SB Nation - Ryan Getzlaf

Game 32 Preview: Ducks in Columbus

Mike MacLean — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:59:05 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Sure, it sucked losing to the Preds, again. Tonight however the Ducks come to town. They are not playing to their level whatsoever, and the Jackets need to take advantage of that. That being said, so far this season the Jackets have failed for the most part in capitalizing on other team's woes. The Ducks always play the Jackets tough, so it will no doubt be a rough, physical affair.

The Jackets see the return of Freddy tonight, this will be his first game of the season. I am excited to see what he and Sammy can do together. Their chemistry on the international scene will hopefully translate to the Jackets. Murr-dog will sit tonight. There aren't any other major lineup changes from the last few games. Mase will get the start against Hiller.

Here's hoping that Nasher can keep putting the puck in the net, it was so good to see him score last game and he needs to continue to do that. If his line can produce, it will allow the other lines to get things going without having to face top checkers. I wouldn't put it past Boller to have a go with either Brown or Parros tonight, regardless of the coach's putting the leash on him.

Should be a good one!

Fearless Prediction: The Ducks aren't playing very well, the Jackets get a much-needed win. Will be a very physical game. Modin and Pahlsson show instant chemistry.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Anaheim Calling

Game Page: Ducks vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TSN Preview: Ducks vs Blue Jackets Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Hitchcock, tongue in cheek, on Anaheim C Ryan Getzlaf: "I think we've done really well against Getzlaf. We've only allowed him five points in two games. We have to keep up that pace. If we keep it up, we'll only allow him 20 points."

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
Jason Chimera	R.J. Umberger	Jakub Voracek
Fredrik Modin	Samuel Pahlsson	Jared Boll
Raffi Torres	Derick Brassard	Derek Dorsett

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Marc Methot

Mathieu Garon

Steve Mason

EXTRA: Michael Blunden, Mathieu Roy, Andrew Murray

INJURED: Rostislav Klesla

Anaheim Ducks

Kyle Calder	Ryan Getzlaf	Corey Perry
Bobby Ryan	Saku Koivu	Dan Sexton
Matt Beleskey	Todd Marchant	Petteri Nokelainen
Mike Brown	Kyle Chipchura	George Parros

Scott Niedermayer	Brett Festerling
Ryan Whitney	Nick Boynton
James Wisniewski	Sheldon Brookbank

Jonas Hiller

J.S. Giguere

Team Canada Watch: Centre

Chemmy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:20:26 -0000

Maybe the deepest position for Team Canada, what five cent(re/er)s do you take to Vancouver this year? Invitees include guys like Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal who haven't impressed this season but ignore players like Steven Stamkos (30pts in 30GP).

In my mind there are two stone cold locks to play Center on Team Canada: Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby. That leaves us two full time spots and an alternate.

So who are the big candidates left?

Ryan Getzlaf

#15 / Center / Anaheim Ducks

Height: 6-4

Weight: 221

Born: May 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Ryan Getzlaf	6	30	36	4	29

3rd in scoring amongst Canadian NHL centers, Getzlaf also has the benefit of playing with Corey Perry. Bringing along good winger-center combos should increase Canada's chances of scoring more than ten goals a game which is why I'm going to leave Patrick Marleau off this list. Capable of playing both center and wing he's feasted on the power play with Heatley and Thornton. I'd bring all three because they're comfortable with each other.

Brad Richards

#91 / Center / Dallas Stars

Height: 6-0

Weight: 192

Born: May 02, 1980

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Richards	9	26	35	1	2

I haven't heard anything about Brad Richards this year but he's playing dominant hockey right now. A slick passer without an Olympian winger, I think B. Richards should be able to be plugged in with almost anybody (Iginla?) and make it work.

Mike Richards

#18 / Center / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Feb 11, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Richards	13	12	25	5	38

Despite claims he was having a bad season, Mike Richards' numbers look solid to me. M. Richards' is a good two way player and comes bundled with Jeff Carter (also a Center I'd move to wing) which gives Canada an amazing penalty killing duo up front. Philly leads the league in shorthanded goals perenially for a reason.

