Game Day Preview and a few other things....

Just a reminder, today's game starts at 12:30 not 10:30 as originally scheduled.

Game Day Preview via Fox Sports and the AP

The Anaheim Ducks have come away with losses in each of their last five visits to Dallas. They have reason to believe this one might be different.

Anaheim (27-17-6) looks to earn at least a point in its 10th straight contest on Sunday when it visits the Stars at the American Airlines Center.

The Ducks are 0-4-1 in their last five games in Dallas since Feb. 10, and have scored a total of four goals in that span.

But since ringing in the new year, Anaheim has played its best hockey this season. The Ducks have won six straight and are 8-0-1 in their past nine games, which has moved them atop the Pacific, one point ahead of the Stars (27-18-5).

Read the rest here - Link

Game preview via LA Times

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle can be a taskmaster who wants things done his way, but don't accuse him of not being able to listen.
Before a game against Calgary in late November, a struggling Todd Bertuzzi went to Carlyle to discuss the possibility of moving to the left wing instead of the right-side spot that he has played for most of his career.

With his effort to mesh Bertuzzi with Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz failing, Carlyle took the suggestion and put it into action.

Read the rest here - Link

The Dad's

If the Ducks manage to cap a perfect three-game trip by beating the Dallas Stars today at American Airlines Center, they might want to consider putting fathers of the team's players on their payroll.

Including games against the Phoenix Coyotes and Kings last season, the Ducks are 4-0 when the club has played host to players' fathers on what has become something of a trend with teams around the NHL. The Ducks posted a 2-1 victory Thursday at Nashville and a 4-2 triumph Friday at Minnesota.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News - Non Game News

Not too much news today, but I've got a few videos gems for you.  Enjoy!

Burke has sympathy (?)

As the front office watch with the Toronto Maple Leafs continued Wednesday, the parties involved got some much-needed sympathy from fellow NHL executive Brian Burke.

The Anaheim Ducks' general manager, who recently denied media speculation that he would one day join the struggling hockey team, did not hide his disappointment at the overall treatment of John Ferguson Jr.

Read the rest here - Link

I call it the Niedermayer Effect

Numbers have never truly defined Scott Niedermayer's impact on a team, but there is one set that is the clearest gauge of what he has meant to the Ducks since he ended his dance with retirement.
10-2-2.

Before the defenseman's return, the Ducks were an inconsistent bunch stumbling along with a 15-15-4 record that had them sitting outside the Western Conference playoff picture. Since the return of Niedermayer, the Ducks sit one point out of the Pacific Division lead.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks shopping Edmonton's first round pick

Some might argue that unless another NHL GM loses his sanity and overwhelms Anaheim’s Brian Burke with a trade offer nobody in their right mind would reject, there’s not a hope in hell Burke trades the first round pick he received from Edmonton in exchange for Dustin Penner.

Read the rest here - Link

J.S. Giguere's Commercial

 

Doug Weight Interview

Anaheim Ducks News for Wednesday

Well I've got another Teemu Selanne retirement update and a few other news items featuring Chris Pronger, Jonas Hiller and more!

Teemu Selanne Retirement Update and a little on Drew Miller

Teemu Selanne doesn't have a decision yet, but at least he has a timetable.

"I'll take this week, and next week and we'll see how it goes," Selanne said after a 90-minute workout Tuesday morning at Anaheim Ice.

It's the most specific time frame Selanne has offered for a decision on ending his unofficial retirement. The Ducks' all-time leading scorer began a skating program earlier this month and said he would have a decision sometime in January. The team has not pressed him to make a decision.

Read the rest here - Link

Varius has some reasons for Teemu to play

It can be said that Teemu Selanne, also known to many fans as “The Finnish Flash”, was on his way downhill after landing with the San Jose Sharks and then Colorado Avalanche. He failed to win a Cup in Denver with best-buddy Paul Kariya. He seemed to be done for. However, Ducks’GM Brian Burke decided to take a chance on him. Selanne did have knee surgery and a lot of time to rest during the lockout. Selanne also had some of his best years in Anaheim, so Burke took a gamble that paid off greatly. For just 1 million, he bought himself a 40-goal scorer as Teemu found himself a new man.

Read the rest here - Link

Pronger is going to savor the all-stars

”As a defenseman, you really just have to enjoy yourself at the All-Star Game since it’s obviously a show for the offensive stars in the League,’’ Pronger told NHL.com. “The games played over the past few seasons have been pretty high-scoring affairs and we defensemen get hit in waves. I still feel there comes a point in the game when the competitive juices start to flow for us (defensemen), and we begin to play at a higher level. You certainly want to put on a good show, but at the same time you don’t want to get hurt.’’

Read the rest here- Link

A nice profile/interview of Hiller

"For people who aren't close to the team," he says, "they probably think I sit on the bench all the time and do nothing."

Hiller is the Ducks' backup goalie, No. 2 at a position that accommodates only one. His team played 60 minutes Tuesday against Dallas and Hiller, predictably, played none of them.

He did skate in warmups, faced some shots from his teammates and even extensively stretched his groin muscles.

Then he retreated to the locker room, put on a baseball cap and later assumed his usual spot, near a collection of water bottles and the wooden bin that holds the rest of the Ducks' sticks.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks vs. Predators Preview

The Anaheim Ducks have been a much improved team with Scott Niedermayer in their lineup. Most of that success, however, has come at home.

