Eleven (11) official watch parties announced.

The Ducks announced 11 road-game watch parties at various Oggi’s pizza locations in Southern California this season, beginning tomorrow night in Tustin. Here’s the full list:

DATE                        OPPONENT           LOCATION                                    TIME

Thursday, Oct. 21        @
Philadelphia    13612 Newport Ave., Tustin          4
p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 26         @
Dallas              12362 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove    6
p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 16        @
Dallas               23641 Via Linda, Mission Viejo     6
p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 7          @
Edmonton        19461 Main St., Huntington Beach  6:30
p.m.

                                                                 18810 Soledad Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita*

Wednesday, Dec. 8      @
Vancouver       1500 E. Village Way, Ste. 2295, Orange          7
p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 15    @
Washington     2363 California Ave., Ste. 105, Corona*          4
p.m.

                                                                  41301 Margarita Rd., #101, Temecula*

Monday, Dec. 20         @
Boston              13612 Newport Ave., Tustin                           4:30
p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 28         @
Phoenix           12362 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove               6
p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 18         @
Ottawa             23641 Via Linda, Mission Viejo                      4:30
p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 20        @
Toronto            19461 Main St., Huntington Beach                  4
p.m.

                                                                  18810 Soledad Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita*

Wednesday, Feb. 9      @
Vancouver           Oggi‘s – 1500 E. Village Way, Ste. 2295, Orange          7
p.m.

Here’s the rest of the press release:

Continue reading “Eleven (11) official watch parties announced.” »

Columbus 3, Ducks 1.

Teemu Selanne’s 609th career goal wasn’t enough for the Ducks, who gave up two quick goals in the second period, and an empty-netter late, in the opening game of their four-game road trip.

With Columbus leading 2-0, Lubomir Visnovsky hit Jason Blake with a long pass, then Blake dropped the puck for Selanne skating up the left wing. His 12-foot shot was the only puck that got past Steve Mason (31 saves).

Jonas Hiller stopped 19 of 21 shots, allowing goals to Derek Mackenzie and Rick Nash. Nash’s empty netter with Hiller on the bench at 19:32 of the final period provided the final score.

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler missed the game with a broken nose and Danny Syvret made his Ducks debut, playing 15:27 alongside partner Sheldon Brookbank.

More to come.

Possible third jersey leak spotted. Update.

Thanks to Greg Wyshynski over at Yahoo! for directing our attention toward this “Anaheim Ducks Premier Alternate NHL Jersey” currently retailing for $118.99 at www.fansedge.com:

46847-74-00920-F.jpg

The expected due date on the third jersey was Nov. 26 in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. While I know nothing about fansedge.com, I find it hard to believe that Reebok would stitch its logo onto something unofficial and sell it for $118.99.

Update: As of right now (3:30 p.m. Pacific), fansedge.com has pulled the jersey from its site, which only makes me think we’ll be seeing it again. If anyone was able to purchase the jersey, I would love to know if you receive it.

Mikkelson to Calgary; Syvret up.

Defenseman Brendan Mikkelson has been claimed off waivers by the Calgary Flames, and defenseman Danny Syvret has been recalled from AHL affiliate Syracuse to take his place on the Ducks roster.

Mikkelson appeared in five games this season, posting one assist
and seven penalty minutes after winning one of the final defenseman
spots in training camp. A second-round draft pick by the Ducks in 2005, the 23-year-old Mikkelson was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Phoenix Coyotes. He
had been averaging 19:24 time on ice — fourth among Anaheim defensemen and sixth on the team
overall.

In 67 NHL games, all with the Ducks, Mikkelson had no goals, five assists and 38 penalty minutes. Only two members of the Ducks’ six-man 2005 draft class remain with the team: Bobby Ryan and Syracuse goalie Jean-Phillippe Levasseur.

Mikkelson lasted longer in training camp than Syvret, who was himself placed on waivers Sept. 30 before being assigned to Syracuse. Syvret appeared in three preseason games with the Ducks, recording a goal, an assist and a minus-1 rating. The 25-year-old had two assists in four games with the Crunch, and has 49 games, two goals and three assists to his credit in the NHL.

Roundup: Fowler breaks nose; Doan suspended; Getzlaf honored; (update: Mikkelson waived).

By noon Monday, there was enough Ducks-related weekend fallout – some good, some bad – to fill one page of an afternoon sports section. If those existed anymore.

1. Defenseman Cam Fowler was diagnosed with a broken nose as a result of this play in the second period of Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes. He is listed as “probable” for Wednesday’s game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

2. Shane Doan – who also steered Fowler toward the end boards – has been suspended three games for his third-period hit on Dan Sexton. No penalty was called on the play at the time.

3. Update: Brendan Mikkelson has been placed on waivers. The 23-year-old appeared in five games this season, posting one assist and seven penalty minutes, after winning one of the final defenseman spots in training camp. A second-round draft pick by the Ducks in 2005, Mikkelson was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Phoenix Coyotes. He had been averaging 19:24 – fourth among Anaheim defensemen and sixth overall.

