January 2011 Archives

Ryan Getzlaf returned to practice -- looking trim, but weighing the same, he insisted -- for the first time since he went on injured reserve after suffering multiple nasal sinus fractures on Dec. 28. He skated on a line with usual fourth-liners Todd Marchant, George Parros, Kyle Chipchura and Aaron Voros -- who was officially activated off IR today.

The occasion of seeing Getzlaf on the ice allowed a moment to put his injury into perspective. I tried, with limited success, to extract from him the potential severity of taking a puck between the eyebrows. Check out tomorrow's editions for more on that.

Voros was the other big news. Because he gave the Ducks a total of 22 players on the active roster, there was only room for one player to come up from Syracuse. Dan Sexton got the call and Matt Beleskey, who had two goals and seven points in 11 January games, was left behind.

It's worth noting that Voros was scratched from 20 of the Ducks' 31 games before he went down with a fractured orbital bone, and his injury opened up ice time for youngsters like Beleskey, Sexton and Brandon McMillan -- who skated as the top-line center again Monday. Voros could well find himself in the press box again Wednesday when the San Jose Sharks visit Honda Center.

The forward lines and defensive pairings remained the same. Corey Perry said his flight back from North Carolina touched down at 1 p.m. local time, giving him just enough time to make the 3 p.m. practice (but not enough time to unpack). Jonas Hiller and Cam Fowler were also on the ice, as was goaltending consultant Pete Peeters, wearing the full goalie pads.

Perry and Cam Fowler talked a bit about their All-Star Game experiences, but I'll save that for the next blog.

One more tidbit that you never find in a newspaper (which reminds me why blogs were invented): Teemu Selanne said today's practice, which ended around 4:30 p.m., reminded him of how it used to be when he was coming up because he was able to leave the rink with darkness creeping in outside. Winnipeg, I asked? Nope, Finland. "Back home," he said.

The NHL All-Star Game is over, and the lasting Corey Perry-versus-Jonas Hiller moment still took place Saturday, when the Ducks' leading scorer beat the Ducks' leading goaltender (View image) in an exhibition shootout.

Perry wasn't responsible for any of the game-high 17 shots Jonas Hiller faced in the second period Sunday, but Hiller had a few dandies among his game-high 15 saves. If any goalie were to be named MVP of an NHL All-Star Game - Mike Richter was the last, in 1994 - Hiller did well to state his case. After giving up goals to Patrick Sharp and Kris Letang on his first five shots, Hiller stopped 12 straight as Team Nicklas Lidstrom took a 7-6 lead.

Down 4-0 at one point, Team Lidstrom walked away with an 11-10 win.

Perry had a pair of primary assists for Team Eric Staal. Staal, the team captain, did most of the work on his third-period goal after taking a short pass from Perry. Later in the period, Perry had a nice set-up on Rick Nash's goal, reaching around a defender to sneak through a pass on the breakaway:

In case you missed the game, it was a fairly typical NHL All-Star Game despite the build-up from Friday's creatively staged draft.

Sharp was named the game's MVP - a curious choice considering that his team lost, and his three points (one goal, two assists) were matched or eclipsed by five players, including four on the winning team. An educated guess: Sharp was credited with three assists in the first period. One assist was taken back during the second period, but some of the voting contingent literally might not have gotten the memo before their votes were cast.

(Video courtesy of NHL.com; photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Consider the expectations raised for Corey Perry the next time he's called upon in a shootout.

Perry was a perfect 3-for-3, including a goal against teammate Jonas Hiller on his first attempt, in the shootout challenge at the NHL's SuperSkills competition Saturday. Perry outlasted Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis' go-to 90-degree turn with a variety of moves - going top-shelf on Hiller, 5-hole on Marc-Andre Fleury and top-shelf again on Tim Thomas to win the competition.

Perry's personal accomplishment also clinched victory for Team Eric Staal in the head-to-head points against Team Nicklas Lidstrom, 33-22. Perry would have been properly labeled an underdog going into the event - he's only 1 for 6 in shootouts so far this season.