The surging Ducks play 12 of their next 13 games on the road, a difficult stretch that begins Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.

A career high-tying three points from Niedermayer and another strong performance by goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere helped the Ducks (25-17-6) to their fourth straight win, 4-2 over visiting Dallas on Tuesday.

Read the rest here - Link

MVN Update on a lot of things

The Ducks headed out of town this morning with a four game winning streak, second place in the Pacific Division (one point behind San Jose) and fourth place in the Western Conference.  The Ducks have put together two previous four game winning streaks this season - November 9 - 17 and December 18 - 27.

The Ducks will try to put together their first five game winning streak in Nashville on Thursday.  They also visit Minnesota on Friday and Dallas on Sunday before heading home.

Read the rest here - Link

Casino Night is coming.....

“Casino Night is always such a fun and fantastic event with a great new theme every year,” said Ducks owner, Susan Samueli.  “What remains constant, however, is our commitment to raising funds for Orangewood Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that positively impacts the lives of foster youth in Orange County.  We are proud to partner with Orangewood and support this important cause.”

Partygoers will have the chance to place bids on a variety of silent auction items and enter in opportunity drawings throughout the evening.  Silent auction and opportunity drawing items include tropical/mountain vacations, Ducks tickets and autographed merchandise and jewelry.  Admission to the Cotton Club VIP Lounge was $500 each and general admission tickets were $100 each.  For more information, please visit http://casinonight.p11.com/.

Read the rest here - Link

Scottie for the Hart Trophy?

There's not supposed to be any room for part-timers, at least not when it comes to considering candidates for major individual trophies.

Good thing, too, 'cause if they were awarding the Hart Trophy for league MVP honors solely on the basis of impact, without consideration to the number of games individuals have played, it would be a runaway race between two contestants.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday

Hello all, one more player to add to the IR list.  Rob Niedermayer is out with a leg issue. Other than that, it was a slow news day.

Here is a pick of Sammy and Giggy with the cup - See the original here - Link

Picks from the State of the Team - Link

Ducks Injury update via MVN

The Ducks held a light optional practice yesterday and this morning they were back to the usual pre-game routine. Missing from action was George Parros, who was put on the IR yesterday after news that he would be out longer than a week with a bruised knee. Rob Niedermayer was also missing due to a leg injury suffered “either last game or in the practice before,” per coach Randy Carlyle.

Read the rest here - Link

Another update on injuries

The Ducks will be without two-thirds of their vaunted checking line Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars at Honda Center, with right wing Rob Niedermayer joining center Samuel Pahlsson on the sidelines.

Niedermayer suffered a groin injury early in Sunday’s 4-3, overtime victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks, and though he made it through the game, the results weren’t good when Niedermayer tried to skate Tuesday morning.

Read the rest here - Link

The Kits for Kids drive update

The Ducks announced today the overwhelming success of the second annual Kits for Kids Donation Drive. Ducks fans and supporters donated over 1,600 Wild Wingers Kids Club kits to patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) during the holiday season.  A majority of the kits were personally delivered by the entire Ducks roster during the team’s holiday visit to CHOC on Dec. 20, 2007.

“We’re so pleased with the response from the community to our donation drive,” said Ducks Director of Fan Development Matt Savant.  “Seeing the faces of CHOC patients light up when they received their kits was priceless and we hope to build on this success for next year’s drive.”

Read the rest here - Link

A profile on Beauchemin

It isn't often that Francois Beauchemin has scored a game-winning goal in overtime.
In fact, the Ducks' third-year defenseman couldn't recall Monday if he had scored an overtime goal in junior hockey or the minor leagues.
"That's not something you really think about," said Beauchemin, a day after his second goal of the season beat San Jose, 4-3. "But I'm glad that it happened."

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Monday

I am finally getting back into the swing of things after a week off.  There is a lot to report on as the Ducks have recalled Miller and a few other articles were posted today.

Build your on life size Rob Niedermayer Poster - Find out how - Link

Ryan Miller is recalled, a status update on the injuries and a few other misc. notes via MVN

Miller’s return is primarily due to the fact that George Parros is now on IR with his bruised knee, retroactive to last Wednesday. Although Parros skated lightly today, he is still not progressing fast enough to be reinserted into the line up.

Sami Pahlsson experienced a set back at practice on Saturday with new soreness in the abdominal area. As a result, he was not taken off IR and will not play against Dallas tomorrow evening. Even though he is on IR, he is still considered day to day. It will depend on how soon he recovers and if he does not have further soreness and inflammation.

Read the rest of this great post here - Link

Francois Beauchemin gets a little coverage in the OC Register

“Sometimes the minus is a stat you don’t look at specifically,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “His was minus-12 at one point. We talked to him about trying to do less, be safer, get your confidence from a defensive aspect first before you start to stray out on the other side of it. He’s been more conservative and he’s picked his times to jump into the play. That’s what we ask of all our defensemen.”

