nick Bonino to a two-year, entry-level contract and adding him to the NHL roster.

This season, Bonino gets a prorated $787,500 contract as long as he's in the NHL and his NHL salary dips to $630,000 next season. He'll make $67,500 in the minors both years of the contract, and gets a $175,000 signing bonus (split over two the two seasons) for a cap hit of $875,000.

The 21-year-old saw his junior season at BU come to an end Friday with a loss to the University of Maine in the Hockey East semifinals. He had a team-leading 27 assists and 38 points in 33 contests. His 120 shots and plus-18 rating were also team highs. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound center ranked tied for 10th among Hockey East players in scoring.

As a sophomore, he helped the Terriers capture the NCAA Division I title by scoring the game-tying goal with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime against Miami (Ohio) University. He finished second on the club with 18 goals and 50 points in 44 games and was one of only seven college hockey players to register 50 or more points.

Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Bonino was acquired by Anaheim with goaltender Timo Pielmeier in exchange for left wing Travis Moen and defenseman Kent Huskins on Mar. 4, 2009. In his first year at BU, Bonino led all Hockey East freshmen in goals, scoring 16 in 39 games.

Curtis McElhinney was in a Calgary Flames uniform for 50 games this season before he made even two relief appearances off the bench for head coach Brent Sutter. Seven games into his Ducks career, McElhinney has already replaced Jonas Hiller twice in the middle of a game.

That's just one of the adjustments the 26-year-old goaltender has had to make in Anaheim.

Saku Koivu's overtime goal completed a comeback from a 4-2 deficit against the Islanders.

Koivu stole the puck in the neutral zone, beat a pair of defensemen and finished the rush with a goal on Martin Biron -- his second game-winning goal in as many games.

The victory was the Ducks' third straight. Lubomir Visnovsky scored two more goals, including the game-tying goal with 32 seconds left in regulation and the Ducks skating 6-on-5.

"Luckily enough, our power play delivered a big goal for us and we got another one late with the goaltender out," head coach Randy Carlyle said. "Then 13 seconds into overtime, Saku scores a big-time goal. Now we are feeling pretty good about ourselves. For the first 40-plus minutes of the game, we weren't feeling that good about what was going on out there."

Here are Ducks general manager Bob Murray's thoughts on Wisniewski's eight-game suspension:

 

First of all, we love the way Wiz plays and we want him to play the game hard. That is how he has to play and he is very effective doing that. In this instance, he crossed the line. He went too far and he was going to get suspended. I applaud the league cracking down on these things. He should get suspended. I hope they continue to work on this. What happened at the last GM meetings and the direction we're going is wonderful.

 

The problem I have is the length of it. It just seems that Wiz at this point because of the climate of the league is an easy target. I sure as heck hope that if we're going to crack down, that it is a crack down across the board no matter if you're a star player or not and that everybody gets whacked. It can't just be on certain people at the right time. Nothing makes you cringe more than when you see some of the hits this year. All I say is, if you're going to get them, let's get them all.

 

He crossed the line and has to get whacked. I support Colin (Campbell). Colin's job is a tough job to do. It is not easy. Let's get them all if we're going to do it and make it equal across the board, whether it is a fourth-line player or first-line player, whether the player plays on the East Coast or the West Coast. Don't forget, what was the last suspension of eight games or more? Chris Pronger when he was in Anaheim. Let's just make sure it is even.

 

On the impact of losing Wisniewski

He's a 20-some minute guy. Obviously, it's an awful blow to the hockey team.

 

The game has evolved and we play it different now. We have to get rid of this stuff. I'm all for it. I want this stuff gone. I cringe. My boys played the game. It's an awful. I can't imagine being a parent watching that. We have to clean it up, but let's be consistent.

The NHL has suspended Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski eight games for this hit Wednesday night on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The court of public opinion came down on both sides almost as soon as the hit was levied. In the end, the only opinion that mattered was the one issued by Colin Campbell, the NHL's senior executive vice president of hockey operations:

"Mr. Wisniewski delivered a retaliatory hit to the head of an opponent who never had possession of the puck. The fact that Mr. Wisniewski is a repeat offender also entered into this decision."