4. Ryan Getzlaf was named the NHL’s third star of the week, behind only Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa. Getzlaf led all scorers last week with eight points (two goals, six
assists) in four games as the Ducks posted a 2-1-1 record.

Here’s how Getzlaf’s four games break down:

1. 0-0-0 in St. Louis on Monday

2. A goal, three assists and a +2 rating in a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the home opener at Honda Center on Wednesday.

3. One goal and one assist in a 5-4 shootout loss to Atlanta Thrashers on Friday.

4. Two assists and a +3 rating in a 3-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday.

Ducks 3, Phoenix 2. Update.

Corey Perry’s breakaway goal with 5:37 left in the game lifted the Ducks to their second win in three games to finish their season-opening homestand.

Cam Fowler scored his first NHL goal but left the game minutes later with a bloodied nose and did not return. Toni Lydman also scored for the Ducks, who got 36 saves from Jonas Hiller.

Scottie Upshall and Eric Belanger brought Phoenix back from down 2-0 with their goals in the third period.

8:56 p.m. update: Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said that keeping Fowler out of the game was “more precautionary than anything at this point.” He did not know whether or not Fowler had broken his nose.

Carlyle (just like anyone who hadn’t seen a video replay of Doan’s hit on Fowler) didn’t offer an opinion on the hit. Fowler was not available after the game.

Here was Doan’s take: “I hit (Fowler) and he fell,” Doan said. “Then he was so low, he hit my hip I think. I’m not sure. Something like that. I knew he went into the boards awkward because he’d hit my hip low. He was kind of going down, trying to drive around, I think. … You never want to see anyone get hurt.”

A few more notes from the game:
Continue reading “Ducks 3, Phoenix 2. Update.” »

Fowler scores first NHL goal, then leaves game.

The second period of Sunday’s game between the Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes was an eventful one for rookie defenseman Cam Fowler.

At 3:41, he wound up from the left point and buried his first NHL goal past Jason LaBarbera, who was screened in front by Ducks forward Corey Perry and teammate Sami Lepisto. Fowler, playing his sixth NHL game, had a predictably huge smile on his face as he was congratulated by teammates.

The smile didn’t last long. At 8:45 he burned through the Phoenix defense for a shot on goal and was going to have trouble holding up before crashing into the end boards anyway. However, Coyotes captain Shane Doan intercepted Fowler at the end of the rush to steer him away from the net, then steered Fowler into the end boards.

Fowler collapsed in a heap, blood dripping from his nose. He was slow to get up and received help from a trainer before leaving down the tunnel. Later in the period, the team announced that Fowler was still being evaluated in the locker room and would not return to the game.

More to come.

Lilja gets his visa, Sbisa sent to Syracuse.

Defenseman Andreas Lilja has received his visa and was added to the Ducks’ active roster Saturday. To make room for the 35-year-old veteran, who signed last weekend but had his visa renewal delayed, the Ducks assigned defenseman Luca Sbisa to AHL affiliate Syracuse.

The 20-year-old Sbisa was a healthy scratch in three of the Ducks’ five games this season and averaged only 12:22 in the two games he played. After spending all but the first eight games of last season in the Western Hockey League, a well-built Sbisa arrived at training camp hoping to play an entire season in Anaheim. That dream will have to wait another season.

Continue reading “Lilja gets his visa, Sbisa sent to Syracuse.” »

Atlanta 5, Ducks 4, shootout.

The Ducks can take solace in the fact that, for the second straight game, it was easier to pare down their problems to a mere handful.

Problem number one Friday was a forward for the Atlanta Thrashers named Anthony Stewart, who nearly doubled his career goal total with a hat trick in the Thrashers’ shootout win. Stewart, who entered the game with four goals in his first 108 NHL games, scored on a breakaway 17 seconds into the opening period, then added two power-play goals in the third period to bring Atlanta back from a 4-2 deficit.

In the shootout, Nigel Dawes scored on Jonas Hiller in the fourth round, the only shootout goal for either team.

“We’re upset with losing the point tonight,” head coach Randy Carlyle said. “That is probably as emotional as I have been in losing a shootout because there were mental mistakes that we made that cost us the point, not their effort. They worked and tried. Some nights shootouts go for you, some nights they don’t.”

Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf and Toni Lydman – playing his first game of the season – scored for the Ducks. Hiller had 29 saves, and Selanne and Perry each had a pair of assists.
Continue reading “Atlanta 5, Ducks 4, shootout.” »

Toni Lydman is cleared to play.

The Ducks got more good news one day after their first win of the season when defenseman Toni Lydman was cleared to play.

The 33-year-old has been sidelined by double vision since training camp began. He had been practicing with the team
daily, but has not appeared in a regular or pre-season game.

The Ducks figure to get another veteran defenseman back when Andreas Lilja’s work visa is finalized.

To make room for Lydman on the active roster, defenseman Brett Festerling was assigned to AHL affiliate Syracuse Thursday.