Read the rest here - Link

Official Ducks interview of Beauchemin

Having to deal with the absence of his defensive partner from the past two seasons, and as a result an increase in minutes and pressure, Beauchemin had some difficult adjustments to make in the early part of this season. That’s part of the reason the third-year defenseman saw his plus/minus rating this season reach a team low -12 at one point.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Weekly Notes has been updated

WINNING AT HONDA CENTER: Including a 14-6-4 record this year (excluding Sept. 30 "home" game in London, England), the Anaheim Ducks are 60-17-16 in their last 93 regular season games at Honda Center dating back to Nov. 25, 2006...the Ducks have a .673 winning percentage (103-39-37, 241 pts.) over the last 179 home games, earning at least one point in 140 of those 179 contests (19-6-8 in the last 33 home games of 2002-03 season and 19-11-11 in 2003-04)...Anaheim finished the 2006-07 regular season with a home record of 26-6-9, tying the club record for home wins in a season (26-10-5 in 2005-2006)...the Ducks also went 10-2 at home in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, clinching all four series wins at Honda Center.

Read this and much more here - Link

Bid to get your own game worn jersey

Beckett Media is proud to offer these authentic, game worn road white jerseys, from the 2007-08 Anaheim Ducks. These were worn in regular and pre-season games September through November 2007. This includes the September 29-30 NHL opening dates played in London, England! These are the first Ducks game jerseys in the new RBK EDGE style ever worn and offered. Five of these jerseys are the first ever worn by these players.

Read the rest here - Link

Beckett Select Auction Preview: 2007-08 Anaheim Ducks Jerseys from Beckett Media LP on Vimeo.

Anaheim Ducks News - Vacation Catchup 2 - Misc. news

The Ducks have cool little tool - Link

Chris Pronger and the Ducks help fight cancer

Captain Chris Pronger Will Wear a Hockey Fights Cancer Commemorative Patch on his Game Jersey Which Will be Autographed and Donated to an Online Auction

The Ducks announced today that in support of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Hockey Fights Cancer initiative, Ducks captain Chris Pronger will wear a commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer patch on his game jersey this Sunday, Jan. 13 when the club takes on the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center (5:05 p.m.).  As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration of Hockey Fights Cancer, the Ducks join the NHL in a weekend of raising funds and awareness for the cause during games throughout the league from Friday, Jan. 11 to Sunday, Jan. 13.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks help at the Aces got skills competitions

Aces Got Skills is taking place over a three day period. Events were held at Anaheim Ice (January 10), Glacial Garden Skating Arena in Lakewood (January 11)and Aliso Viejo Ice Palace (January 12). Corey Perry and Kent Huskins were scheduled to be present at the events.

Read the rest here - Link

Friday Practice news

Missing from practice was George Parros. Parros was the victim of a knee to knee hit in Wednesday’s game against Toronto. Wade Belak was the player who administered the hit and it prompted their second period fight. After the fight, Parros skated off to the dressing room and did not return. His knee was evaluated and it was determined to be bruised. Parros acknowledged being sore, but that he would likely try to skate at tomorrow’s practice and see how he feels.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News -Vacation Post

I am on vacation this week, but I thought I would post some links from today's news

Bobby Ryan sent to Portland - Link

MVN Coverage of today's Ducks Practice and the State of the Franchise - Link

Ducks blog has coverage of the state of t franchise - Link

Ducks trade Darryl Bootland(AHL) - Link

Burke and David Shoalts talk - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Sunday

So much for Sunday being a slow news day......

Pahlsson will be out again

Ducks center Samuel Pahlsson said he likely will miss his seventh consecutive game Monday night.

Pahlsson has an abdominal strain and is trying to strengthen the area. He does not have a target date for his return.

"I don't know when I'm playing," Pahlsson said. "It's gotten a lot better. It's just a matter of when."

Read the rest here - Link

2008 All Star Balloting Results

The fan balloting for the NHL All Star Game has concluded and the results were released today. The Ducks had four players on the ballot, but none of them made the starting line up. Chris Pronger came closest, finishing 3rd in balloting for defensemen. Fellow d-man, Francois Beauchemin, finished a respectable 5th place. Jean-Sebastien Giguere finished in 4th place for goaltenders. Ryan Getzlaf came in 8th place among forwards.

Read the rest here - Link

Varius has a look at Ducks forward situation

With ever-growing rumors that Teemu Selanne is on his way back to the Ducks this season, I figured we should take a look at the potential logjam at forward this presents Anaheim.

Scoring Line 1

Without a doubt, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have cemented their statuses this season as first-liners. The problem is, their coveted left-wing spot has seen a revolving door of guys who just haven’t been the perfect match.

In my opinion, I would leave Chris Kunitz there. He brings energy and grit to an already feisty line and complements the others well. While Perry is agitating and dangling his way off the boards or out of the corners to the front of the net, Kunitz can install himself in perfect deflection position in front of the net. This frees Getzlaf to roam behind the net or to the high slot, where his rocket shot is best used.

Read the rest here - Link

Bobby Ryan is profiled on the Ducks official site

From the moment his name was called as the second overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, right wing Bobby Ryan has had immense expectations to live up to.
Along with being the highest draft pick in Ducks history, Ryan was Brian Burke’s first selection as Anaheim’s Executive Vice President and General Manager. One pick prior to Ryan’s selection, Pittsburgh drafted Sidney Crosby, who was already being dubbed “The Next One” and has since won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP during the 2006-07 season.