Perry had the most memorable day of the three Ducks, a day that included this set of moves in the breakaway challenge (won for the third straight year by Washington's Alex Ovechkin):

Hiller had a quiet day. He wasn't called upon until the second round of the shootout challenge, didn't compete in the fastest skater competition (leaving that spectacle to Tim Thomas and Cam Ward), and wasn't in the net against any of the breakaway shooters. Given Hiller's relative lack of activity, it wasn't too much of a surprise to see Perry beat him on the first shot he saw.

Of the next 10 shots Hiller saw, only one got by - off the stick of Columbus' Rick Nash.

Cam Fowler participated in the hardest shot challenge and recorded shots at 93.7 and 93.8 mph. It was the second-slowest shot among the 12 shooters (ahead of only Nash). Fowler also missed on his only shootout attempt, against Ward.

The All-Star Game is tomorrow at 1 p.m. (televised on Versus).

A seldom-seen set of spectacles gave Jonas Hiller a dignified look as he sat with his fellow NHL All-Stars at the draft room in Raleigh, N.C.

Then Hiller was met with the indignity of being the last goalie selected Friday, in the 10th round by team captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Hiller and Ducks teammate Corey Perry were split up for Sunday's All-Star game, which will be played at the RBC Center, home of the Carolina Hurricanes.

According to the rules of the first-year "draft" format, Hiller could not have been picked any later than he was. All six all-star goalies had to be picked in the first 10 rounds.

Hiller, who leads the NHL with 25 wins, watched as Cam Ward was the first player selected overall by captain Eric Staal, Ward's teammate in Carolina. Tim Thomas (fifth round, Lidstrom), Henrik Lundqvist (sixth round, Staal), Marc-Andre Fleury (ninth round, Lidstrom) and Carey Price (10th round, Staal) all went first.

Perry had to wait until the 15th round to hear his name called, when he was selected by Staal  -- one spot after Minnesota Wild forward Martin Havlat and one spot ahead of Kings forward Anze Kopitar.

In addition, Ducks rookie Cam Fowler joined Team Lidstrom and will compete opposite Perry in the SuperSkills competition Saturday. The rookies were divided into two teams of six, before each group of rookies joined up with one group of All-Stars.

A target date has been set for Ryan Getzlaf to return to the Ducks' lineup.

The captain had a follow-up CT scan Wednesday on his nasal sinus fractures, and the team said today that the fractures are healing well and remain stable. Getzlaf has been cleared to skate with the team when it returns to practice 3 p.m. Monday at Honda Center, though he isn't likely to be cleared for full contact right away.

Getzlaf will be held out of game action for the next two contests, Feb. 2 against San Jose and Feb. 5 at Colorado. He will likely return to the lineup sometime during the Ducks' Western Canada swing - Feb. 9 in Vancouver, Feb. 11 in Calgary, or Feb. 13 in Edmonton.

Including the Dec. 28 win against the Phoenix Coyotes in which Getzlaf was injured, the Ducks have gone 10-3-0 without their captain.

Jason Bailey lasted only one season in the Ducks organization, but it's becoming a memorable one.

A third-round draft pick by Anaheim in 2005, the forward turned pro three years later and was assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, then the Ducks' ECHL affiliate. Bailey, who is Jewish, is suing the Ducks for unspecified damages stemming from alleged discrimination against him by two Condors coaches during the 2008-09 season.

According to multiple reports citing documents filed Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court, Bailey claims he was the target of anti-Semitic remarks. Additionally, Bailey alleges that Condors head coach Marty Raymond and assistant coach Mark Pederson forced him to travel apart from the team, and he was "rarely given any ice time," because he is Jewish.

Raymond was suspended for one week by the Condors and is still the team's head coach. Pederson, who was suspended two weeks at the time, left after the season to coach in Europe. Bailey was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Shawn Weller in September 2009. Bailey has spent all of the last two seasons - and is still playing for - Ottawa's top farm team, the Binghamton Senators.

