Ducks trim training camp roster by 12.

A total of 12 players were cut from the Ducks’ training camp roster today: Nick Bonino, Rob Bordson, Mat Clark, Nicolas Deschamps, Joe DiPenta, Brandon McMillan, Mark Mitera and Kyle Palmieri were assigned to American Hockey League affiliate Syracuse. Emerson Etem (Medicine Hat/WHL), Peter Holland (Guelph/OHL), Devante Smith-Pelly (Mississauga/OHL) and Scott Valentine (Oshawa/OHL) were assigned to their respective junior teams.

None of the assignments were unexpected. DiPenta, who had already signed an AHL contract, was in camp on a pro tryout but not expected to make the NHL team.

Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said he was impressed with the Long Beach native Etem, a first-round draft pick in June and Smith-Pelly, a second-round pick.

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Ducks 5, San Jose 2.

Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and an assist as the Ducks skated to a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center for their first win of the preseason.

 

Skating a more veteran lineup than in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks were buoyed by the presence of several regulars. Jonas Hiller started in goal and stopped all 19 shots he faced in 32 minutes. Corey Perry also scored a goal and the line of he, Getzlaf and Matt Beleskey (two assists) combined for five points.

 

Aaron Voros, Danny Syvret and Jason Blake also scored for the Ducks. Timo Pielmeier finished in goal, stopping 19 of 21.

 

Cam Fowler, the 12th overall pick in the June draft, assisted on Syvret’s second-period power play tally for his second assist in as many games.

 

The Ducks won despite being outshot 40-18 but otherwise held the edge on the stat sheet. Luca Sbisa (3) had as many blocked shots as the entire San Jose team and had five hits. 

 

The Sharks, in their first game of the preseason, failed to score on eight power-play opportunities, while the Ducks went 2-for-3.

Jaffray update.

An MRI on Jason Jaffray confirmed the torn ACL and a sprained MCL he sustained in a training-camp scrimmage last Saturday. Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said that the team is still waiting to get a timetable for Jaffray’s recovery.

“They have to wait for the swelling to go down before they can get a proper assessment on the extent of the damage,” Carlyle said Tuesday.

Tonight’s Ducks, Sharks lineups.

Between the Ducks’ morning skate and the media Game Notes, here’s how it looks like the forwards will skate against the Sharks:

Beleskey-Getzlaf-Perry

Blake-Macenauer-Sexton

Bordson-Chipchura-Bodie

Veilleux-Bonino-Parros

Aaron Voros was also at the morning skate but wasn’t listed in the game notes. Since Voros played last night, we’re guessing that he’ll be the only forward scratched if everyone else is healthy.

The defense pairs were harder to figure out (or I just need better glasses), but those on the ice today included Cam Fowler, Luca Sbisa, Brett Festerling, Sheldon Brookbank, Andy Sutton and Brendan Mikkelson. Danny Syvret was also on the ice, but wasn’t listed in the Game Notes, so count him as the likely scratch. Timo Pielmeier and Jonas Hiller were the goalies.

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Phoenix 4, Ducks 1.

Bobby Ryan took his first turn at center this preseason, and Emerson Etem and Cam Fowler made their debuts against NHL competition — which might be the main reasons for the 12,382 in attendance at Honda Center to hold on to their ticket stubs from this night.

Ryan scored the Ducks’ lone goal midway through the second period, giving Fowler his first assist on an NHL scoresheet. Phoenix dominated otherwise, outshooting the Ducks 40-21 and killing off eight of nine power plays. Former Duck Andrew Ebbett, Kyle Turris, Brett MacLean and Viktor Tikhonov did the damage for the Coyotes, with Curtis McElhinney (22 shots/20 saves) and J.P. Levasseur (20 shots/18 saves) splitting the bill evenly.

Ryan won just one of his first 8 faceoffs and finished 8 for 20 in the circle. A Ducks power play that had just three days to coalesce didn’t fare much better than a penalty kill that allowed two goals in five man-advantage shifts for the Coyotes.

The Sharks invade Honda Center tomorrow night. The San Mercury News reports that Antero Niittymaki is likely to start between the pipes. No word from this end on who Randy Carlyle will trot out.