“Oh yeah, there are expectations,” Ryan said. “I’m sure there always will be. You hear what people say and what people think.”

Read the rest here - Link

Playoffs will be a close race like last year

Warning: Objects might be closer than they appear.

The Ducks, rejuvenated and stabilized by the return of Conn Smyth Award-winning defenseman Scott Niedermayer, are now looking ahead as they drive toward the playoffs.

But this season there are no guarantees of reaching the postseason, not even for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

A 6-2-1 surge in their first nine games after Niedermayer ended his flirtation with retirement thrust the Ducks back into playoff contention and boosted their confidence, but it would behoove them to check the traffic in their side-view mirror, too.

After holding on for a 2-1, good-to-the-last-stop victory against Chicago on Friday night at Honda Center, the Ducks were just three points behind Pacific Division co-leaders Dallas and San Jose as they headed to Phoenix for Saturday's universally dreaded finale of back-to-back, home-and-away contests.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Saturday

Game Day Preview from the AP

Coming off a win last night at home over Chicago, the Ducks will look to keep the momentum going tonight when they face Phoenix at Jobing.com Arena.

Anaheim beat Chicago 2-1 at home on Friday for its second straight win and sixth in its last eight games. Corey Perry scored his team-leading 21st goal 16 seconds into the contest and added an assist for the Ducks.

"For whatever reason, not very often have we scored the first goal. But we build momentum as the game goes along," Anaheim's Sean O'Donnell said. "It's certainly not a habit we want to get into. Our goal has to be to play the way we want to play for 60 minutes."

Perry has three goals and an assist against the Coyotes this season, with two of the goals and the assist coming Nov. 3, in the Ducks' 5-2 win at Phoenix.

Giguere, who was battling the flu Friday, could be back in goal in Saturday after watching rookie Jonas Hiller make 20 saves against the Blackhawks.

Read the rest here - Link

Doug Weight interview via the OC Register

Doug Weight was lucky. He was young when he got hit in the face, by the business end of hockey.

He was 21, in fact, playing for the New York Rangers and visiting Edmonton with his girlfriend Allison, who is now his wife. A couple of hours before the game, he was informed he would not be playing Edmonton, but would, in fact, be playing forEdmonton, in exchange for Esa Tikkanen.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Friday

It was a dark and stormy night...... well it is but that is not what I am here fore. I've got a Bobby Ryan profile, some analysis of our Ducks and other important news.

Schedule Change!!!!!!!!

The start time for the Ducks' Jan. 20 game at Dallas has been changed from 10:30 a.m. Pacific time to 12:30 p.m. Pacific. The start time was changed to comply with the contracted flex scheduling related to the NBC coverage of the Boston/NY Rangers game.
The Ducks-Dallas game will be broadcast locally on KDOC.

See the original post - Link

New Ducks Cast with Steve Carroll discussing Scott Niedermayer - Link

Bobby Ryan gets interviewed by the LA Times

There are times when he threads a perfect pass up ice or bulldozes a defender in the offensive zone. And there are times when he looks out of place or can't keep up with the speedsters who zoom by him.
It's all part of the education of the Ducks' Bobby Ryan.
With Sidney Crosby now a superstar and Jack Johnson learning the ropes with the Kings, the Ducks have patiently waited for 20-year-old Ryan to grasp the NHL learning curve and prove they were right to draft him second overall in 2005, behind Crosby and ahead of Johnson.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register has a look at how the D is contributing

However far the Ducks go this season, it has become clear they will get there largely on the strength of their defensemen, a group that features the “big four” of Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, Mathieu Schneider and Francois Beauchemin.

Since Niedermayer’s return to the lineup in mid-December, the Ducks have not only cut down dramatically on the number of goals and scoring chances they are giving up, but they have received a significant offensive boost from their blue-line corps. Entering Friday night’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at Honda Center, the Ducks have received six goals and 16 points from defensemen in the past seven games.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Wednesday

Well it was no surprise that the Ducks made a move.  The Ducks traded Hnidy, a 6th round pick and eliminating part of the Chistov deal to get Brandon Bochenski.  There is also a new Duck Cast among a lot of other news.

New Duck Cast featuring Marchant, Moen, Miller and DiPenta having a round table discussion of the Winter Classic- Link

Bochenski NHL Profile - Link

Bochesnki in Action - Link

Ducks trade Hnidy

The Ducks announced on Wednesday that they have acquired right wing Brandon Bochenski from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Shane Hnidy and Anaheim’s sixth round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. In addition, the Ducks relinquished their option to exchange fourth round picks with the Bruins in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft (as part of the Stanislav Chistov deal, Nov. 13, 2006).

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Blog coverage of the trade

While the 6-foot-1, 187-pound Bochenski might give the Ducks more depth up front, a bigger part of this deal is getting out from under the two-year, free-agent contract the club had given Hnidy last summer, when Niedermayer appeared destined for retirement.

Whereas Bochenski’s $600,000 contract runs only through this season, after which he will become a restricted free agent, the Ducks would have been on the hook for a salary-cap hit of $757,500 to Hnidy next season. While that is a relatively small number in today’s NHL, being free of it does provide a little more wiggle room for the Ducks in their quest to re-sign budding star right wing Corey Perry.