A Ducks spokesperson said late Tuesday that the team cannot comment on the case.

The most interesting facet here might not be the substance of the allegations, but who should be legally held at fault if they're true.

The Ducks will not play another game this month, but not by choice.

Anaheim wrapped up a four-game Eastern trip with another one-goal win, leaning again on their goalie to pull out a tough win in a hostile environment. The wins in Columbus, Montreal and Ottawa gave the Ducks six of a possible eight points on the trip, and brought their January record to 8-3-0.

Teemu Selanne, Cam Fowler and Jason Blake scored goals, Blake his 200th in the NHL. Jonas Hiller had another monster game, finishing with 35 saves, including point-blank stops on Rick Nash and Anton Stralman point-blank in the third period.

The Ducks got a needed cushion when Derek Dorsett was hit with a five-minute major penalty for boarding Corey Perry in the first period. Selanne and Fowler cashed in with power-play goals 61 seconds apart and, just as importantly, Perry returned to the game before the period was over.

Nash scored before the period was over to pull Columbus within 2-1, but Blake's insurance goal early in the third, on a beautiful backhand flip in front of the net, restored the two-goal margin. Brassard's power-play goal at 9:54 of the third period cut the lead to 3-2 but the Jackets couldn't convert with Steve Mason (19 saves) pulled for an extra attacker.

A few more notes:

Saku Koivu's first game back in Montreal began with a heart-warming, name-chanting tribute - and nearly ended in heartbreak.

The longtime captain of the Canadiens could only sit and watch from the penalty box as Max Pacioretty jammed a rebound past Jonas Hiller with 12.6 seconds left in the third period to tie the game at 3.

But for the second time in three games, Bobby Ryan saved the day. Using the same forehand move on Carey Price that he used four days earlier to win a game in Ottawa, Ryan scored the only goal of the shootout, and Jonas Hiller stopped all three Canadiens attempts on the other end, to give the Ducks the win.

Cam Fowler and Corey Perry scored power-play goals in regulation, and Ryan scored at even strength, to give Anaheim (27-20-4) a 3-1 lead heading into the third period. Goals by Pacioretty - his second of the game - and Mathieu Darche allowed the Habs to tie the game in a third period that saw them outshoot the Ducks 23-5.

Hiller, who made 37 saves, was his usual outstanding self in a head-to-head matchup with Price. By getting the win, Hiller matched Price for the NHL lead with 24 wins.

With one stop left (Tuesday in Columbus) on a four-game road trip, the Ducks have collected four of a possible six points to move into a tie with Nashville for fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

A few more notes:

The city of Montreal has a unique relationship to the sport of hockey, and Saku Koivu has a unique relationship to all who have worn the uniform of the Montreal Canadiens. It goes beyond the fact that his sweater had a "C" stitched on it longer than anyone else's - though, if that sounds trivial, it would be wise to invest 35 minutes, 44 seconds watching or listening to Koivu's press conference (below).

The Ducks center will play in the Bell Centre Saturday for the first time as an opposing player. On Friday, Koivu - who called the arena "like home " - took time to take questions from the media. There were many.

A transcript would only do partial justice to the mutual respect between Koivu and the city that shines through, so here's the full video (courtesy of the Ducks' website):

Jean-Sebastien Giguere was ready for this one.

The most decorated goaltender in Anaheim history, playing his first game against his former team since the trade that sent him to Toronto last January, made 26 saves and outshone successor Jonas Hiller at the Air Canada Centre.

Dan Sexton and Brandon McMillan scored the Ducks' goals, the latter giving Anaheim a 2-1 lead at 5:23 of the second period. But Toronto scored four unanswered as the Ducks couldn't stop the bleeding defensively. Hiller made plenty of All-Star caliber saves, but let in some relatively easy ones in stopping 32 of 37.

Mikhail Grabovski scored two goals and linemate Clarke MacArthur added a goal and an assist. Phil Kessel had a pair of assists for Toronto, which was coming off a 7-0 loss at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

With the lousy season that the Senators are having - they're equally close to the last Eastern Conference playoff spot and the worst record in the NHL - try saying with a straight face that a shootout was a desirable outcome Tuesday.