The Ducks will be without Wisniewski, their third defenseman in terms of minutes played, until the final five games of the regular season beginning April 3 against the Kings. Accordingly, he forfeits $268,292.72 in salary, based on the number of games in the season (82), rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Through a team spokesperson, Wisniewski issued this statement in response:

"I am truly sorry that my friend Brent Seabrook was hurt on the play. I certainly wish him the best. I am, however, very disappointed in the length of the suspension. Eight games is incredibly hard to swallow, especially in comparison to other recent hits that have resulted in lesser punishment."

My apologies:

James Wisniewski awoke this morning a household name (again) in Chicago.

In case you missed his hit on Brent Seabrook in the second period of the Ducks' 4-2 win over the Blackhawks last night, here is why the city of Chicago is calling for the former Blackhawk's head on a platter.

According to a report on ESPN.com, the NHL is looking into the hit.

It may end up being a case of "too little, too late" for the Ducks, but beating the two best teams in the Western Conference in back-to-back games at least serves as a reminder of their potential.

Three days after beating the conference-leading San Jose Sharks, they handed the second-place Chicago Blackhawks a 4-2 loss minus their best player, Ryan Getzlaf, who missed the game with inflammation in his left ankle.

Ryan Carter filled Getzlaf's spot and won a faceoff that led directly to the game's first goal, by Bobby Ryan at 4:08 of the first period.

Todd Marchant and Saku Koivu also scored, and Ryan added an empty netter in the final minute - his 30th and 31st goals of the season coming on his 23rd birthday. Jonas Hiller withstood a 41-shot barrage for the victory. Corey Perry added two assists.

With 13 games remaining, the Ducks trail the Detroit Red Wings by eight points for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

From the Syracuse Post-Standard:

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that the Blue Jackets are close to finalizing a deal to move their affiliate from Syracuse to Springfield next season.

That would put the Crunch in line to pick up a new farm team, and the most frequent names I'm hearing are the Rangers and Anaheim, with perhaps Tampa Bay also in the mix.

Anaheim does not have an affiliate this season. I talked to Ducks assistant GM Dave McNab on Wednesday afternoon, and he said no decision has yet been made for next season.

I asked him if he had been talking to Crunch owner Howard Dolgon about a deal.

"You talk to lots of people,'' he said. "We're still trying to figure out what we're going to do.The American League is a funny league. There's things that bounce around quite a bit. We'll look at that, if it's a possibility. We've got to get something.''

It's not just the hit that Alex Ovechkin laid on Brian Campbell Sunday that has the Chicago Blackhawks limping into Wednesday's game with the Ducks.

Campbell, in case you missed it, broke his clavicle and rib as a result of Ovechkin's hit, which resulted in a game misconduct and two-game suspension for the Caps' captain. The Blackhawks defenseman is expected to miss 7-8 weeks, which projects to a return during the Stanley Cup Finals at the earliest, should Chicago make it that far.

The Blackhawks recalled defenseman Nick Boynton - whom the Ducks traded to Chicago for future considerations on March 2 - from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs to take Campbell's roster spot.

Chicago forward Marian Hossa returned to practice today after missing Sunday's game against Washington with an "upper-body injury." His status for tomorrow is unknown.

Hawks goalie Cristobal Huet is battling the flu and will be benched in favor of Antti Niemi against the Ducks. Corey Crawford was recalled from Rockford Tuesday to serve as the emergency backup.

The Ducks could be without forward Ryan Getzlaf (ankle) and Teemu Selanne (shoulder). Both are listed as questionable after sustaining the injuries Sunday, and will be game-day decisions.

The good news for the Ducks is that the injuries to Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne aren't as serious as they could have been, considering neither was able to finish Sunday's game against the San Jose Sharks.