Beleskey’s stock rising.

What a year for Matt Beleskey.

The 22-year-old forward entered training camp a year ago as a near-lock for the minors. Today, in the Ducks’ preseason opener against the Phoenix Coyotes, he is slotted in as the Ducks’ top-line left wing – a role he can reasonably expect to reprise when the regular season begins, if Bobby Ryan’s switch to center becomes permanent.

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More notes from Day 3.

A few notes from Day 3 of camp, easily the most interesting of the three days so far:

The politically correct locker-room term is “chippiness.” Call it what you will – 6-foot-6 defenseman Andy Sutton had to be separated from a couple teammates after making contact in open ice, and Corey Perry punched Dan Sexton in the head during the scrimmage.

Sexton upended Perry along the boards during the first 30-minute scrimmage session, sending both tumbling to the ice. Perry didn’t like it, and jabbed his teammate’s helmet. He also poked his stick into Sexton’s back as the two reached the bench. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Sexton didn’t retaliate either time. Said head coach Randy Carlyle, “guys get tired playing and practicing against one another. We always call the third day of training camp the ‘hump day.’ … They get a little grouchy playing against one another.”

Teemu Selanne scored past two goalies with one shot. How? The black team was in the middle of a goalie change (Igor Bobkov was about to be replaced by Curtis McElhinney) when Selanne put a backhand on net. The two netminders exchanged an awkward look, sort of like that “I got it/you take it” look between two infielders deciding who should catch a pop fly. No one touched the puck as it slid into the empty net.

Selanne scored another goal, and Maxime Macenauer, Lubomir Visnovsky, Josh Green, Danny Syvret, Rob Bordson, Corey Perry and Sexton all scored one each in the White Team’s 7-2 win.

Injury updates. Update.

The biggest news from the Ducks trainer’s room pertains to a player who has been M.I.A. since camp started: Joffrey Lupul.

The forward wrote on his Twitter account earlier today that he has been cleared to skate. The exact quote: “After 10 mons I
just got Medical clearance to start skating again. Gonna need a cpl
months to get back in shape but I am ready for it!!”

*Update: False alarm. A team spokesperson confirmed that Lupul has not been cleared to skate yet. He’s only been cleared to resume working out – good news considering the extent of Lupul’s exercise regimen lately has been walking.

Lupul has been progressing from a recurrence of the blood infection he contracted last December, which ultimately ended his 2009-10 season.

Meanwhile, back at the rink …

Joe DiPenta took part in drills and the scrimmage at Anaheim ICE, having lost a couple teeth Sunday. Toni Lydman was back in the gym, but not back on the ice, as he progresses from a bout of double vision.

Day 3: Forward lines and defense pairs. Update.

For the first time all camp, you can put a lot of stock into these.

The Black Team is suiting up for tomorrow night’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes. The White Team is not. Should anyone be worried that the Black team lost 7-2 in the intrasquad scrimmage? Only if you’re on the Black Team, perhaps, but Randy Carlyle wanted to trot out a younger lineup in the Ducks’ preseason debut – probably with an eye toward the first round of roster cuts.

That means if fans want to get a glimpse of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Jonas Hiller, Todd Marchant, George Parros, Jason Blake, Kyle Chipchura, Andy Sutton, Sheldon Brookbank – and a couple others who will probably start the season in the NHL – the time is 10 a.m. tomorrow at Anaheim ICE. They get the night off.*

Bobby Ryan, Aaron Voros, Lubomir Visnovsky, Paul Mara and Ryan Carter won’t be there, since they will be with leading youngsters into battle at the morning skate tomorrow at Honda Center.

Without further ado, then:
Continue reading “Day 3: Forward lines and defense pairs. Update.” »

Injury update.

Day of 2 training camp was not kind to Jason Jaffray and Joe DiPenta.

DiPenta started the morning on the ice but finished with a visit to the dentist. A deflected puck struck the defenseman in the mouth and knocked out at least one tooth. He did not take part in the team’s scrimmage.

The news was worse for Jaffray, whom the Ducks acquired in a June trade from Calgary for Logan MacMillan. The forward was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which he suffered in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.
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