On the other hand, Ottawa was 0-6 in games that go beyond three periods. And with Jonas Hiller stopping nearly everything the Senators sent his way, the Ducks could say they planned it this way all along.

Bobby Ryan scored on the Ducks' second shootout attempt, and Hiller stoned all three Ottawa shooters, to kick off the Ducks' four-game road trip with a 2-1 win. Hiller also made 39 saves in a 65-minute game that saw Ottawa outshoot Anaheim 40-27.

Corey Perry scored the Ducks' lone goal in regulation, his team-leading 24th of the season, at 14:30 of the first period. Perry was in the process of falling backwards when he somehow lifted a shot over the pads of goalie Brian Elliott (26 saves).

Milan Michalek created the Sens' lone goal when he drew the attention of the Ducks' defense into the middle of the slot, then somehow - from his rear end - put a backhand shot on Hiller. Mike Fisher snuck behind a distracted Ducks defense to poke the rebound past Hiller at 18:19 of the second period.

Elliott held up his end of the goalie duel in the third period, stoning Matt Beleskey on a breakaway for one of 12 saves to set the stage for overtime.

In the shootout, Elliott wilted at the forehand wrister of Ryan and Hiller stopped Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher and Henrik Karlsson to preserve the win. The Ducks have won eight of their last 10 with games in Toronto, Montreal and Columbus looming before the All-Star break.

A few more notes:

What appeared to be cakewalk for the Ducks over the floundering Edmonton Oilers turned into a mess in a hurry Sunday at Honda Center.

Somehow, a pair of goals by Teemu Selanne - the first going for his 1,300th career point - and another by Luca Sbisa held up, with Curtis McElhinney and the Ducks' shot-blockers doing the dirty work late.

"We were forced to probably perform some extra work that really wouldn't
have been necessary," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said, "but we found a way to win the hockey game."

Goals by Magnus Paajarvi and Sam Gagner 26 seconds apart late in the second period slashed the Ducks' 3-0 lead to 3-2. Anaheim was outshot 12-7 in the final period, and survived the final 3:12 short-handed. The Ducks also blocked 22 shots, led by Andreas' Lilja's five.

McElhinney was briefly relieved by Jonas Hiller in the second period after suffering a cut to his neck that required stitches. More on that, and the rest of the game, in tomorrow's editions. here are a few notes that won't make the paper:

Whatever mojo the Ducks had working on their 5-1 homestand disappeared somewhere over the skies between Anaheim and Glendale.

Starting in the second period, Phoenix scored four straight goals to break open a 1-1 game and send the Ducks to their second loss in their last eight games.

Matt Beleskey and Corey Perry scored the goals. Jonas Hiller (22 saves on 26 shots) absorbed the loss and was pulled from the game after allowing the Coyotes' fourth goal. Curtis McElhinney stopped six of eight in relief.

"It was just one of those nights," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle told reporters following the game. "I don't have an explanation for it but we have to find one in a hurry."

The Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers - who will also be playing on back-to-back nights - at 5 p.m. Sunday.

More interesting than Saturday's game was the prospect of where the Ducks will begin the 2011-12 seaon.

The Ducks have made quite a charge up the standings and won't be sneaking up on anyone thanks to their current 6-1-0 stretch. They'll have Thursday and Friday to take a deep breath, let some teams make up a few games in hand, and reflect on their present perch: tied for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Eleven of their next 14 games will be on the road, where the Ducks' record ain't pretty - 8-11-3 compared to 16-7-1 at Honda Center. The question of whether they can keep up their torrid pace is a valid one.

"It's a very crucial road trip coming up," Teemu Selanne said. "It's good motivation to try to use this time before the All-Star Break really strong."

Selanne, as his is habit, sees the glass as half full. He points out that, through 46 games last season, the Ducks were 20-19-7 (47 points), five points behind this year's pace (24-18-4). The Ducks have always been a second-half team and just because the second half is starting on the road, well, that shouldn't be an obstacle. Right?