The bad news is, with the team's playoff hopes leaving them in the position of having to win nearly every game remaining, both forwards are questionable for Wednesday's game against Chicago.

An MRI exam Monday revealed a slight sprain in Selanne's left shoulder. He will be evaluated again tomorrow morning and is currently listed as day-to-day. Getzlaf also had an MRI on his sprained left ankle, which revaled inflammation in the area but no further damage. He is also day-to-day.

Meanwhile enforcer George Parros, who was struck by a puck in Sunday's morning skate, sustained a "contusion/laceration" on the side of his head and is likely to practice tomorrow and be available Wednesday.

The Ducks have recalled forward Kyle Calder from the AHL's Toronto Marlies. Calder collected no goals and two assists in 14 games with Anaheim earlier this season. With the Marlies, he had 11 goals and 24 points in 31 games.

Even in the midst of some great news - the team's first win since the Olympic break - bad news still found the Ducks in the form of game-ending injuries to Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf.

After scoring his 599th career goal in the first period, Selanne left the ice in a daze after colliding shoulder-first into the end boards in the third period and did not return. Getzlaf, meanwhile, re-aggravated the left ankle injury he suffered in February and played only 15:34.

A team spokesperson reported only that Selanne had suffered an "upper body injury" and will undergo tests Monday. Getzlaf, meanwhile, is day-to-day and will also be re-evaluated Monday.

Other than that, Sunday's outing was easily the best thing to happen to the Ducks since the Olympics ended. Corey Perry, Lubomir Visnovsky and Bobby Ryan also scored goals and Jonas Hiller stopped 30 of 32 shots for the victory.

"They seem to bring out the best in us," Ryan said of the Sharks. "Hopefully it's a starting block."

The win was the Ducks' first in six tries against Western Conference-leading San Jose, allowing them to avoid an embarrassing season sweep.

"They've taken it to us pretty much all year. It's nice to finally get a win against them," Perry said. "You never know down the road what can happen. It's a confidence boost in knowing we can play with the top teams in the league. We have to keep that rolling."

George Parros was hit in the head by a deflected puck during today's morning skate and taken to UCI Medical Center for precautionary reasons. A team spokesperson reports that tests taken at the hospital were all normal and Parros was released this afternoon.

He has a contusion/laceration on the right side of his head, did not play Sunday against San Jose, and is listed as day-to-day.

If the Ducks decide they are playing for next season, they might consider giving goaltender Joey MacDonald a look with the NHL club.

MacDonald, who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a seventh-round pick in the 2011 entry draft at the trade deadline, recorded his second shutout of the season Friday night for the AHL's Toronto Marlies. The 30-year-old has allowed just one goal in his last two starts, both for the Marlies - MacDonald didn't switch AHL teams after the Leafs and Ducks made the trade.

In 33 games at the AHL level this season, MacDonald is 12-18-3 with a 3.11 goals-against average. MacDonald is no prospect, having started six games for the Maple Leafs this season and 72 in his NHL career, but none since Dec. 5. He's gone 18-38-9 with a 3.30 GAA for four NHL teams since breaking in with Boston during the 2006-07 season.

MacDonald is in the final year of his contract and becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

By losing their fifth straight game to start the month of March, the Ducks have settled in nicely among a group of clubs whose season is looking like a "near miss."

The first tier in the Western Conference has been established for some time; only Chicago (93 points) and San Jose (95) have a realistic chance of capturing the No. 1 playoff seed. The second tier is rounding into shape, with seven teams separated by nine points, and only six playoff positions to accommodate them.

Then there's the third tier, in which four teams (St. Louis, Dallas, Minnesota, Anaheim) are separated by three points for the consolation-only 10th through 13th spots.

It would be callous to include the 13th-place Ducks in this group based on their 30-29-8 record alone. But when he was asked Friday about his team's emotional intensity, Randy Carlyle delivered a strong vote of confidence for their record.

