James Wisniewski awoke this morning a household name (again) in Chicago.
In case you missed his hit on Brent Seabrook in the second period of the Ducks’ 4-2 win over the Blackhawks last night, here is why the city of Chicago is calling for the former Blackhawk’s head on a platter.
According to a report on ESPN.com, the NHL is looking into the hit.
Continue reading “Report: NHL reviewing Wisniewski hit.” »
It may end up being a case of “too little, too late” for the Ducks, but beating the two best teams in the Western Conference in back-to-back games at least serves as a reminder of their potential.
Three days after beating the conference-leading San Jose Sharks, they handed the second-place Chicago Blackhawks a 4-2 loss minus their best player, Ryan Getzlaf, who missed the game with inflammation in his left ankle.
Ryan Carter filled Getzlaf’s spot and won a faceoff that led directly to the game’s first goal, by Bobby Ryan at 4:08 of the first period.
Todd Marchant and Saku Koivu also scored, and Ryan added an empty netter in the final minute – his 30th and 31st goals of the season coming on his 23rd birthday. Jonas Hiller withstood a 41-shot barrage for the victory. Corey Perry added two assists.
With 13 games remaining, the Ducks trail the Detroit Red Wings by eight points for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.
The worst team in the NHL gave the Ducks a run for their money in a sloppy game at Honda Center, before Anaheim pulled out its team-record 11th straight win on home ice.
Bobby Ryan scored twice, and Todd Marchant scored the game-winning goal on a deflection of James Wisniewski’s point shot at 8:21 of the third period. Jonas Hiller made 37 saves but was beaten twice on short-handed rushes in the second period.
“It didn’t matter how we did it,” Hiller said. “We did it and it’s a great feeling.”
Continue reading “Ducks 3, Edmonton 2.” »
Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored in the final six minutes of the third period to break a 4-4 tie, and send the Ducks to their third loss in three meetings against their Southern California rivals.
The Ducks looked as good as dead at 1:44 of the third period, when Jack Johnson scored the Kings’ fourth straight unanswered goal to make it 4-1. But Troy Bodie, Matt Beleskey and Ryan Carter put pucks past Jonathan Quick over the next eight minutes to tie the game at 4, and put the Ducks in position to gain at least a point.
Continue reading “Kings 6, Ducks 4.” »
As the page turns on 2010, the Ducks have at last figured out the secret to success: Just play every game at home.
A come-from-behind win over the Blues on Thursday was the Ducks’ fifth straight at Honda Center, and it gave them a jolt of confidence that they can only hope lasts into the weekend.
Rugged defenseman Barret Jackman scored his first two goals of the season to stake St. Louis to an early lead before the Ducks scored the game’s final three goals over the final 12 minutes to grab a much-needed win.
“At times, it wasn’t a pretty hockey game, but we found a way to win,” head coach Randy Carlyle said. “That is the most encouraging thing for us because we found a way to lose these hockey games before. This time we found a way to win it.”
Continue reading “Ducks 4, St. Louis 2.” »
Playing their second straight game without injured center Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks’ offense didn’t suffer nearly as much as their defense in Dallas.
Loui Eriksson’s hat trick, including a short-handed goal that opened the scoring, sent the Ducks to their third loss in their last four games. Eriksson’s second goal was the back-breaker — draped by Sheldon Brookbank, he flung a one-handed shot weakly between the legs of Jonas Hiller that somehow eldued the Ducks’ goalie at 6:19 of the second period.
Exactly 30 seconds after that goal tied it at 2, Stephane Robidas’ point shot angled in off the stick of Ducks defenseman Nick Boynton, and the Stars would not trail again.
Saku Koivu scored twice, and Dan Sexton added a pair of assists, in a losing effort for the Ducks. Mike Brown scored his career-high fifth goal for the Ducks, who got 37 saves from Hiller.
Forward Todd Marchant left the game midway through the second period and did not return.
On a night when Ryan Getzlaf missed his first game of the season — along with injured forwards Teemu Selanne and Joffrey Lupul — Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle had his work cut out for him Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. Divvying up the time on ice was a challenge, but the end result was a 4-2 victory.
Continue reading “Minutes from Tuesday’s meeting.” »
The Ducks’ one-game homestand was a successful one.
Bobby Ryan played an assertive game with two goals and an assist, Dan Sexton scored his sixth goal of the season, and Todd Marchant added an empty-netter during a late 6-on-4 Wild power play. Jonas Hiller had a few gems among his 29 saves.
Teemu Selanne had the screw removed today from his broken left hand and is expected to return to the lineup in a week. That means he could be back for next Tuesday’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings — four weeks and five days after he sustained the injury in Dallas.
More details to come.
If you missed the first 53 minutes of this one, you were fine.
The Ducks staged a remarkable comeback over the final 7:35, when they scored all four of their goals against a previously invincible Craig Anderson to beat the Avs 4-2.
Scott Niedermayer, Dan Sexton and Ryan Getzlaf led the march, and Todd Marchant finished it off with a lateempty-net goal, rewarding an effort that saw the Ducks (15-14-7) outshoot the Avalanche (21-12-6), 43-17.
Jonas Hiller stopped 15 shots, allowing the first NHL goal by rookie Brandon Yip in the first period, and another to Paul Stastny at 3:28 of the third period.
Niedermayer scored on a breakout play, catching Anderson out of position for the first time all game at 12:25 of the third period. At 15:05, Koivu made a slick move out from behind his own net, then fed Sexton in the bottom right circle for the rookie’s fifth goal this season.
The top-line of pair of Getzlaf and Corey Perry scored the game-winner with 25 seconds left in the third period, with Perry slipping a backhand pass to Getzlaf for his second assist of the night. Anderson received an unfitting reward for his 39-save effort, watching from the bench as Marchant scored an empty-netter with 10.4 seconds left.
It could have been a product of the Phoenix Coyotes’ defense. It could have been a product of the Ducks’ team speed. It could have been an aberration, or it could be a turning point.
Whatever the case, the Ducks had not scored four goals in regulation for more than a month — and only six times all season –before Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Phoenix. Two came on the power play which, considering the Ducks were up a man for more than 11 minutes, is to be expected.
The other two came not from the dump-and-grind style that became the Ducks’ trademark under Randy Carlyle, one that had other teams bulking up to push and prod their way to the net after the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007. Both were breakaway plays, dependent upon up-and-down speed by Kyle Chipchura and Matt Brown as much as their persistence.
Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov did well to turn away many more breakout scoring chances by the Ducks, who scarcely held the territorial advantage.They were outshot 30-15 through two periods before several third-period penalties to Phoenix allowed Anaheim to settle into the offensive zone.
Continue reading “Suddenly, Ducks looking like a fastbreak team.” »