As much two games can be mirror images of one another, the Ducks and the St. Louis Blues certainly flipped roles in their second meeting of the season Wednesday.

Anaheim exacted revenge for a 5-1 loss in St. Louis on Oct. 11 - what seems like a long three months ago after they completed a 5-1 homestand with Wednesday's win. Bobby Ryan notched his third career hat trick, his second of the season, and Jason Blake, Lubomir Visnovsky, Corey Perry and Brandon McMillan also added goals for the Ducks.

"We've realized that on a homestand you really need to come out and put your best foot forward," Ryan said. "The month of December was a little bit ugly. We've gone on streaks all year long. We need to come out at home, establish the forecheck and our identity."

No one can speak to streaks better than Ryan, who has six goals in his last three games after scoring just one in the previous 10. All three of his goals came within spitting distance of the crease - and off fine primary assists from Joffrey Lupul, Perry and Andreas Lilja - which marked a significant evolution in Ryan's transition from wing to center.

"It didn't come as smoothly as we all liked, but we persevered and he has persevered," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "Hopefully that is just a springboard for him to continue on with the offensive threat that he is."

In that Oct. 11 game, their third of the season, the Ducks were outshot 53-14 and Ryan collected 17 penalty minutes (and no goals). Call Wednesday's outing a measuring-stick game - a measurement against the Ducks' former selves.

Jonas Hiller got burned by lapses on defense and allowed four goals on 34 shots, seeing his shutout streak end at 178:34. The Ducks took advantage of an off-night for Ty Conklin, who stopped just 17 of 24.

A few more notes:

Forward prospect Kyle Palmieri was chosen Tuesday to represent the Syracuse Crunch at the American Hockey League All-Star Game on Jan. 31 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Palmieri has nine goals and 13 points in 22 games for the Ducks' AHL affiliate. Since he was demoted after a 10-game NHL stint in November, the 19-year-old winger has only four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 games - a span that was interrupted by Palmieri's participation in the World Junior Championships.

As it was in the NHL, online balloting was used to determine the first All-Stars. The fans' choices will be in the starting lineup, while the 30 AHL coaches filled out the remainder of the roster. Every team must be represented and Palmieri was the only player chosen from a Crunch team that has seen plenty of upheaval, including the recent trade of leading scorer Trevor Smith.

Palmieri will also take part in the AHL Skills Competition on Jan. 30 in Hershey.

Once thought to be playing in the shadows of Ryan Getzlaf and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, respectively, Corey Perry and Jonas Hiller became All-Stars in their own right Tuesday.

Perry and Hiller were among the 36 players chosen by the NHL's hockey operations department to compete in the Jan. 30 game in Raleigh, N.C. Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler was one of 12 rookies chosen to compete in the "SuperSkills" competition the day before.

It's the first All-Star selection for Hiller and the second for Perry, who was an injury replacement at the 2008 game in Atlanta.

"The last couple days I've been talking about it and felt like it would be really cool and a great honor," Hiller told reporters Tuesday at Honda Center. "There are lots of good goalies out there. I wouldn't want to be the one who has to pick."

Hiller is currently riding a two-game shutout streak that's moved him into a tie for second in the league in wins (21) and shutouts (4), and third in save percentage (.929). His 2.39 goals-against average is 13th in the league, but Hiller has earned it the hard way - by facing more shots than any NHL goalie.

"When I finally got the word it was just great," Hiller said. "It's a great feeling to have the chance to go there. It's a great honor and I'm really excited."

As we noted after yesterday's game, it helps to do well when the comissioner is watching.