Steven Stamkos

#91 / Center / Tampa Bay Lightning

Height: 6-1

Weight: 196

Born: Feb 07, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Steven Stamkos	17	13	30	-2	16

Stamkos wasn't invited to camp. Huge numbers though; sixth in the NHL in goals, 4th in power play goals. Probably gets left home this year but if he keeps developing he'll be a lock to play in Sochi barring an NHL ban.

Paul Stastny

#26 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 205

Born: Dec 27, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Stastny	8	24	32	6	20

Paul Stastny wasn't invited to Team Canada's camp either, but along with Stamkos represents a much stronger candidate than either Eric Staal or Vincent Lecavalier. Stastny's performance this year has helped Colorado get past the loss of Burnaby Joe and is a large reason Avalanche fans forgot the word "rebuild" in a hurry. Edit: Stastny was born in Quebec and is listed as a Canadian by NHL.com, but apparently plays for Team USA in the Olympics. Good for Kessel I suppose. I'll make it up to you with two more options:

Marc Savard

#91 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 5-10

Weight: 191

Born: Jul 17, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Marc Savard	8	6	14	1	8

No invite for Savard, he's firing on all cylinders after missing a bunch of time to start the year. It seems Hockey Canada isn't enamored with Savard and his injuries this year make him even more of a long shot.

Patrice Bergeron

#37 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 194

Born: Jul 24, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Patrice Bergeron	8	16	24	2	10

Now that his fragile head hasn't been smashed in years Patrice Bergeron is quietly putting up some solid numbers.

So which five guys do I bring? Thornton, Crosby, M. Richards, Getzlaf and B. Richards is my fill in guy. How about you, who are you bringing and why?

Ducks Win 4-3 in Yet Another Stars Overtime Loss

Art_M — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:32:35 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

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Oh you sneaky Dallas Stars... I'm on to you now! I finally figured out what your modus operandi is for this season!

You see I have it on good authority that a grade six kid in Plano last year did a school report on the possibility of an NHL team going an entire season playing nothing but overtime games and if they could make the playoffs with 82 overtime and shootout losses. The kid then forwarded his report (it got a B-minus by the way) to Marc Crawford before the start of training camp, and Crow being the ever inquisitive mind, figured "Why the hell not? I have three years on my contract, I can waste one."

Of course you Dallas Stars have kind of messed it up with the odd win in overtime and even once in a while *gasp* an odd regulation win... But you've pretty much stayed true to form and you keep losing in overtime and shootouts.

I'm on to you Stars. Oh boy, I am so on to you guys and while I tip my hat for such dedication to a cause, if you don't mind I do have a bit of advice concerning your 'plan' as you all move forward:

STOP IT!! For the love of Baby Hockey Jesus please stop this madness!!

The Stars had a 3-0 lead for nearly two full periods... and they blew it! It was like they tried to out-pathetic themselves from the Edmonton game.

"Hey... you guys think tanking a 2-0 lead was bad? Wait til ya see what we got planned for tonight!"

(The gory details after the jump...)

They had a great first period again which has been pretty much par for the course the last couple of weeks... Got goals from Brad Richards and Mike Modano... Both were beautiful plays. Richards was great out there and James Neal who was returned to the Richards line was playing well also. The defense was making nice crisp passes out of their zone. Steve Ott was banging and flying out there and even though he got stopped on yet another breakaway we Stars fans kinda laughed it off.

"Oh those Stars, always failing on breakaways and penalty shots... Ha ha..."

The Stars ended the first period up 2-0 and looking better than they had in weeks. Even their good efforts against Detroit and Edmonton couldn't match how well this first period went for Dallas. Not to mention the Ducks - who were going through a December that ranked only slightly better than Tiger Woods' December - were playing so bad that you could have sworn they reverted back to their mighty purple and teal, lets let Guy Hebert try to win this by himself days.

And then the second period hap... No... Wait... Actually the second period wasn't that bad either! At least it didn't start that bad.