Read the rest here - Link

Pahlsson still injured

“I think we found out the reason,” Pahlsson said Wednesday. “I was compensating for the injury and put stress on some muscles because of that.”

In all likelihood, bad habits Pahlsson developed while playing with the sports hernia last season, all the way through the club’s playoff run to the Stanley Cup championship, came back to haunt him.

Obviously, the hope had been that the off-season surgery would leave Pahlsson good as new. Now it appears he will have to manage the situation for the remainder of this season, and then hope that rest and further rehabilitation and strengthening work next summer will resolve it once and for all.

Read the rest here - Link

The OC Register takes a look at the Ducks

As the NHL's first team to reach the season's official halfway point — 41 games — the Ducks have played anywhere from one to four more games than all but one of their conference rivals.

A more accurate indication of where the Ducks truly stand is winning percentage, which places them 11th in the West with a 19-17-5 mark entering tonight's matchup with the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.

"Yeah, we're right near a playoff spot, but we've played so many more games than other teams," Ducks right wing Rob Niedermayer said. "Everyone looks at where we're at in the standings. We know it's very urgent. Forty-three points — double that is 86. That's not near enough."

Read the rest here - Link

Brad May interview (thanks to BuchananHermit at the official Ducks board)

Ducks forward Brad May is out of the lineup because of a broken right foot, but it freed him to represent the team and the city of Anaheim in Tuesday’s Rose Parade.

May, who came to the Ducks via trade in February 2007, appeared in 18 playoff games to help the Ducks win their first Stanley Cup championship last season.

Before his early wake-up call for Rose Parade duty, May answered five questions from The Register. Here’s what May had to say:

Question: What is the first thing you bought with your first pro paycheck?

Brad May: I bought a Dodge Daytona hatchback. It was a used car. A Dodge Daytona, red with a white stripe. … It’s just because I needed a car. It was $3,000. It cost me $3,200 Canadian. And it was the coolest car. … I was 18 years old.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News - Pahlsson Update and other things

Pahlsson update via MVN

Pahlsson, who is currently on the IR for an abdominal strain and did not go on the most recent road trip, skated full out with his teammates. He had been skating on his own this past week, in addition to doing other therapy for his injury. After practice he talked about his most recent injury and his status. “I felt pretty good. I’m getting closer to where I want to be.” Although the extra time off helped with the healing process, he still is “not where I want to be at.” Pahlsson admitted “I don’t think I am going to be 100% this year.” The goal is to get things manageable and feel well enough to be able to contribute on the ice.

Read the rest here - Link

Pahlsson update via the LA Times

Once the holder of the Ducks' record for consecutive games played, Samuel Pahlsson might be spending the rest of this season trying to stay in the lineup. The problem isn't his play. It's his health.
Inflammation in Pahlsson's abdomen caused the defensive whiz to skip the recent three-game trip to western Canada and it could keep him out of Wednesday's home game against Columbus.
Pahlsson skated on his own in Anaheim while his teammates dropped two of the three road games. On Monday, the center took part in the Ducks' optional practice with 10 other players but offered no guarantees regarding his status.
"I want to play," Pahlsson said. "But I'm not going to do it if it's going to make it bad right away. Everyone wants to play but you have to be smart about it too."

Read the rest here - Link

Schneider has his take on the Ducks

"I think we're getting to a point now where it's kind of put up or shut up," defenseman Mathieu Schneider said. "We've talked all year about the same things. The guys in this room now are going to be the guys that'll have to be responsible night in and night out."
What's clear is the Ducks have plenty of work to do over the final 41 games. Calgary needed 96 points to squeeze into the eighth spot in the playoffs last season and over the last four NHL seasons, the eighth-seeded teams have averaged 93.5 points.

Read the rest here - Link

Brad May was in the Rose Parade

AP Photo by Reed Saxon

Flickr photo by yausser

Video

Anaheim Ducks News for Monday

Happy New Year!

Here is today's news:

Francois Beuchemin's New Years Resolution Via the 12/20 edition of OC Metro Business

I'd like to be a consistent, productive player on a team committed to defending a Stanley Cup championship.  I'd also like to continue being an active member of this terrific Southern California community.

Ducks year in review via Ducks Blog

January 16
The Ducks play their 1,000th game as a franchise, a milestone that is about as meaningful as they "A Mighty Decade" banner that used to hang from the Honda Center rafters.
February 27
While several Western Conference powers stock up at the trade deadline, the Ducks remain relatively quiet, only acquiring winger Brad May. The move turns out to pay off, as May brings leadership, toughness and forechecking ability to the Ducks down the stretch. More importantly, he stands out as a star of the Ducks championship DVD, as his wireless mic reveals him to be a trash-talking genius. In response to an unidentified Ottawa player telling May to "watch out for the boards" after a hit, May turns to the guy, looks at him for one second and says, "Who the [bleep] are you?"

Read the rest here - Link

The Year in photos on the official site - Link

Eric Duhatschek has a look at the Ducks and Niedermayer

"But it's worked out. I'm pretty fortunate the organization kept the door open and it wasn't easy, all the questions these guys had to answer. I'm sure having that hanging around was an extra distraction. I'm sure it was not the best situation for the team."

