Ducks announce schedule changes; TV dates coming soon.

The Ducks announced six new game times today; adjust your schedules accordingly:

Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Washington – game time is now 4:30 p.m. PST

Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Vancouver – game time is now 7:35 p.m. PST

Monday, Dec. 19 at Dallas – game time is now 5 p.m. PST

Saturday, Jan. 21 vs. Ottawa – game time is now 1:05 p.m. PST

Wednesday, Feb. 1 vs. Dallas – game time is now 7:35 p.m. PST

Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Minnesota – game time is now 4:30 p.m. PST

The team also announced that its 2011-12 regular season television schedule will be released “soon.”

Ducks’ national TV schedule announced.

The Ducks will make their national television debut from Sweden this season, among eight scheduled appearances announced Thursday by the NHL.
 
The Ducks-Rangers game on Oct. 8 in Stockholm will air on Versus (and be simulcast on Canadian network TSN). The other seven dates: Nov. 1 at Washington (Versus), Nov. 3 at the New York Rangers (NHL Network), Dec. 19 at Dallas (Versus), Feb. 10 at Detroit (NHL Network), Feb. 14 at Minnesota (Versus), Feb. 26 vs. Chicago (Versus), March 12 at Colorado (Versus).

Twenty-two games were selected for weekend broadcasts on NBC this season, not including the Winter Classic at Philadelphia on Jan. 2, but the Ducks won’t get any major-network exposure in Year 1 of the reported $2 billion, 10-year broadcast deal.

Considering the Ducks only appeared once on national television during the 2010-11 regular season — a December game in Boston on Versus — the exposure is clearly increasing.

KDOC and Fox Sports West/Fox Sports Prime Ticket will return as the Ducks’ local broadcast partners in 2011-12.

First-round local TV/radio schedule announced.

The Ducks have announced their local TV and radio schedule for their Western Conference quarterfinal series vs. Nashville:

TV
Game   Date                                 Venue                            Time (Pacific)    TV
1            Wednesday, Apr. 13     Honda Center              7:30 p.m.             KDOC             
2            Friday, Apr. 15                Honda Center              7:30 p.m.             KDOC
3            Sunday, Apr. 17             Bridgestone Arena      3 p.m.                      FSW       
4            Wednesday, Apr. 20     Bridgestone Arena      5:30 p.m.                      KDOC
5            Friday, Apr. 22*              Honda Center              7:00 p.m.             PRIME TICKET
6            Sunday, Apr. 24*           Bridgestone Arena      TBD                      PRIME TICKET
7            Tuesday, Apr. 26*         Honda Center              TBD                       TBD

RADIO
Game    Date                                 Venue                           Time (Pacific)   Radio
1             Wednesday, Apr. 13     Honda Center             7:30 p.m.           KLAA 830AM
2             Friday, Apr. 15                Honda Center             7:30 p.m.           KTLK 1150AM
3             Sunday, Apr. 17             Bridgestone Arena     TBD                    KLAA 830AM
4             Wednesday, Apr. 20     Bridgestone Arena     TBD                    KTLK 1150AM
5             Friday, Apr. 22*               Honda Center             7:00 p.m.           KTLK 1150AM
6             Sunday, Apr. 24*            Bridgestone Arena     TBD                    TBD
7             Tuesday, Apr. 26*          Honda Center              TBD                   TBD

Heritage Classic chat today.

Dear readers,

I’ve accepted an invitation to participate in a live chat, hosted by HockeyPrimeTime.com, during today’s Heritage Classic game between Montreal and Calgary (starts at 3 p.m.). I’m extending the invitation to you – and to make it even easier, you can hop in the room right here, without leaving the comforts of insidesocal.com. The game is going to be televised locally on Versus. Come back at 3 and chat it up:

Ducks’ TV schedule includes a welcome upgrade.

The Ducks announced a TV package today that will see 81 of 82 games broadcast live — the other is being blacked out by Versus — and all 81 in high definition.

That last bit of information will come as welcome news to fans who had grown accustomed to squinting to find the puck during regular-defintion broadcasts on KDOC (Channel 56). The Santa Ana-based station has upgraded its equipment to show 17 games in Hi-Def this season. Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West will air an additional 63 games, with the three games between the Kings and Ducks at Staples Center featuring the Kings’ broadcast crew behind the microphone.

The game at Boston on Dec. 20 (4:30 p.m.) will air nationally on Versus. The only game the Ducks will not televise in 2010-11 is the Dec. 21 game at Buffalo (4:30 p.m.), due to a mandatory blackout window during another Versus telecast.