From the official NHL release:

Hiller posted a 2-1-0 record, 0.67 goals-against average and .977 save percentage in three starts, concluding the week with consecutive shutouts and an active scoreless streak of 154:50. Hiller began the week by stopping 20 of 22 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Jan. 5. He made 27 saves for his third shutout of the season in a 6-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 7 and stopped 37 shots in blanking the San Jose Sharks 1-0 on Jan. 9. Hiller improved his season record to 21-14-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and four shutouts in a League-leading 39 appearances. Hiller also tops all NHL goaltenders in saves (1,156), is tied for second in victories, ranks third in save percentage and is tied for fourth in shutouts (four). He is the first Ducks goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts since J.S. Giguere had three straight from Dec. 8-15, 2002.

 

They were exhorting Bobby Ryan to shoot from every section of Honda Center except for two - sections 408 and 409, which were occupied by enough teal-clad Sharks fans to have filled six buses on a round-trip tour to and from San Jose.

Ryan dangled the puck on his stick from the left wall, through the left faceoff circle, through the slot, and through the right circle, before he finally released a shot at 14:29 of the second period. It was worth the wait for Ryan and for the fans (except those sitting in sections 408 and 409). The wrist shot sneaked through a scrum including Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle, Ducks forwards Joffrey Lupul and Brandon McMillan, and of course goalie Antti Niemi, for the only goal on Sunday.

"Their defenseman (Marc-Edouard Vlasic) made a good play and followed me," Ryan said. "I kept trying to wait for him to stop and he never did. So I finally hit the brakes. There was so much traffic in front, Lupul and McMillan were creating a stir, so I just tried to put it through the traffic. They haven't found holes in the past month. I'm glad they are finding them right now and I'll try to continue to do it."

Ryan has scored four goals in the last five games, all in the absence of injured center Ryan Getzlaf. Before that he had gone seven games without a goal. Ryan's 18th goal of the season puts him three behind Corey Perry for the team lead.

It also spoiled an otherwise perfect night for Niemi, who had the unfortunate task of being opposed by Jonas Hiller, who recorded his second shutout in as many games.

Plenty more on him in tomorrow's editions. Here are a few notes that won't make the paper:

The Sharks and Ducks meet Sunday for the third time this season, under circumstances very different from any this season or last.

Anaheim has gone 4-1 in its last five games to pull season-high four games over .500. San Jose (21-15-5) has lost two straight, four of six, and just got a tongue-lashing from GM Doug Wilson.

More interesting than how each team is playing is how each team got to this point. Since the teams last met on Nov. 9, rookie forward Logan Couture has 13 goals and eight assists in 29 games to become the Sharks' leading goal-scorer. They have six forwards (and one defenseman, Dan Boyle) entering play Saturday with at least 27 points - something no other NHL team can claim.

A lot of things culminated for the Ducks tonight - an awesome month for Jonas Hiller, a revamped power play, the maturation of the young defensemen, and whatever strain of influenza is running through the visitors' dressing room.

Randy Carlyle wasn't afraid to highlight the latter in explaining the Ducks' most lopsided win of the season and their largest on home ice since Dec. 20, 1996, a 7-0 win over Calgary.

"We were able to establish that template," Carlyle said. "When we do get on the puck and establish that strong forechecking game, we are a hockey club that can be effective. Tonight was one of those nights. We caught Columbus when they were a flat hockey club. They had the flu go through their team. We seemed to have a half step on them tonight."

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With 52 seconds left in the game and a puck having just crossed into an empty Ducks net, Corey Perry slammed his stick over his own goal frame, the logical reaction to a typical Nashville Predators victory.

Wednesday's was one of those. The Ducks outshot their opponent 41-24 but had only a Saku Koivu goal - not a thing of beauty in its own right - to show for it.

The Preds never trailed in ending Anaheim's three-game winning streak, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Jerred Smithson and Patric Hornqvist. After Koivu's goal halved the Ducks' deficit at 11:46 of the third, empty-net goals by Sergei Kostitsyn and Shea Weber provided the final score.

"The puck was doing funny things for us," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle told reporters after the game, "and in some of the situations they beat us for 1-on-1 battles with the puck. That was really the telltale story of the game, where they won more little puck battles 1-on-1 where we should have come up with the puck."