A 5-on-3 power-play goal by Nashville's Shea Weber was the difference, as Pekka Rinne stopped all 31 shots he faced. Two minor penalties in a game can usually pass by unnoticed, but not in the Ducks' first period Friday.

Aaron Ward was whistled for interference at 17:19 and Ryan Getzlaf was caught high-sticking 17 seconds later. Few would have predicted that Weber's blast 18 seconds into the 2-man power play would be the only goal all night.

Jonas Hiller played his best game since the Olympic break, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

More to follow.

Randy Carlyle's message of staying positive appears to have sunk in.

Prior to tonight's game against Nashville, one of seven teams the Ducks would have to catch to keep their pipe playoff dream alive, Dan Sexton spoke of getting on a roll - the same roll Anaheim has been trying to get on since the Olympics ended.

"We just need that first win to kind of get it going for us," he said. "Once we do, I think things will be looking even more up."

At least Sexton's optimism could be blamed on youthful inexperience. But even cagey veteran Scott Niedermayer was looking on the bright side Thursday.

"Near the end of the season, everything is definitely getting
amplified, especially us trying to catch up to the top eight teams," the captain said. "Performing
how we have the last four games is definitely disappointing. The good thing is,
we still have an opportunity to play better, be more consistent. That's what we have to
focus on."

If you believe in lucky numbers, here's a start: A win against Nashville, which is tied with Calgary at 77 points for seventh place in the West, would leave the Ducks seven points out of the playoffs.

Mathematical elimination is still a ways off, with 32 standings points still on the table - for you optimists out there - if the Ducks were to rattle off a 16-game win streak.

Here's the bad news: When the Olympics ended, Anaheim needed only two points to match the eighth-place Flames in the standings. The Ducks have gained only one point since.

"You have to deal with what's coming next," Carlyle said. "Those things are difficult to do when your team's not emotionally and phys involved where you'd like them to be. that's the
mental part we're talking about."

One source of hope was last season's late surge, when the Ducks went 11-3-1 over the last 15 games to clinch a playoff berth. But there were fewer teams in their way last season. When the streak began,  the Ducks had only Minnesota, Dallas and Edmonton in their way, and were three points out of eighth place.

The real miracle last season occurred in St. Louis, where the Blues were in 13th place in the West as late as March 9, then went on a 12-3-2 run over their final 17 games to gain the No. 6 seed (although it didn't seem to matter much in their first-round playoff series against Vancouver).

"Our team has shown that we can be really successful in stretches," Sexton said. "A team like Nashville, that would be a great jump-start for us, if we can capitalize on those guys."

From The Hockey News:

JYP's Sami Vatanen, 18, recently broke the Finnish SM-liiga rookie defenseman points record when he scored his sixth goal and 28th point of the season, one more than Tero Konttinen amassed playing for Pori Ässät in 2006-07.

Vatanen, an Anaheim Ducks fourth-rounder (106th overall) in 2009, is averaging 19:44 of ice time per game and has emerged as an offensive force on the squad; he's currently ranked fifth in team scoring with 29 points in 51 games - 14 points ahead of the next JYP defenseman.

"The whole season's been a surprise," he said. "I didn't think that I'd be playing a regular shift in the SM-liiga, I thought I'd play a couple of games and then go back to juniors or the Mestis (Finnish Div. 1) farm team. I've been playing in a much bigger role than I expected.

"I don't know what really happened a few years ago, all of a sudden my development was just off the charts, or straight up. Not sure why, but I hope I'll keep developing like this."

At least one AHL coach would like to see Luca Sbisa on his roster this season - if Sbisa doesn't join the Ducks once his junior season has ended.

From the Winnipeg Sun:

Arniel isn't sure the Moose will get him, but did concede he's put in a request with the Anaheim Ducks to have D Luca Sbisa assigned here once the Lethbridge Hurricanes season is over. Sbisa has 47 NHL games on his resume and appeared in both the world junior hockey championship and the Olympics for Switzerland this year.