Maybe not, but the Ducks understood that they were a better team with Niedermayer than without him — and since there was no magic answer about how to deal with the effects of a Stanley Cup hangover anyway, maybe injecting a player of his caliber into the line-up at mid-season was just the way to go. Now, when the Ducks get to April, Niedermayer will be about 50 games into his season and ready for the playoff push.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Friday

Some gems from  today's practice in Calgary

Moving on, the Ducks are practicing this morning at the old Calgary Corral arena, which is across the street from the Saddledome, where they will play the Flames tomorrow night. The locker room at the Corral (which somehow hosted the Flames from 1980-83) is apparently so small you have to go outside to change your mind. Because of that, the Ducks are forced to change into their gear at the Saddledome, then walk about three minutes across a snow-covered city street with very light traffic to the Corral in everything but their skates.

 

Read the rest of the post and see more pictures here - Link

How Niedermayer brings value to the Ducks

The addition of Niedermayer has also dramatically improved the club’s penalty-killing, which had been a sore spot all season. Before Niedermayer’s arrival, the Ducks languished near the bottom of the NHL’s penalty-killing rankings, succeeding only 78.8 percent of the time, having given up 41 power-play goals in 193 times short-handed. In the past five games, opponents have converted just one power-play chance in 22 tries, giving Ducks penalty-killers a 95.5 percent success rate.

Read the rest here - Link

Weight gets profiled

Doug Weight said he didn't want to ruffle any feathers in the Ducks' room.

Just fill the bill as a second-line centre and make sure nobody in Anaheim plumage has reason to believe he's in a foul mood following the unexpected end to his six-year National Hockey League stay in St. Louis.

"I want the guys to know I care," he said Thursday morning. "I want them to know I'm happy to be here. I want them to know I don't need to run the show."

Read the rest here - Link

Marchant is a jack of all trades

With standout defensive-minded center Samuel Pahlsson back in Orange County attempting to deal with abdominal inflammation that has hampered him all season, veteran Todd Marchant figures to move into a significant role on the checking line as the Ducks open a three-game, Western Canada road swing Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

Marchant, a former Oiler, will get the first crack at filling Pahlsson’s usual spot between wingers Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer on the Ducks’ shutdown unit that spends most of its time playing against other teams’ top offensive players.

“Those are primo minutes,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’ll see where it takes us.”

Read the rest here - Link

Is Pronger as evil as Edmonton thinks he is?

Chris Pronger pretends to be surprised by his place among the NHL's most suspended, and some would say dirtiest, players.

Ask him about his seven career suspensions, second only to Chris Simon's eight, and his jaw drops in mock disbelief.

Read the rest here - Link

Brad May gets to have some "fun"

Our Anaheim city reporter, Sarah Tully, caught up with the Ducks’ Brady May, who next week will ride in the Rose Parade with the Stanley Cup. Here’s her report:

Ducks left wing Brad May’s misfortune became a coup for the Rose Parade this week.

The forward was tapped to ride in Anaheim’s float in the New Year’s Day parade shortly after May broke his foot and was put on injured reserve. Until May’s injury, Anaheim organizers had yet to find anyone to ride on the float, except for the security guard watching the Stanley Cup.

“I would have to think I’m the easy choice since I’m not playing,” May said. “I’m sure if Scott Niedermayer could do it, they’d probably bump me at the last minute.”

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday - Non Game News

More info on Pahlsson via MVN

He had hernia surgery that was supposed to correct the problem. As a result of the surgery, he missed the first five games of the season after having played 275 consecutive games for the Ducks. In spite of his medical issues, Pahlsson was still a finalist for the Selke award last year for best defensive forward, an award he should have won hands down.

The surgery did correct part of Pahlsson’s problems, but did not correct everything.

Read the rest here - Link

BOC has a great analysis of Powerplay goals allowed by the Ducks and our rivals to the north

One thing that really caught my eye over at BTN's blog, though, was tracking shots and goals from where they are taken on the ice. This is a pretty fascinating new layer of data, and while its accuracy or its usefulness is still being explored, I think it's pretty darn cool that the data is being collected. It may not mean much just yet, but I think it's day is coming.
As an example, I asked Gabe in the comments of his blog whether it would be possible for him to run some shot and goal charts for the BoC teams, specifically on their 4-on-5 penalty kills. Why the PK? Well, just for starters we've observed this year how the Sharks are killing penalties with ease, whereas the Ducks and Kings have struggled in that area. Perhaps by looking at the shot charts side-by-side maybe some aspect might become apparent--some difference in how the different PK units are allowing shots, and which shots are becoming goals.

See all the great details here - Link

Anaheim Duck Fan has a sneak peak at the City of Anaheim float that will feature the Stanley Cup

The City of Anaheim is sponsoring a float in the Roses Parade on New Years Day.
On the float is a replica Honda Center and riding down the parade route on the 1st is going to be the Stanley Cup. I was hopeful that the Stanley Cup would be appearing before the 31st, and had been told this morning that the Rose Parade was talking to the Ducks about having a player standing with the Cup for the Judging on the 31st. I have been told by a Ducks representative, who was here today, that the Cup will not be here before the first, and that no Ducks player will be here either.

