Tag Archives: Ducks

Ducks notes, quotes and lineup ahead of Tuesday’s game against San Jose

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The Ducks went back to work Tuesday at Honda Center, skating together for the first time since suffering a 2-1 overtime loss last Thursday to the Ottawa Senators in the last game of a six-game cross-continent trip that took them to the Christmas break.

The biggest topic for discussion before the third-place Ducks (17-12-6) faced the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks (21-12-1) was hitting the re-set button on a season that’s featured wildly inconsistent play over the first 35 games. The midway point in the 82-game regular season is right around the corner and time for improvement is at hand.

“After a three- or four-day break with family and friends we should all be refreshed and looking forward to getting this thing going again against an obviously great opponent and a big rival of ours to start out here,” Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said.

What needs to change for the rest of the season?

Everything.

Nothing.

“There shouldn’t be any confusion, any question marks about what is expected in certain situations,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “That’s been our message. It was our message before we left for the break and it’s our message again when they came back this morning, that we’re going to hold them accountable to that.”

The Ducks’ lineup (see below) looked pretty much the same as before the break, with Rickard Rakell back at left wing on a line with center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry. Carlyle broke them up in order to get Rakell moving better during the loss to the Senators.

Carlyle also said Tuesday he likes Rakell on left wing, but that eventually he’d prefer to have the 23-year-old Swede at center. Rakell’s scalding start to the season was aided in part because he was playing with Getzlaf and Perry. Rakell had 14 goals and 21 points in 24 games before the break.

Here are the Ducks’ lines, pairs and expected starting goalie.

Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry

Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg

Ritchie-Vermette-Kase

Cramarossa-Shaw-Boll

Fowler-Vatanen

Lindholm-Manson

Bieksa-Theodore

Gibson

Bernier

The Sharks skated in San Jose at their practice facility and then flew south.

Tommy Wingels isn’t expected to play, but Michael Haley is.

Kings’ Jeff Carter out of World Cup with an injury; Ducks’ Corey Perry replaces him

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Kings forward Jeff Carter is out of the World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada because of a lower-body injury and right wing Corey Perry will replace him, joining Ducks teammate Ryan Getzlaf for the eight-team tournament, which begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.

Team Canada opens its training camp Monday in Ottawa.

“I know Jeff wanted to play and represent Canada and his decision to step aside as they continue to monitor his injury speaks to his character and willingness to put Team Canada’s success above all else,” Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong told TSN.ca Friday.

“We look forward to seeing him back on the ice when the NHL season resumes.”

Carter’s status is said to be day-to-day. The Kings begin training camp Sept. 23 at their El Segundo training facility. He scored 24 goals last season. Carter was Perry’s teammate on the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Perry is one of eight active players to have won a Stanley Cup championship (2007), Olympic gold (2010, ’14) and World Championship gold (’16). He also is one of two players to have added a World Junior Championship, joining former Ducks teammate Scott Niedermayer.

As a 50-goal scorer and Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s MVP in 2011, Perry’s absence from Canada’s initial roster was a surprise. He led the Ducks with 34 goals last season, his sixth consecutive season with 30 goals or more, matching Paul Kariya for second-best in team history.

Ducks’ list of free agents (restricted and unrestricted)

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Free agency begins July 1, and Ducks general manager Bob Murray figures to be busy. Here’s a list of the Ducks’ unrestricted free agents (those eligible to sign with other teams without the Ducks having the right to match their offers), via the indispensable website generalfanager.com:

Forwards Shawn Horcoff, Jamie McGinn, David Perron, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, defenseman Korbinian Holzer and goaltender Anton Khudobin.

Here are the Ducks’ restricted free agents (those whose rights the Ducks continue to hold):

Forwards Brandon Pirri and Rickard Rakell, defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen and goalie Frederik Andersen.

 

Freeway Series Game 5: Ontario Reign 2, San Diego Gulls 1

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The Reign took the series from the Gulls four games to one and advanced to the American Hockey League’s Western Conference final. Here’s the recap from our man on the scene, Jim Alexander: http://www.pe.com/articles/pushed-802964-reign-test.html

Here’s the more Gulls-centric story from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/14/gulls-reign-playoffs-hockey/

Game 1 against either Grand Rapids or Lake Erie is Saturday in Ontario.

Freeway Series Game 4: Ontario Reign 4, San Diego Gulls 3 (OT)

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Here’s the story on the Reign’s unlikely hero in their Game 4 overtime victory Friday over the Gulls, via Jim Alexander of the Press-Enterprise: http://www.pe.com/articles/kid-802913-plays-reign.html

Here’s the view from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/13/gulls-reign-chris-mueller-kings-ducks/

Game 5 is Saturday night in Ontario.

Freeway Series Game 3: San Diego Gulls 3, Ontario Reign 0

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Here’s the recap from our man in Ontario, Jim Alexander: http://www.pe.com/articles/ontario-802356-series-alexander.html

Here’s the story from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/08/gulls-overcome-adversity-to-beat-reign-3-0/

Game 4 is Friday in San Diego.

Freeway Series Game 2: Ontario Reign 2, San Diego Gulls 1 (OT)

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Here’s the recap from Jim Alexander, our man on the scene Saturday in San Diego: http://www.pe.com/articles/pay-802307-persistence-reign.html

Here’s the San Diego Union-Tribune story: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/07/despite-hacketts-heroics-gulls-fall-2-1-to-reign/

Game 3 is Sunday in Ontario.

 

Ducks offer congratulations to Bruce Boudreau on his hiring as Minnesota Wild coach

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Here’s what Ducks general manager Bob Murray said about the Minnesota Wild’s hiring of Bruce Boudreau as their coach Saturday: “On behalf of the club, congratulations to Bruce and the Minnesota Wild. Although coaching changes are extremely difficult, we felt that Bruce could be back behind the bench quickly. Everyone in the organization is very pleased he’s getting another deserved opportunity.”