Well, I took the weekend mostly off as there was no game. However there was still some interesting news. Enjoy!
Kondratiev decides to head home
On Thursday, Maxim Kondratiev was placed on waivers by the Ducks and what was even more of a surprise was the fact he went unclaimed. With Edmonton, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh all looking for a puck moving defenseman, it was certainly a shock to see him not be claimed.
He only played four games with the Ducks and was scoreless over that span, but he did play well for the Ducks in the absence of Mathieu Schneider.
Read the rest here - Link
The Winnipeg Free press has a look at the Ducks
FORGIVE the hunting analogy, but it's just too obvious to resist. The Anaheim Ducks have gone from the hunter to the hunted.
Life on the run, the boys from the backyard of Disney are finding, is not as fun as being part of the posse.
The Ducks went from a franchise with a laughable name and little history to contender three seasons ago under the guidance of GM Brian Burke and rookie NHL head coach Randy Carlyle.
Last season, they rode to the top with a roster that had it all.
Pre-eminent defencemen in Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Pronger gave the Ducks a blue line for the ages. Teemu Selanne rediscovered the scoring touch that at one point in his NHL days made him the league's top sniper. Young slingers like Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Winkler's Dustin Penner crackled with exuberance and offensive talent. And finally, the club tossed in a dash of brutality that allowed them to bully those who dared to mix it up.
It all combined for a Stanley Cup run that stuttered only momentarily in Detroit before hitting a gear no one else could match.
Today, it's worth bird droppings as the Ducks struggle to stay afloat in the Pacific Division with a 6-8-3 record prior to Friday's divisional scrap with the San Jose Sharks.
"We've faced lots of adversity. The loss of two players, a taxing travel schedule to begin the season and the so-called Stanley Cup hangover that teams fight after a championship season," said Carlyle, heading into the Honda Centre for a practice this week. "All these things are front and centre and these are the challenges we're trying to rise above."
Don't be mistaken; Carlyle isn't the type to look for excuses. But he's wise enough to understand his group is facing new challenges, as is the coach himself.
Read the rest here - Link
The Sports Network has a look at the Ducks as well
The Anaheim Ducks' quest to defend their championship is off to a rocky start.
Since hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history last season, the Ducks haven't quite looked like the same team. Part of that has to do with the fact that they aren't the same team.
There was some hint of irony when the Ducks dropped the "Mighty" portion of their name prior to the 2006-07 season before going on to capture the league championship.
Behind the likes of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Rob and Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Teemu Selanne, the Ducks finished the season with a franchise record 110 points before defeating Ottawa in five games in the NHL finals.
Read the rest here - Link
The LA Daily News has a look at the Ducks defense
The Ducks' defense went from bad to good in a span of 72 hours this week.
After being chided in practice Thursday for allowing six goals to Phoenix the previous night, the Ducks faced a difficult task from the opening period against San Jose on Friday. The Sharks were handed three power plays in the opening period -- either by the Ducks or by the referees, depending on your point of view -- and totaled nine shots to the Ducks' three before the period was over.
But goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere and the defense weathered the storm nicely, and the Sharks managed 17 shots the rest of the way to the Ducks' 21. The Ducks went on to win in a shootout, 3-2.
"After the first period I think we calculated they had eight chances and five were on the power play," head coach Randy Carlyle said after a 90-minute practice Saturday at Honda Center. "We found a way in the second and third to play more of the type of hockey that we needed to play."
In that sense, the final statistics were somewhat misleading. San Jose had a power-play goal late in the second period when Joe Thornton slipped a shot through the legs of Chris Pronger and past Giguere.
Read the rest here - Link
The LA Times has a great look at the Ducks first come from behind victory since Boston
It took 18 games, but a first was finally accomplished by the Ducks this season.
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A 3-2 shootout victory Friday night over San Jose was the first time the Ducks have won after trailing through two periods. Given that there have been 10 times in which they entered the third period behind, it was a significant accomplishment.
It was also just the second come-from-behind win for Anaheim, with the other coming in the home opener against Boston when the Ducks erased a 1-0 first-period deficit.
The OC Register has a look at the Ducks
Through their first 16 games this season, a sequence capped by Monday night's ugly 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars in the opener of a four-game home stand, the Ducks came from behind to win just once.
On two other occasions, they recovered from deficits to reach overtime, only to lose in shootouts. Never had the Ducks staged a successful rally after falling more than one goal behind.
"I think the Dallas game kind of shocked us," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said Saturday. "That was disappointing because we couldn't muster any emotion for the third period."
When the Stars built on a 1-0 lead by scoring three second-period goals, including two in the final 1:32, the Ducks had no response.
Read the rest here - Link
MVN has a good look at some of the upcoming charitable work from the Ducks
The Ducks, as with most NHL teams, have a strong community focus. With the holidays coming up rapidly, especially with some displays up prior to Halloween, there are lots of opportunities to think of others.
1) In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday on November 22nd, Honda Center and the Ducks have joined forces once again with the local nonprofit organization, We Give Thanks, Inc. and La Casa Garcia restaurant. They will host a free Thanksgiving dinner for local residents who would otherwise go without. Over the past 20 years, We Give Thanks has provided more than 200,000 free meals to those in need on Thanksgiving.
Read the rest here - Link