Sure the Ducks came with more pressure and sure the Stars seemed to lose a step and were playing on their heels a bit more, but it wasn't that bad a period. Brad Richards added a second goal on the night to make it 3-0 after some more nice work by Neal and Loui Eriksson. And hell, if not for a couple of strong plays made by the Ducks defense, Dallas could have added a fourth or fifth goal. Near the end of that period though the Ducks started getting too much of an advantage in terms of puck possession and shots on goal. The Stars young defense - made younger by the playing of Ivan Vishnevskiy tonight - were really starting to struggle in terms of getting the puck out and the rest of the team seemed to go into snooze mode.

A snooze that you thought they should have broken out of the moment Joffrey Lupul got out of the penalty box with no Star keeping him in check and picked up a breakout pass from Ryan Getzlaf and then proceeded to drill Marty Turco into his own net with a five-hole shot that Marty did stop with his pads, but sadly slid in behind the goal line anyway under those pads along with the rest of Turco.

(We can argue all day if Turco was actually 'pushed' into that net by Lupul's stick and I'd buy the argument he was, but at that point Marty was backing up pretty quickly himself so I'm pretty sure his own momentum carried him in, push or no push.)

But still, Stars up 3-1 after two... That's not so bad. The Stars can make adjustments and come out better in the third. Only, they didn't. It got worse. Much worse.

If you were one of those fans that couldn't bother to stay up so late for the game, kudos to you for having the forsight to avoid such a train wreck that was the Stars defending a lead in the third period.

They again played not to lose. (Remember what I said about that last time kids?) Ducks played like they had nothing to lose. The Stars defense couldn't hold on to the puck in their own zone. They refused to hustle for loose pucks instead allowing Anaheim to pick up scraps in exchange for not being the guy that may be out of position. The Stars forwards weren't any better as they either stood high in the zone and hope a puck floated to them or hopelessly chased Ducks around the ice.

Honestly, I've seen dogs chase down their tails better than the Stars did pucks in that third period.

And when the Stars did manage to get the puck once in a while, it was a case of getting the puck past center, dumping it in and then having one forward kinda go after it, but not really with any gusto.

Turco was the only reason the Stars made it to overtime.. And yet somehow with the third Ducks goal, a Dan Sexton wrister from an odd angle a shot that Turco should have easily stopped, Turco was the reason it went into overtime. Not that Turco was to blame for the entire game, in fact anyone who does blame Turco for this loss clearly just didn't watch the game. The simple truth is, when your team is outshot 14-2 in the third period and 21-4 when you put together the third and overtime periods, you don't deserve a win. Turco can not be expected to stand on his head and stop the Ducks shooting gallery from getting anything past him.

(A quick little footnote here: Dan Sexton was awesome in that third period for Anaheim. He at least had the right idea. Fire pucks from every angle possible. Nine shots in a game? Wow!)

The Stars did get a point... Hard to get worked up or feel good about it though. This is a game they shouldn't have lost. Personally. that third period was some of the worst hockey I've seen from the Stars in the last twenty years of me being a dedicated follower of this franchise.

Unless you're really hoping to find out if a team can keep losing in overtime like the Stars do and still make the playoffs, as a fan this game tonight from about the second period onward should leave you feeling at least a little ill. We can only hope it does the same for the Stars themselves and lights a fire in them.

Defending Big D 3 Stars of the game

1st Star: Dan Sexton (ANA) - Two goals - first two of his NHL career, nine shots... He was all over the place and giving the Stars fits.

2nd Star: Bobby Ryan (ANA) - Had a nice, kinda quiet game... Two assists, six shots, +2... Wasn't flashy but was very solid.

3rd Star: Brad Richards (DAL) - Two goals early and was one of the few that bothered to shoot the puck on goal in the second and third periods.

Senators beat Ducks 4-3 and finally win a shootout and a road game

PeterR — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:50:04 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Jarkko Ruutu celebrates after scoring a goal against Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere during Ottawa's 4-3 shootout victory.

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Sens Heroes: Jason Spezza, Jonathan Cheechoo
The Cheechoo train continues along its tracks since finding them again in San Jose, and hopefully he can bring that success back to Ottawa when the team returns home. His 1G and 2A in the four most recent games almost doubled his point totals so far, and his all-around play has been much more effective. Spezza had also been questioned for his output, but his two points against the Ducks and a resoundingly strong effort showed that he didn't sacrifice his offensive abilities for defensive responsibility; he's just got to find a way to strike a balance more regularly.

