An article on Sean O'Donnell va the LA Times
Sean O'Donnell has lived in Hermosa Beach for the last 12 years and has played an integral part in the Ducks' ascent to the top of the NHL since they pulled him out of a losing situation in Phoenix at the 2006 trade deadline.MVN has a look at the Ducks upcoming schedule
So when it came to his contract negotiations in June, O'Donnell made his priorities clear to General Manager Brian Burke.
"I spoke to Burkie briefly at the year-end meeting and let him know that I was very, very interested in staying and I'd be willing to take less than what I could possibly get out there," O'Donnell said.
"If it was going to be anywhere close to what I think it should be, I'll take it. I want to stay here. I live here, I love it here."
All that it took for O'Donnell to sign his two-year, $2.5-million deal was a contract offer from Burke, one that he considered was fair. The veteran defenseman didn't contain his glee when it was certain that he'd stay in Southern California.
"He called me right after he signed," Ducks captain Chris Pronger said. "He was pretty excited."
Said O'Donnell: "We're going to compete for the next couple of years that I'm here. After winning, you kind of feel like a family and I want to be a part of that."
O'Donnell, who turned 36 on Saturday, has become the ideal complement to Pronger on defense. Whenever Pronger decides to jump up in the play when the puck is in the offensive zone, O'Donnell is usually back to cover his partner in case the opposing team gains possession.
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BOC has a look at the Ducks Vs WildConsidering how the Anaheim Ducks started their season, this past week has been one of relative calm. With only one game to be played, the true home opener against Boston, the Ducks finally had time to catch their breath and get back into a regular routine. The week has seen a few rests and several practices, a ring ceremony, the raising of the Stanley Cup Champion banners and a pricey fan event at a local restaurant. Today was the last day of full practice before the games begin again in earnest.
On Sunday the Ducks will face the Minnesota Wild, a team we have not seen since the first round of the playoffs last spring. The Minnesota Wild are off to a 3-0 start this year with all their games played at home. The Wild will not have to give up home cooking on this road trip as the players’ moms are making the trip with their sons. Last year the dads had their trip and this year they are equalizing things with the moms. It is unclear whether mom’s presence will make Derek Boogaard behave or if she’ll be looking to take on George Parros’ mom in the stands.
The first game of the Wild’s trip is in Phoenix this evening, so they will have to fly to Anaheim after their game. It is likely that they will use the back up goalie in Phoenix and will save Nicklas Backstrom for tomorrow night’s game. Backstrom was phenomenal last spring for the Wild, although the Ducks found enough ways to beat him to move on in the playoffs. Backstrom has two shutouts in three starts, a 0.067 goals against average and .971% save percentage. They are the only team still undefeated in the Western Conference. Regardless of the any fatigue the Wild might have, the Ducks will still have to play well against them and figure out how to solve Backstrom.
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Well, back-to-back games starting tonight against the top two teams in the western standings, not to mention the two teams with the greatest tendency to get eliminated by Anaheim in the postseason (both got swept in 2003 and beaten again in 2007).
First off, there's the 4-0 Minnesota Wild, a game I've actually scored some tickets to. I don't know much about my seats, but I'll be somewhere in the Club Level--a first for me. One quick note about the Wild: last year the theme of this series was injuries. Marian Gaborik, Todd Fedoruk, and Chris Pronger all got hurt in the regular season, and Francois Beauchemin and Kim Johnsson were missing for postseason losses.
Now Wild fans everywhere hate the Ducks franchise, and who can blame them? Each time they've made the postseason, it's come to a quick and bitter end at the hands of Giguere and the Ducks. If there's a positive, it's that results were better the second time--the Wild not only won a game but also scored multiple goals.
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