Ducks 3, Carolina 2.

Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer and Petteri Nokelainen scored goals, and Corey Perry registered an assist to extend his NHL-leading scoring streak to 16 games.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere started and won his second straight game with a 28-save performance.

More details in tomorrow’s editions.

The latest on the Ducks’ injuries, and how they’re affecting the lineup.

Petteri Nokelainen probably summed it up best.


“I play with whoever they put me out to play with,” he said, “Right now it looks like we’re playing with everybody right now, especially when we’re two guys short in the middle.”

Those two guys — centers Saku Koivu and Ryan Carter — didn’t take part in a full practice Tuesday with their teammates. Koivu at least attempted to start, after skating for a half-hour on his own, but lasted about 15 minutes before walking off the ice. Carter, who bruised his foot in Columbus when it absorbed a teammate’s shot in practice, didn’t skate at all.

Continue reading “The latest on the Ducks’ injuries, and how they’re affecting the lineup.” »

Todd Marchant addresses trade rumor.

Knowing that statistics can be used to prove anything, here are a few to chew on: Todd Marchant’s goal against the Nashville Predators on Thursday was his first of the season in his 14th game.


Marchant was the subject of a recent trade rumorwhich, reading into the statistics, would make sense on paper if the Ducks desire more offense. AsMarchant himself said Thursday, “if this team was relying on me to score goals, we’d be in big trouble.”

But Marchant, a 17-year veteran, threw out another statistic Thursday to explain why he isn’t worried about his future.


Continue reading “Todd Marchant addresses trade rumor.” »

Beleskey up, Carter to IR.

The Ducks recalled Matt Beleskey from AHL San Antonio today after placing forward Ryan Carter (foot) on injured reserve. Beleskey practiced at Honda Center with teammates this morning, skating at left wing with Petteri Nokelainen at center and Todd Marchant at right wing.

Carter’s foot was struck by a puck Wednesday and he did not practice Friday. Head coach Randy Carlyle said that an MRI revealed a bone bruise, but no break.

Beleskey appeared in two games with the Ducks last season, going scoreless while averaging 11:09 time on ice. In eight games for San Antonio this season, he had one goal, three points and 15 penalty minutes.

“We don’t bring a player in without saying we’re going to play him. We’re going to pay him,” Carlyle said of Beleskey. “We expect the transition to be less than what he experienced last time around, for sure.”

A former fourth-round draft pick (2006), Beleskey made his NHL debut with the Ducks on Jan. 9 against Tampa Bay, recording a plus-1 rating in just under 14 minutes of ice time. He spent the rest of the season with AHL Iowa, earning 11 goals and 35 points, with 58 penalty minutes, in 58 games.

“I’ve had a lot of time to learn the system,” Beleskey said. “I’m starting to get used to it.”

The the 21-year-old he skated with both Marchant and Nokelainen in preseason games this year. Beleskey described his game as that of a “hard-nosed, hard-working forward who’s going to bang, and if I have to, go into the corners and muck it up.”