Sens Zeroes: Brian Elliott
It's unfortunate that Elliott falls into this category; he allowed three goals, one of which was just a bad-luck bounce off the stantions, and ended up saving 33 of 36 shots on the night--some of which were his patented strong glove saves. Still, the second and third goals were both very stoppable. More importantly, each one was less than a minute after Ottawa scored, making it tough for the Sens forwards to establish much momentum.

Sens Killers: Joffrey Lupul-Ryan Getzlaf-Corey Perry
Combining for 3G and 2A on the night, the Ducks' top line were far and away the most potent Anaheim players on the ice. Lupul was physical all night--including his hit-from-behind hit on Anton Volchenkov--while Perry and Getzlaf were playing that game that just pisses you off because it works so well.

In Clouston's good books: Jesse Winchester
The head coach continues to show his faith in Winchester by playing him all over, and it's no wonder why. Although he had no powerplay time, he was huge on some of the Senators' penalty kills. He also had some ice time in overtime, and was Ottawa's best faceoff man with a 67 percent (10-for-15) success rate. Although he's not putting up big numbers, the small things he does well he does very well, and they're important to the team's success.

In the doghouse: Peter Regin
After his recent scratching, Regin hasn't really instilled much confidence that it shouldn't happen again. You've got to love his speed, but he just can't keep the puck in tight. He was, once again, the Senators' least-utilized player, with only 6:05 TOI tonight. As popular as he was with Cory Clouston in the AHL, he's obviously not trusted in the big leagues.

And now for something completely different: Five powerplays, including two 5-on-3 opportunities
For a team that's the most penalized in the league and which hasn't been awarded a tremendous number of powerplays, the Senators sure can't say they didn't have their chances on this night. Spezza's powerplay goal, the only one Ottawa had, was shortly after the end of the first two-man advantage. Even at only 1-for-5, the Senators still had eleven powerplay shots-on-goal, with Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson leading the way with three each.

Is it that bad: Three of a possible 10 points on the road trip
Not good, but could be worse, I guess. With a 1-3-1 record over the five-game road trip, Ottawa's got 32 points on the year and still sits in seventh in the Eastern Conference. The problem, though, is that it could (and probably should) have been eight points, with a blown lead against Boston and two winnable games against Los Angeles and Phoenix. Hopefully not something that the Senators have to pay for later in the season.

Newest ailment: Martin Gerber Syndrome
"A syndrome characterized by a sudden onset of unexplained sucking. In what is a classic example of an anxiety disorder, MGS tends to manifest only in cases of increased pressure (ie. performing in front of crowds)." For more information, see the FanPost.

Nickname of the Night: "Not Martin"
Given to Mike Brodeur initially to avoid confusion between himself and his far-removed cousin, Martin Brodeur, it later developed an optimistic secondary meaning: The hope that Brodeur is not afflicted by the seemingly common Martin Gerber Syndrome that's run through the Senators' goaltending roster.

Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:27:08 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Minnesota Wild 5-4 (so) Anaheim Ducks

Sometimes teams dominate from the start, sometimes they have to claw their way back and hope for the momentum to swing in their direction as they do so. Tonight was definitely the latter for the Wild.

After the Wild spotted the Ducks a two-goal lead twice, each time it was the Antti Miettinen - Mikko Koivu - Andrew Brunette line who put the squad on their backs to keep the Wild in the game and force the extra session where the Wild won in the shootout on goals by Miettinen and Guillaume Latendresse.

This was an exciting game to be sure, and it's great to get these kinds of wins, but wow, this defense needs to pick things up, and the blame certainly cannot be pointed at Greg Zanon and Marek Zidlicky. Zanon was a +1 in 29:32 and Zidlicky was a +2 with two assists and two PIM in 30:42. These two are feeding off each other very well. Wilderness writer mbennett and I were discussing these two tonight, and I think he had a great point.:

I think Zid is learning from Zanon (on positional defense) and I think the trust in Zanon allows Zid to go in on offense

I couldn't agree more. These two are feeding off each other, and with this pairing being so solid right now, it allows the forwards, especially the Koivu line tonight, to play deeper, forecheck harder and get more aggressive in the offensive zone. It clearly showed tonight, especially late in the game.