Randy Carlyle has been here before.

As head coach in 2006, six of his Mighty Ducks players were named to their respective national teams to take part in the Winter Olympics. Only five were actually affected by the extra workload, since Scott Niedermayer did not play for Team Canada because of an injury.

But the circumstances (if not the uniforms) were similar at the time of the last Olympic break - Anaheim was in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, on the cusp of a playoff berth, and staring down a 25-game fight to the finish once the Games were over. The club proceeded to go 16-8-1 and improve to sixth place by the end of the season.

Barring a miracle, history will not repeat itself this year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were riding a five-game losing streak, were shut out a night earlier in a game that saw them manage 11 shots on goal, and were missing their captain and best player (Rick Nash) due to injury.

For 40 minutes Tuesday night, the Ducks were no match for them.

Foiled early and often by goaltender Mathieu Garon, and unable to exploit seven power-play chances, the Ducks reverted to the kind of undisciplined hockey that marked their early-season struggles.

By the time they developed a sense of desperation in the third period, goals by Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Getzlaf were not enough to bring them back. Nor could they overcome their 11th penalty of the evening -- Antoine Vermette's power-play goal with 1:58 left in the third period made it 4-2 to seal the Ducks' fate.

Garon made 36 saves, the biggest a diving glove heist of Dan Sexton at 11:55 of the first period. It was rivaled only by Garon's pad save on Bobby Ryan at 15:39 as Ryan tried to finish an odd-man rush.

Jonas Hiller wasn't nearly as sharp on the other end. Perhaps the loudest applause to that point came when he was pulled for Curtis McElhinney at 13:07 of the second period following the Blue Jackets' third goal.

McElhinney proceeded to stop seven of nine shots, allowing the goal to Vermette and another to Derick Brassard with 16.5 seconds left in the game.

Visnovsky's 4-on-4 tally at 9:11 of the third period broke the shutout, and Getzlaf legitimized the comeback bid with a top-shelf goal at 14:56. The Ducks outshot Columbus 17-4 in the final period.

But Anaheim got no help when a shot by Saku Koivu trickled under the pads of Garon 28 seconds into the period then had it waved off; the call was held up after a review. Koivu had been shoved from behind, dislodging the net, which was apparently enough to disallow the goal.

Teemu Selanne missed the game with "flu-like symptoms" and was replaced by Sexton as the second-line right wing.

Both teams were hit with 12 penalties for 33 minutes.

Kelowna Rockets forward Brandon McMillan, the Ducks' third-round pick in the 2008 draft, earned Western Hockey Player of the Week honors today.

The 19-year-old collected seven points (two goals, five assists) in three games last week, bringing his season totals to 19 goals and 60 points in 52 games played. McMillan, who played for silver medal-winning Canada at the World Junior Championships in January, turns 20 in March and is eligible to turn pro next season.

Brian Burke and Bob Murray talk about the trade that sent Jean-Sebastien Giguere to Toronto. Somehow, the seagulls and the ocean in the background make it seem like this was the easiest trade ever completed in NHL history:

At this point, one could almost field a pick-up team of Ducks castoffs - players who spent part of this season in Anaheim but, for one reason or another, didn't stick around. You'd be short a full team but would still have two units of forwards and defensemen, and two goalies.

Maybe they could even steal a game against Edmonton.

Just for fun, then:

Forwards:
Petteri Nokelainen-Andrew Ebbett-Evgeny Artyukhin
Erik Christensen-MacGregor Sharp-Kyle Calder

Defensemen:
Luca Sbisa-Brendan Mikkelson
Nick Boynton-Ryan Whitney

Goalies:
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Justin Pogge

En Français, s'il vous plait!

An early lead vanished into thin air at Honda Center, leaving the Ducks' playoff chances slightly dimmer than they were at the beginning of the day.

Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec scored on the Canadiens' final two shootout attempts on Jonas Hiller - the former a disputed goal that trickled over Hiller's arm and over the goal line. Ryan Getzlaf scored the only shootout goal for the Ducks, who needed two points in the standings but only got one.