Nashville won its third straight game by the same score, though Anaheim played better than a three-goal difference would indicate. A few of Pekka Rinne's 40 saves were extraordinary; he also had help from a goal frame that robbed Matt Beleskey and Lubomir Visnovsky in the third period.

Second-chance shots were few and far between, part of Nashville's blue-collar M.O. for as long as the team has existed.

Even though he didn't score, Maxim Lapierre had one of the Ducks' better efforts in his first game since arriving from Montreal. Playing 15:46 while centering the first and third lines, Lapierre put four shots on goal and was one of the few black-clad players consistently charging on net.

Another player making his 2011 debut, Dan Sexton, had the primary assist on Koivu's goal. He started the game on a third line with Lapierre and Joffrey Lupul and ended it on the second line with Koivu and Selanne.

It was one of those efforts that probably gets a team more than one goal on most nights, but didn't Wednesday. These things happen.

A few more notes:

Down 3-0 after two periods, Igor Bobkov and Team Russia weren't content to go down as a footnote in the gold-medal game at the World Junior Championships on Wednesday.

Bobkov - a 2009 third-round draft pick by the Ducks and the only Canadian Hockey League player on Russia's roster - relieved starter Dmitri Shikin with 13:33 left in the middle period and stopped all 20 shots he faced. Bobkov watched his teammates score five unanswered goals in a span of 16:11 of the third period to claim the 5-3 victory and the gold.

Artemi Panarin scored twice, Yevgeni Kuznetsov had three assists, and Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikita Dvurechenski and Maxim Kitsyn all had goals for Russia.

Tournament MVP Brayden Schenn, Ryan Ellis and Carter Ashton had the goals for Canada.

Consider this the last Ducks-related World Junior Championships update, unless Canada fans get their wish and see backup goaltender Igor Bobkov in the gold-medal game between Russia and Canada.

The U.S. went out on a high note today with a 4-2 win over Sweden that clinched the bronze in Buffalo. Kyle Palmieri had a pair of assists, including the primary helper on Chris Kreider's goal to wrap up the victory with 1:53 left in a 3-2 game.

In six tournament games, Palmieri had six points (two goals, four assists), which co-led the Americans along with Charlie Coyle (a San Jose Sharks prospect) and Chris Kreider (Rangers). Only 13 players had more points in the tournament - though that could change after the gold-medal game.

Emerson Etem was held scoreless Wednesday, finishing the tournament with a goal and a minus-1 rating in the six games.

Ryan Getzlaf will miss four to six weeks, but won't need surgery to repair the non-displaced nasal sinus fractures he suffered Dec. 28.

That was the timetable put forth after Getzlaf had a CT scan performed this week. It came as good news to the Ducks' captain, who will be out until the second week of February at the latest.

"It was pretty scary for the first few days after the first CT scan," Getzlaf told reporters Wednesday, sporting a hockey puck-sized scar between his eyebrows. "We weren't really sure what exactly was wrong. There were a lot of different fractures and stuff going on up there. We went through another, more invasive one two days ago and looked at it yesterday with the doctor, and everything was good. It was what we wanted to hear. There are some fractures up there that definitely need to be healed but they're nowhere near my eyes or my brain, so it's definitely a positive thing from yesterday."

Including the game in which he was injured, a 3-1 road win against the Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks are 3-0 without Getzlaf. Corey Perry has maintained his All-Star caliber season without his usual center, notching a goal and two assists in the last three games, and may need to keep up his point-per-game pace. Bobby Ryan's switch to center could last the duration of Getzlaf's injury and new acquisition Maxim Lapierre will be leaned on to provide depth down the middle.

The Ducks host the Nashville Predators at 7 p.m. tonight.

Updating an earlier item, the Ducks officially announced that Dan Sexton has been recalled from AHL affiliate Syracuse. Sexton hasn't been with the Ducks since Dec. 18. In the meantime, he's scored four goals and nine points in eight AHL games.

Sexton and center Maxim Lapierre might both play their first NHL games of 2011, after Lapierre received his American work visa and became eligible to play tomorrow night against Nashville.