See some pictures and more details here - Link

Ace Got Skills update

The next edition of Ace’s Got Skills will be here in January! Last year’s edition saw four of the eleven youth players representing the Ducks come home with titles at the National Championships in New York City. Several youth players will hope to duplicate that success, taking the first steps at local competitions held in January. 

The three local events will be held Jan. 10 from 5:45-8:45 p.m. at Anaheim Ice, Jan. 11 from 6-9 p.m. at the Glacial Garden Skating Arena and Jan. 12 from 3:15-6:15 p.m. at the Aliso Viejo Ice Palace. Anaheim Ducks players Corey Perry and Kent Huskins will be present on the ice to participate and give instruction to participants.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Sunday

I have one Scott Niedermayer story and that's about it!

Four games into his return from a five-month hockey sabbatical, Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer said his body is reacting the way he expected when he decided to play again.
The legs are aching, but the adrenaline is flowing and the spirit is willing.
"It's been different," Niedermayer said of his first week back. "The first one obviously, there's different emotions stepping out on the ice for the first time. Now it's four games in.
"I'm still not feeling like the rest of the guys do, I would suspect. But it's gone all right. I've pretty happy with how it's gone so far."

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News For Friday

Vote for the Ducks win as the biggest story in 2007 at the OC Register - Link

The Ducks share stories of Christmas Past and Present

Brian Sutherby
I usually like the Griswolds in “Christmas Vacation.” That’s probably one that I make sure I watch every year. It’s a pretty funny movie. Another one that I’ve started watching is “Elf” with Will Ferrell. That’s also a pretty good one.
George Parros
I think “A Christmas Story” is pretty classic. I just grew up with it. It’s always fun to watch little Ralphie.

Travis Moen
I remember as a kid getting a GT racer that was pretty exciting. I always like clothes and those have been some good gifts over the years, but the GT racer sticks out in my mind as a little kid getting that and going out on the snow hill.
George Parros
I got Greyskull Castle one year for He-Man and I was pretty pumped about that back in the day.

Read the rest here - Link

O'Donnell is happy that he did not get traded

"But it is still kind of stressful at the time. . . . It was the first time I was in that type of situation. I mean you hear rumors all the time and you hear your name in rumors all the time, but they are usually speculation.
"This was different. They had to do something to clear space. You look around the room and you just weren't sure who it was going to be."

Read the rest here - Link

Bobby Ryan gets profiled

The first pick that year was Sidney Crosby, and it’s unfair to compare the two. Crosby was a once-in-a-generation prospect; Ryan, Brian Burke’s first pick as Ducks GM, was a project, and Burke knew it.

But Burke deemed Ryan the best player available, and he fit Burke’s power-forward profile at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds.

While Crosby became the NHL’s brightest star, Ryan spent the past two seasons working on his game and his body.

Read the rest here - Link

Four reasons for the trade by TSN

There are fairly obvious reasons why the St. Louis Blues traded Doug Weight to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Andy McDonald.

McDonald is six years younger than Weight, he's got more offensive upside (even though McDonald is way off his usual pace this season) and is under contract for another season after this one while Weight is an unrestricted free agent who wasn't likely to be re-signed

Read the rest here - Link

Evidently the Ducks are not special enough

The Ducks are hoping Scott Niedermayer will be the boost they need to win another Stanley Cup.

The Anaheim Ducks are hoping that the return of All-Star defenseman Scott Niedermayer is the catalyst to another Stanley Cup run. But before they worry about who they’ll be playing in April, the Ducks have some serious problems -- mostly on special teams -- that need fixing now.
A year ago, the Ducks entered the weekend before Christmas with a lordly 27-4-1-5 record; their 60 points were 10 more than Eastern Conference-leading Buffalo. Anaheim’s 134 goals were the most in the NHL (only Buffalo was within 15), and its 87 goals against (including the five shootout goals) was seventh. Most notably, the Ducks were plus-22 on special teams, having scored 44 power-play goals, allowed just 25 and scored three shorthanded goals while allowing none.

Read the rest here - Link

More on how cool Drew Miller is

Drew Miller is a rookie for the Ducks, even though he has his name on the Stanley Cup. He debuted with the Ducks during the playoffs last spring, playing three games with the team. He got his first NHL goal and point on October 17 against Nashville. He has been scoring points off the ice as well, just by being himself.

Haili Todrick loves her teddy bears, Hannah Montana and hockey. At the Fan Fest, she had most of the Ducks players sign the bear with the Stanley Cup Champions jersey on it. One Duck took a little more time with Haili. He took the bear and gave it a BIG hug, smiled and said, "It's so cute! Can I keep it?" Of course she said no.

