Mike Brown, Kyle Chipchura, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan scored goals, and Jonas Hiller withstood a 41-shot barrage, as the Ducks gained a badly needed two points in regulation.
Continue reading “Ducks 4, Phoenix 2.” »
Kyle Chipchura might be best off centering either the third or the fourth line in the Ducks’ lineup. The jury’s still out. At
least in Anaheim, unlike Montreal, the jury consists of only one coach, Randy
Carlyle.
“It’s not like everybody you run into on the street is
trying to coach and has something to say,” Chipchura said Tuesday. “In that
sense, the personal pressure is lower.”
Continue reading “Chipchura finding his spot.” »
A team spokesperson reports that Teemu Selanne had surgery this afternoon to repair a fractured bone in
his left hand. The successful operation was performed by Dr. Steve Shin
at the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles. Selanne is expected
to miss 4-6 weeks.
He hasn’t been the same physically since an injury, his confidence has wavered recently, and yet he’s still got plenty of upside as a hockey player. It could describe center Erik Christensen, whom the Ducks lost Wednesday via waivers to the New York Rangers.
When the Canadiens traded him yesterday, Chipchura had no points in 19 games and was minus-2. He was a healthy scratch eight times and his ice time dropped steadily as head coach Jacques Martin lost confidence in him.
Any chance Chipchura could salvage his career in Montreal ended on Tuesday night. He played only three shifts and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored on two of them. Chipchura lost the puck on the shift that produced the second Toronto goal and watched the remainder of the game from the bench.
Chipchura worked hard and had the good attitude you expect from a guy who has been a captain for most of his career. But his skills seemed to be just short of what’s required in the NHL.
His biggest drawback was a lack of confidence in himself. In a conversation this year, he said he had to overcome his nervousness when he was on the ice.
The Ducks have acquired center Kyle Chipchura from the Montreal Canadiens for a fourth-round 2011 draft pick. In another move, defenseman Brendan Mikkelson was returned to Toronto of the AHL and defenseman Brett Festerling was recalled from Toronto.
Continue reading “Chipchura, Festerling in; Mikkelson, Christensen out. Updates.” »