"When you lose that way, it's pretty disappointing, even though we got the one point," Ducks center and former Habs captain Saku Koivu said. "Especially for myself, I've waited for this game for quite a while. I'm happy it's done now, but I'm disappointed that we lost that point."

Looking as if they're not in the same league as the Pacific Division leaders, the Ducks laid an egg in Phoenix, their second straight loss coming out of the Olympic break.

Ilya Bryzgalov recorded his second shutout against his former team this season, stopping all 32 shots he faced in a masterful performance. The Ducks failed to convert on seven power-play attempts. The Coyotes got goals from Petr Prucha, Wojtek Wolski, Vern Fiddler and Keith Yandle, with Prucha's goal late in the first period coming on a 5-on-4 power play.

Jonas Hiller stopped 26 of 30 shots, including a few great saves, but was left out to dry by his defense on several occasions.

Goaltender Timo Pielmeier was returned to ECHL affiliate Bakersfield on Friday, clearing the way for Curtis McElhinney to join the Ducks' roster.

McElhinney came to the Ducks in Wednesday's trade that sent Vesa Toskala to the Calgary Flames, but obtaining a work visa delayed McElhinney's arrival. McElhinney is a native of London, Ontario who had never been employed by a United States-based team, spending his entire three-year career in Calgary.

Lubomir Visnovsky and Aaron Ward were given side-by-side lockers in the Ducks' dressing room Thursday, in the same block as Sheldon Brookbank and Steve Eminger.

Don't read too much into that.

"We always think about it," head coach Randy Carlyle said when asked what the new defensive pairings would look like, "but there isn't any earth-shattering news in that department. We've got seven guys, and we're going to try to get some people together that gets us the best chance."

The Ducks outshot the Avalanche 14-2 in the first period, built a 2-0 lead, then allowed four consecutive goals and began their post-Olympic stretch with a loss.

Jason Blake, Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer scored for the Ducks, while Colorado's Chris Stewart, Peter Mueller, Matt Duchene and T.J. Galiardi put pucks past Jonas Hiller. The Avalanche converted three of six power plays against a Ducks squad reduced to five defensemen because of the pregame trade of Ryan Whitney to Edmonton.

Niedermayer, whose third-period goal deflected into the net off the skate of Scott Hannan, said the pregame trades of Whitney, Petteri Nokelainen and Vesa Toskala were still on players' minds.

"But we still had a job to do," he said. "We still know the way we need to play to have success and we didn't do it, for whatever reason."

Just filed the story regarding today's trades. In all, 55 players changed teams in 31 deals, both NHL records.

The Ducks' five trades seemed meager in comparison to the Phoenix Coyotes' seven, the most of any team. Here are the highlights from Bob Murray's pregame summit high atop Honda Center:

Petteri Nokelainen has been traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. The 24-year-old center was down to fifth on the Ducks' depth chart at center, having been a healthy scratch in six of eight games before the Olympic break.

In 50 games, he had four goals and 11 points, occasionally filling in on the penalty kill and power play.

It's the fifth, and presumably final, trade for Murray on a busy deadline day.

Joining the Ducks are defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky and Aaron Ward, goaltenders Curtis McElhinney and Joey MacDonald, and a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Leaving are defenseman Ryan Whitney, Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala, fourth- and sixth-round draft picks in 2010, and a seventh-round choice in 2011.

Earlier in the week, forward Evgeny Artyukhin, defenseman Nick Boynton and prospect Steven Kampfer were traded, netting a pair of draft picks in return.

In their biggest move on a busy day, the Ducks have traded defenseman Ryan Whitney and a sixth-round draft pick in 2010 to the Edmonton Oilers for Lubomir Visnovsky.

The 33-year-old Visnovsky scored 10 goals and 32 points in 57 games for the Oilers. He led the team with 17 power-play points (four goals, 13 assists).