Read the rest here - Link

More on the CHOC visit

On Thursday, the entire Ducks team visited CHOC for their annual Christmas visit. All of the Ducks players arrived at CHOC and were split up amongst the different floors. Some wore Santa hats, others wore reindeer antlers. They all wore grins and were happy to visit the children and take their minds off their illnesses, if only for a short period of time. The Ducks also handed out Wild Winger Kid’s Club kits that had been donated by fans. Close to 1,500 kits had been donated, which meant that CHOC could distribute them not only to their in-patients, but also to their out-patients as well. That is the first time they have been able to do that, thanks to the generosity of Ducks fans. In addition to the kits, the Ducks distributed blankets courtesy of Hockey Fights Cancer. Especially fitting on the oncology ward.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Thursday

George Parros gets interviewed

When did you start wearing the mustache?
In college I would grow a mustache for the playoffs or something like that, just to be different or as a half joke. I always had a fond respect for the mustache, and I always loved hockey’s history with the mustache. It used to be that everybody had one. But I didn’t have one for a little while, until two summers ago when I went to Vegas and grew one in for that trip just for fun. I showed up to L.A. and was working out before training camp, and the new coach there, Marc Crawford, saw it and said, “That’s a great mustache.” I told him, “Oh yeah? I’m thinking about keeping it for camp.” He said, “You better.” I kept it for camp and the rest is history.

 
But you shaved it since then.
When I got picked up by Colorado [just prior to last season], I shaved it and they all got mad at me. They had seen it when I played against them in a preseason game in Las Vegas. When they heard the mustache was coming over to their team, they were pretty disappointed that I had shaved it. So, I grew it back and I had it for about a week or so before I got traded here. They’ve loved it so much, it took on a life of its own.

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks Visit CHOC

Photos - Link

“Although we try to be active in the community throughout the year, the holiday season is a special time for us,” said Ducks owner Susan Samueli.  “Our players look forward to this annual visit to CHOC, as they enjoy spending time with the children and sharing the excitement of the holidays.  Our partnership with CHOC has provided great opportunities to create special memories.”

Read the rest here - Link

Ducks get analyzed again

With the puck headed to the front of his net and a menacing Shark ready to pounce for a tying goal, Scott Niedermayer extended his stick to full reach.

Not only poking the puck out of harm's way, Niedermayer sprung teammate Todd Marchant on a rush that ended with Bobby Ryan scoring late in the second period, a goal that was insurance in Anaheim's 2-0 win over Pacific Division rival San Jose Tuesday night.

So subtle was Niedermayer's play that he wasn't awarded his first point of the season until official scorers reviewed the goal at the second intermission.

Read the rest here - Link

Burke the best GM?

In the wake of the hard-won Collective Bargaining Agreement there was a general consensus that it suddenly became a whole lot harder to be a good-to-great general manager in the National Hockey League.

With a nod to the declaration that no man is perfect, I offer up a candidate for master of the new agreement, the precursor to sainthood and greatness conferred upon the likes of hockey legends Sam Pollack, Bill Torrey and, in more recent times, Detroit's Ken Holland and New Jersey's Lou Lamoriello.

His name is Brian Burke and he manages the defending Stanley Cup champions in that somewhat under-the-radar hockey hotbed of Anaheim, CA.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Duck of Carona? Just kidding, they did open a rink there......

The Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Hockey Club (In-line) announced today that a new in-line rink will open in Corona, Calif., this January (2008). The rink, named the Anaheim Hockey Club of Corona, will serve as the Ducks’ official in-line facility and complement Anaheim ICE, the club’s official practice facility. Renovations are underway, which will make Anaheim Hockey Club the premiere in-line facility in Southern California.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Wednesday

Ryan gets profiled

"I went down after a good conversation with coach and with [assistant general manager] Bob Murray and realized some of the things I needed to work on down there," Ryan said. "Certainly, I feel like I've improved on them.
"I think that they recognized that I worked hard in those situations. They've granted me another chance and I'm going to make the best of it."
Ryan is back after a two-month stint with the Portland Pirates, the Ducks' minor-league affiliate in Maine, where he put up 10 goals and 24 points in 25 games

Read the rest here - Link

So Does Scott

It's no coincidence that in the three games Niedermayer has played, the Ducks -- whose penalty killing was dragging along at a 78.8% success rate -- have killed all 14 disadvantages they have faced. After losing in a shootout in Niedermayer's first game back, they have now swept a back-to-back sequence for the first time in six tries.
No coincidence there, either.

Read the rest here - Link

Anaheim Ducks News for Tuesday - Non Game News

Here is the news not related to tonight's game.

Ducks have published some stats

PACKING ’EM IN: The Ducks recorded their 52nd consecutive sellout at Honda Center on Sunday evening versus the San Jose Sharks...the 52 current sellouts include 40 regular season and 12 playoff games...in August, the Ducks capped season ticket sales at 15,000 and started a waiting list for future orders...the Ducks currently have the third-longest active regular-season sellout streak among U.S.-based NHL teams...Minnesota leads the way with 261 consecutive regular season sellouts...next is the New York Rangers with 91...Anaheim is third with 40, the longest active streak of any U.S. team on the west coast...Pittsburgh ranks fifth with 29 straight regular season sellouts...among Canadian teams, Vancouver leads with 190 consecutive regular season sellouts and is followed by Toronto (174), Calgary (141), Montreal (116), Edmonton (90) and Ottawa (13).

See the rest here - Link

Bobby Ryan feels privileged

Among the other benefits newly acquired center Doug Weight could bring to the Ducks is his potential influence on rookie winger Bobby Ryan.

The Ducks, who visit the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at HP Pavilion, are desperately in need of a reliable second scoring line. The search features Weight as literally and figuratively the centerpiece, but clearly there would be no better time for Ryan to demonstrate that he is ready to contribute at the NHL level.

Read the rest here - Link