Please read the game recap over at Anaheim Calling

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Mikko Koivu (2 G, 1 A)
Antti Miettinen (2 G, 1 A)
Andrew Brunette (3 A)

Questions to Answer

Will this look like a battle of the cellar? Sloppy play, weak defense, but definitely not boring.
Can Latendresse and Ebbett continue to play with the chip on their shoulder? Lats had a simply fantastic shootout winner but no shots in 17:53. Ebbett was a -1 in 13:33 and had 4 PIM, but they worked each shift.
Does Martin Havlat bounce back? Who?
Will the Wild continue their "hot streak"? Well, we'll take the shootout win and points in the sixth straight game, but this defense needs to get it together. The offense is finally clicking, but the D is the big question mark right now.
Can the Wild keep Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf off the scoresheet? Getzlaf had three assists, Bobby Ryan had two goals and Corey Perry had an assist. That line is simply fantastic.

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

Mike MacLean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:30:34 -0000

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SBNation is doing a series of Olympic Previews, taking a look at each team and which of their players may be suiting up for their countries in Vancouver. As a baseline, we are going to give an indication of their chances of making their team by using these arguments: "Pack Your Bags", "Nearly a Lock", "Fairly Safe Bet", and "In a Battle". The Jackets have a few players who could become Olympians, here's a look at them:

Rick Nash (Canada) - Pack Your Bags
There is almost no way, outside of injury, that Nash will not be a member of Team Canada. In fact, he is penciled in by most as the man riding shotgun to Sidney Crosby. Nash has plenty of international experience in his young career, including being a member of the 2006 Olympic Team, which failed miserably. He is a more mature and complete player now, and will look to be an offensive leader for the Canucks at home in Vancouver. My favourite Nash goal at an international tournament didn't take place at the Olympics, it was at the World Championships, but here it is anyway:

Steve Mason (Canada) - In a Battle
At least he was at the beginning of the season, that is. Before the start of the regular season this year, many experts thought that when it came to Canada's goaltenders, Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were locks. The battle was for who the third goaltender was going to be. The three main contenders were Mason, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward. With Ward's injury, that made it a two-horse race. The problem is, Mase never showed up. His play this season has been downright awful. I'm not a believer in sophomore slumps, but the proof is in the pudding here. Look for Fleury- who is coming off of a Cup win and is playing great right now-to get the third goalie nod.

Kristian Huselius (Sweden) - Fairly Safe Bet
The man we call Juice may not be on the top of the list of skilled Swedish forwards, but he is a strong candidate to be on the Swedish team. His last international exoerience was at the 2002 World Championships, where the Tre Kroner won the bronze medal. He has never played in an Olympics, but he is on the Swedish short-list for 2010.

Samuel Pahlsson (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Sammy will almost definitely be on the Swedish team in 2010. He helped the Swedes win the Gold Medal back in 2006 in Torino, playing on a line with Freddy Modin (more on him in a minute). A dedicated checking center like Pahlsson will be very important this time around, with the Olympics being in Vancouver, the games will be played on NHL-sized ice, meaning tighter checking.

Fredrik Modin (Sweden) - In a Battle
I saw that Freddy is in a battle, not necessarily with other players trying to make the team, but with his own body. After being lauded for his amazing durability, the last couple of seasons have been near write-offs for Freddy as he has been hit with injury after injury. That said, if he is healthy I can't imagine him not playing for the Swedes, even in a fourth line role. He is after all, one of the very few players who are a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Anton Stralman (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Stralman is off to a great start since joining the Jackets, putting up good point totals. He is one of the main reasons the Jackets' powerplay has gone from last in the league a year ago, to best so far this season. He has played in three straight World Championships for Team Sweden, from 2007-2009. The Swedish defensive corps are a talented group, with Anton fitting in nicely. With the injury to Kronwall, Stralman may see top line duty with Nick Lidstrom.