Both players appeared in the Olympics last week, Visnovsky for fourth-place Slovakia and Whitney for the silver-winning United States.

"Lubomir Visnovsky is a skilled defenseman with a proven track record," general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. "We feel this is a major addition for us, not only for our stretch drive but going forward."

Whitney, 27, had four goals and 28 points in 62 games this season, and his 13 power-play points were sixth on the team. On Tuesday, Whitney posed at center ice along with Anaheim's seven medal-winning Olympians, but those would be his last images with the Ducks.

In their second move for a depth goaltender, the Ducks have acquired Toronto netminder Joey MacDonald for a seventh-round pick in 2011.

With the noon deadline just passed - but more trades still possible - the Ducks have received Curtis McElhinney, Joey MacDonald and Aaron Ward, and given up Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala, a fourth-round draft pick in 2010, and a seventh-round choice in 2011.

The Ducks have acquired goaltender Curtis McElhinney from the Calgary Flames for Vesa Toskala.

McElhinney didn't get much work as the backup to workhorse Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary, going 3-4 with a 3.22 goals-against average in seven starts and three relief appearances. The London, Ontario native held the same role last season, and is 4-12-1 with a 3.23 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in just 29 career games.

Toskala, who was acquired along with Jason Blake for Jean-Sebastien Giguere, did not appear in a game for the Ducks. He is reunited with former San Jose Sharks teammate Kiprusoff in Calgary.

Landing the depth defenseman they wanted, the Ducks have traded goaltender Justin Pogge and a future fourth-round draft pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Aaron Ward.

Ward told reporters in Raleigh this morning that he will not be in Anaheim for tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche, but told Randy Carlyle he will practice with his new team Thursday.

In an interview with TSN this morning, Ward, who has been anxiously awaiting a trade, said he "was surprsied it's Anaheim."

"I'm happy from the fact I feel it's a new lease on life," he said. "October, November, I thought I had the poorest runs of hockey in my career and wasn't very happy with it. I think I've played well the last few months."

Ward, who turned 37 in January, has a goal and 11 points in 60 games this season for the Hurricanes. His minus-17 rating was second-lowest on the team.

In 822 career NHL games, Ward has recorded 44 goals and 149 points with 728 penalty minutes. A three-time Stanley Cup champion with Detroit (1997, 98) and Carolina (2006), the 6-2, 209-pound defenseman has added four goals and 10 points in 95 career playoff games.

"Aaron Ward brings valuable experience and is a proven winner with three Stanley Cup championships," Ducks GM Bob Murray said in a statement. "We are pleased to bring him on board."

Pogge was acquired in the off-season from the Toronto Maple Leafs to serve as the team's third goaltender. The 23-year-old split the season between ECHL Bakersfield and AHL San Antonio, where he carried a 2.57 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 23 games.

The Ducks have three young goalies already under contract. Timo Pielmeier and Jean-Phillippe Levasseur are currently in Bakersfield, and Marco Cousineau is finishing up his final season in the QMJHL.

Ward gives the Ducks seven NHL defensemen under contract. They have been playing with six since Nick Boynton was assigned to the AHL on Feb. 2.

In tomorrow's editions we address the state of the Ducks at the 2010 trade deadline, which is tomorrow at noon. GM Bob Murray probably won't complete the same magnitude of trades as he did at last year's deadline, which saw Sammy Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Kent Huskins and Steve Montador shipped out just under the wire.

A couple sticking points:

- Scott Niedermayer is "going nowhere."

- The current asking price for the type of minutes-eating defensemen Murray would like is a second-round draft pick.

- Looking at the early rounds of the June draft, the Ducks have two picks in the first round and Murray said they aren't going anywhere. They also have one in the second and none in the third unless Philadelphia wins the Stanley Cup (thanks, Chris Pronger).