Play-by-play man John Ahlers and analyst Brian Hayward return for their eighth year together as the television broadcast team.

 

USA 6, Finland 1.

Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne won’t be playing for gold.

Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney will be after a big win Friday over the Finns

Team USA sent a message by scoring all six of their goals in the game’s first 12:46, chasing goalie Miikka Kiprusoff after the first four, and matching their most lopsided win of the tournament. Whitney and Ryan were held scoreless; Ryan sustained a head injury midway through the third period but remained on the bench and did not appear (on TV) to be bleeding.

Patrick Kane scored twice and Ryan Malone, Paul Stastny, Erik Johnson and Zach Parise scored goals for the U.S.

Selanne’s decorated Olympic career will come to an end Saturday night against the loser of tonight’s game between Canada and Slovakia. He and Koivu were held scoreless, their team’s only goal coming off the stick of Antti Miettinen, after Tim Thomas had relieved U.S. starter Ryan Miller in goal.

Hiller, Swiss come through in Olympics.

Jonas Hiller rebounded from some shaky moments in regulation to stop two of three attempts by Belarus in the shootout, and lift Switzerland to a 3-2 victory and a berth in the quarterfinals against Team USA.

The Ducks netminder stopped 20 of 22 shots over 70 minutes of hockey, surviving some long rebounds against a relatively weak opponent. Flash forward to the second round of the shootout, where all Hiller has to do is stop Dzmitry Mialeshka’s shot for the win. But Mialeshka embarrasses the Swiss goalie, faking him face-first to the ice then rattling the puck up and over Hiller, between the pipes.

Onto the third round, where Switzerland couldn’t score on the other end, putting the pressure back on Hiller. Belarus’ Sergei Kotstitsyn tried to wrap the puck around Hiller’s right leg, but Hiller made like a snow angel, sticking his skate out to stop the puck at the goal post. It amounted to a poor start but strong finish for the Anaheim goalie, who will probably need a better effort tomorrow to thwart the top-seeded U.S. squad.

Haven’t mentioned Luca Sbisa much because he’s generally been having quiet games for the Swiss. But on Tuesday, Sbisa stood out with an aggressive game. He didn’t figure into the scoring but put two shots on goal and seems to have adapted to the in-your-face North American style of defense. It stood out.

USA 5, Canada 3.

Believe it: The United States beat the Canadians on their own soil, going a perfect 3-0 in Group A and earning a bye into the quarterfinals of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament.

With Corey Perry in the penalty box for slashing, Jamie Langenbrunner scored the eventual game-winning goal with just under 13 minutes left in the third period.

Brian Rafalski scored twice, Chris Drury scored once, and Ryan Kesler poke-checked the game’s final goal past Perry and into an empty net to seal the victory. The Ducks’ Bobby Ryan picked up the assist on Drury’s second-period goal, the only point among the five Anaheim players in the game.

Ryan Miller made 42 saves for the victory.

Cue your DVRs, Duck fans.

During the NHL Olympic Break, FSN Prime Ticket will re-air several Ducks games from the first half of the 2009-10 NHL season.

The four-game classic series begins Friday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. with Anaheim’s 6-1 victory at Boston from Oct. 8. In addition to the classic games, Freeway Face-off: Midseason Report will debut Monday, Feb. 22 on Prime Ticket beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Freeway Face-off: Bound for B.C. will also re-air three additional nights on Prime Ticket, beginning Friday, Feb. 19 (4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.). Below is a complete list of Ducks coverage on PRIME TICKET through the remainder of the Olympic Break.

DUCKS CLASSICS
Fri., Feb. 19 8 p.m. at Boston (from Oct. 8) W, 6-1
Sun., Feb. 21 8 p.m. vs. Calgary (from Jan. 17) W, 5-4
Tues., Feb. 23 8 p.m. at St. Louis (from Jan. 23) W, 4-3 SO
Fri., Feb. 26 8:30 p.m. vs. Los Angeles (from Feb. 8) W, 4-2

FREEWAY FACE-OFF: MIDSEASON REPORT
Debuts:
Mon., Feb. 22 (10:30 p.m.)
Re-airs:
Tues., Feb. 23 (7:30 p.m.)
Wed., Feb. 24 (2 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.)
Thurs., Feb. 25 (7 p.m.)
Fri., Feb. 26 (10:30 p.m.)
Sat., Feb. 27 (11:30 a.m.)

FREEWAY FACE-OFF: BOUND FOR B.C.
Re-airs:
Fri., Feb. 19 (4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.)
Sat., Feb. 20 (11:30 a.m. & 10:30 p.m.)
Sun., Feb. 21 (2 p.m.)