Jakub Voracek (Czech Republic) - Nearly a Lock
The Czechs are a team that always seems to surprise at international tournaments. Look no further than the '98 Olympics, where they took home the Gold based on the amazing play of Dominik Hasek. In 2010, the Czechs are a good team, and Voracek should be a member. He likely will play a third or fourth line role, with the top six wingers likely being Jagr, Hemsky, Prospal and Hejduk/Havlat.

Rostislav Klesla (Czech Replublic) - In a Battle
Rusty is a fringe player in terms of the Olympic team. He does have international experience, but he is in tough this time around. He has to beat out the likes of Kaberle, Kubina, Rozsival, Hamrlik, Spacek and Kuba. It's not completely impossible though, and with the smaller ice a rugged player like Rusty could shine.

Jan Hejda (Czech Republic) - In a Battle
Like Rusty, Jan is fighting for a spot. He's defense-first, which may help him because the guys he is fighting for a spot against are generally puck-moving types. He has international experience, his most recent was at the 2008 Worlds. Given the play of Jaro Spacek, one of Hejda or Klesla could make the squad.

Fedor Tyutin (Russia) - Nearly a Lock
The Russians have scary forwards, plain and simple. They are the most dynamic group in the world, hands down. That said, they don't have spectacular defense. A hybrid defenseman like Tyutin will fit in very well on the Russian squad, and he could see powerplay duty with Sergei Gonchar.

Nikita Filatov (Russia) - In a Battle
Filatov wasn't at the Russians Olympic came this past summer, but he is no doubt still very much on the radar of the National Team. With his recent return to Russia, his stock has certainly risen, but he is still in tough to make the squad, given their amazing talent and depth up front.

R.J. Umberger (United States) - In a Battle
I wanted to include Umby mainly because I believe that it is wrong that he wasn't invited to the Team USA camp. He is a much better player than a handful of guys who did get the invite, but it all has to do with his history with USA GM Brian Burke. Umby didn't sign with Vancouver, who drafted him in the first round when Burke was the GM. This led to bad blood, which has clearly carried over to the Olympics. RJ's play hasn't done much to convince Burke otherwise either.

To finish things off, being a Canadian I am excited as hell to have the Olympics here in my home country. After the disappointment of Torino, I, like every other Canadian, want to see the Gold come back to Canada. Here's my prediction of the Team Canada Olympic Roster:

Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Dany Heatley - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Brendan Morrow - Mike Richards - Shane Doan
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Martin St. Louis
Steven Stamkos

HM: Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards

Chris Pronger - Scott Niedermayer
Dan Boyle - Duncan Keith
Shea Weber - Jay Bouwmeester
Drew Doughty

HM: Brent Seabrook, Mike Green, Stephane Robidas

Roberto Luongo
Martin Brodeur
Marc-Andre Fleury

HM: Marty Turco

2010 Winter Olympics Hockey: Anaheim Hopefuls

Arthur from Anaheim Calling — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:13 -0000

ARTHUR:

Anaheim calling to the hockey world...

Welcome to the Anaheim edition of SBN's look at the Olympic roster hopefuls across the NHL. Site Managers were provided with the following rubric, but as the resident noob, your blogger is the only one who will likely take them seriously.

"Pack Your Bags"
"Nearly A Lock"
"Fairly Safe Bet"
"In A Battle"
"Work To Do"
"Moving Up"
"Moving Down"

TEAM USA

Bobby Ryan

#9 / Right Wing

Height: 6-2

Weight: 208

Born: Mar 17, 1987

GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT

2009 - Bobby Ryan 21 9 6 15 1 14 4 0 0 0 69 13.0

"Nearly A Lock"

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Bobby Ryan	21	9	6	15	1	14	4	0	0	0	69	13.0

The Cherry Hill native has plenty of skill, but he's also developed a physical game, giving him the blue collar credibility that Brian Burke wants on this year's squad. Then again, the Team USA GM has made the decision to cut Ryan on more than one occasion.