If you plan on being glued to the Internet tomorrow tracking trades 'til noon, here are some handy links:

TSN on Twitter: http://tsn.ca/twitter/

Sportsnet: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/trades/

The Hockey News: http://www.thehockeynews.com/

ESPN: http://espn.go.com/nhl/

TSN Tradecenter (with the proper American spelling): http://tsn.ca/tradecentre/

Defenseman Nick Boynton, who hasn't played for the Ducks since Jan. 26, was traded Monday to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. 
 
The 31-year-old was playing for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League at the time of the trade. He appeared in nine games with the Moose this season after appearing in 42 games for the Ducks to start the season. Signed as a free agent on July 9, 2009, Boynton collected a goal and seven points with 59 penalty minutes for Anaheim.

Following several healthy scratches, he was placed on waivers Feb. 1 and went unclaimed.

The Ducks have acquired a fourth-round selection in either the 2010 or 2011 NHL Entry Draft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Steven Kampfer.

The 21-year-old led all University of Michigan defensemen in scoring and assists, with 17 points and 15 assists in 37 regular-season games, in his senior season this year

"David (McNab) saw him play last week; I saw him play a couple weeks ago," general manager Bob Murray said Monday. "We have depth of defensemen right now, guys coming out of college and junior. And at some point, you can't place them all on your minor-league team next yaer.

"I like Steven Kampfer, but we have other guys ahead of him on our depth chart and they're coming out. There's no room."

Kampfer recently made news for a pair of controversial incidents during his junior year. Former Michigan football player Michael Milano was convicted of aggravated assault on Kampfer for an Oct. 2008 attack that left the defenseman with head and neck injuries. Kampfer missed nearly two months of the season.

Five days after returning to the team, Kampfer was attacked in a game by two Michigan State players. Andrew Conboy and Corey Tropp were suspended for the season by Spartans coach Rick Comley for the incident.

The Evgeny Artyukhin experiment is over. The Ducks have traded the hard-hitting, lightning-quick forward to the Atlanta Thrashers for minor-league defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a conditional 2011 draft pick.

As expected, the Ducks have demoted Dan Sexton, Brendan Mikkelson and Timo Pielmeier to the minors to make room for the five players who participated in Sunday's gold-medal game between the U.S. and Canada.

Mikkelson was assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, while Pielmeier and Sexton were assigned to the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors. All three could return, however, when NHL rosters are allowed to expand after Wednesday's trade deadline.

Sexton in particular isn't expected to continue at the ECHL level, where he played 18 games at the beginning of the season before earning a promotion to the AHL.

The Ducks resume play Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Ducks' migration south from Vancouver is not complete yet. And why would it be, with the myriad of medals to sort through - seven of them, the most of any team in the NHL - not to mention the gamut of emotions that come with them?

Maybe it's not that surprising that goaltender Jonas Hiller, whose Swiss team was eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinals, chose not to watch the gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada on Sunday.

"I had family in town. I've seen enough hockey games until the end of the year. I didn't really feel like I had to see hockey again," Hiller said.

"I have to take my days where I can."

While he was practicing in Anaheim, Brendan Mikkelson's sister picked up a gold medal in Vancouver.

Meaghan Mikkelson is a defenseman on the Canadian women's national team that beat the U.S. 2-0 for the gold medal on Thursday.

"She was really excited," Brendan said Monday. "I was really excited for her. She put in four years of work. It's a lot of work she put in."

Meghan, two years Brendan's senior and also a Saskatchewan native, played for four years at the University of Wisconsin.

Brendan Mikkelson believes the national pressure on the women's team was just as great, if not greater, than it was on the men's.

"There's a lot more parity in the men's game," he said. "The women's game has come a long way the last 10, 15 years, but it's still not as far as the parity goes. There's six or seven teams on the men's side that could have won it all. On the women's side, Sweden had a pretty solid goalie. They're coming along. Finland's getting a lot better. I don't want to say anything bad about the other countries, but they're a ways behind. There's almost more pressure there because there is less competition.

"They almost have a gun to their head. The men's team did, too, but ... that's the best way to put it: win or nothing."