The team is still awaiting word on Ryan Getzlaf to determine an exact timetable for his recovery from multiple nasal sinus fractures. Count on him missing a third game since he suffered the injury a week ago in Glendale.

Randy Carlyle told reporters after Tuesday's practice that Jason Blake (shoulder) is a possibility to play tomorrow. If he can go, the Ducks have plenty of options at forward.

In a minor trade for the Ducks but a big trade for the Syracuse Crunch, center Trevor Smith has been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Nate Guenin.

Guenin has played three NHL games this season for Columbus, all in October, and will report directly to the Ducks' AHL affiliate. A former third-round draft pick by the New York Rangers in 2002, Guenin has appeared in 17 NHL games beginning in 2006-07 with the Philadelphia Flyers. He has no goals, two assists and a minus-3 rating at the NHL level.

In 30 AHL games this season, all with the Springfield Falcons, Guenin has no goals and five assists with 21 penalty minutes.

The Crunch lose their leading scorer in Smith, who has 12 goals and 27 points in 35 games this season. Syracuse figures to get help at center from Nick Bonino, whom the Ducks demoted Monday.

The Syracuse Post-Dispatch reports that the Ducks are recalling right wing Dan Sexton, though the team hasn't made an official announcement. Sexton has seven goals and 15 points in 14 AHL games this season.

It was a somber day for Emerson Etem and Kyle Palmieri at the World Junior Championships. The American forwards were held scoreless as the U.S. lost 4-1 to Canada in the semfinals, dashing their gold-medal ambitions in Buffalo.

The U.S. will play Sweden in the bronze-medal game Wednesday.

Goaltender Igor Bobkov didn't play in the Russians' 4-3 shootout win over Sweden in the other medal-round semifinal matchup. Bobkov has pretty much ceded the starting goalie position to Dmitri Shikin.

Nick Bonino has been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch, two months and a day after the Ducks recalled the rookie forward from their American Hockey League affiliate.

Getting extensive playing time as a third-line center, Bonino established himself as a reliable defensive player. He was tied for eighth among active forwards with an overall minus-3 rating - not bad considering the team's minus-10 goal differential - and a plus-1 on the road, best on the squad. But the 22-year-old also had the ignominious distinction of playing in more games (26) than any NHL player without a point.

Bonino's fate was sealed after the Ducks traded for Montreal Canadiens forward Maxim Kitsyn on Friday, demoted Bonino to the fourth line and moved him to left wing for the first time since he was in high school.

Jonas Hiller admitted to getting a little lucky at the end.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Hiller said after a memorable 39-save performance, including a perfect 19-save third period.

Jack Skille and Viktor Stalberg did their best to thwart perfection, but were both victims of a great Honda Center Heist - Skille's shot from a few feet out was gloved down at the goal line (it went to video review in Toronto; judge for yourself here), and Stalberg's shot deflected off Hiller's glove and over the net.

That was as close as Chicago came to tying the game after early goals by Andreas Lilja (his first as a Duck) and Corey Perry stood. That is, unless you consider the scary moment in the second period when Andy Sutton's stick accidentally got through the goalie's mask and clipped his eyebrow. "I'm glad nothing happened," Hiller said in the understatement of the evening.

More details in tomorrow's editions. A few more notes ...

The blogs are back up and running, a great way to ring in 2011, and I'll take advantage of this space to give you the full version of yesterday's game story. Only a partial version made it online:

The Ducks will begin the new year the same way they ended the last - without their captain and star center, Ryan Getzlaf.

Turns out that's not the end of the world.

The Ducks took advantage of a tired Philadelphia Flyers squad for a 5-2 win Friday before an announced crowd of 17,103 at Honda Center. Jason Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky scored two goals apiece and Bobby Ryan added another, each of them ending a notable scoring drought.

"He's irreplaceable," Blake said of Getzlaf. "He's our captain, he's our leader, not only on the ice but in the locker room. So I mean, you can't replace a guy like that. Guys obviously have to give a little bit more ... it was a good team effort."