Ryan Whitney

#19 / Defenseman

Height: 6-4

Weight: 219

Born: Feb 19, 1983

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Whitney	21	2	8	10	0	22	2	0	0	0	32	6.3

"Nearly A Lock"

Whitney was just one of a handful of 6'3"/6'4" defensemen at Orientation Camp, but the Boston-born defender has proven himself an ice-time gormandizer with the Ducks and should be a steady force on the red, white and blue line.

TEAM CANADA

Ryan Getzlaf

#15 / Center

Height: 6-4

Weight: 221

Born: May 10, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Getzlaf	21	3	22	25	3	29	2	0	0	0	43	7.0

"Pack Your Bags"

The Regina-bred centerman missed Orientation Camp after offseason hernia surgery, but he has looked tip-top opening the year in Anaheim. Canada will need his directly proportional size and skill up the middle.

Scott Niedermayer

# 27 / Defenseman

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Born: Aug 31, 1973

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Scott Niedermayer	21	2	12	14	-4	6	2	0	1	0	53	3.8

"Pack Your Bags"

Already packed.

Corey Perry

#10 / Right Wing

Height: 6-3

Weight: 209

Born: May 16, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Corey Perry	21	13	14	27	4	24	2	1	0	0	71	18.3

"Moving Up"

After a game with the Ducks, Sidney Crosby noted how impressed he was with the Peterborough product, who faked out the Penguins captain on more than one occasion. Perry's dominant performance so far this season makes him a contender for a spot at finisher, but Stevie Y may opt to go older in his final spots, even though he's generally noted a willingness to bring a young squad to Vancouver.

TEAM FINLAND

Saku Koivu

#11 / Center

Height: 5-10

Weight: 182

Born: Nov 23, 1974

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Saku Koivu	16	2	7	9	-1	14	1	0	0	0	31	6.5

"Pack Your Bags"

The stat sheet doesn't bear out Koivu's return to form, nor does a nagging lower body injury that sidelined him this month, but the Turku native has been the Ducks' most consistent player while playing almost two more minutes of ice time per game than he did in his last year in Montreal.

Petteri Nokelainen

#17 / Center

Height: 6-1

Weight: 191

Born: Jan 16, 1986

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Petteri Nokelainen	16	1	1	2	-4	8	0	0	0	0	18	5.6

"Moving Up"

Finland's camp this year was all about theory and gelling as teammates. That could be an advantage for the Imatra-bred Nokelainen, who has proven his value as a versatile role player with the Ducks .

Teemu Selänne

#8 / Right Wing

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Born: Jul 03, 1970

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Teemu Selänne	21	11	4	15	-8	12	5	0	2	0	61	18.0

"Pack Your Bags"

On pace for a 40 goal season, the sheen isn't fading from Helsinki's second Finnish Flash, and Selänne has no doubt been waiting for this day since he bitterly claimed the Silver in Turin.

TEAM SWITZERLAND

Jonas Hiller

#1 / Goalie

Height: 6-2

Weight: 193

Born: Feb 12, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jonas Hiller	17	933	7	8			47	3.02	517	470	.909	1

"Pack Your Bags"

Cut in favor of Martin Gerber and David Aebischer four years ago, Hiller is dedicated to making the roster this time around. And after his playoff performance against the Sharks last year, the Felben Wellhausen product is the favorite to man the plumbing for the Swiss.

TEAM RUSSIA

Евгений Артюхин
(Evgeny Artyukhin)

#24 / Right Wing

Height: 6-5

Weight: 270

Born: Apr 04, 1983

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Evgeny Artyukhin	18	2	0	2	-3	27	0	0	0	0	13	15.4

"In A Battle"

His raw tools (size, speed and snarl) got him an invite to the team's Olympic camp, and a slightly slow hockey sense may be the only thing that could keep the Moscow-born mammoth from the final roster.

Big Line Letdown

Arthur from Anaheim Calling — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:11:25 -0000

DANIEL:

This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world. The Ducks have just come off a very disappointing 0-3-1 road trip, where they had the same amount of power play goals (2) as shorthanded goals surrendered. Arthur, before this trip we both, essentially, said this was a do-or-die trip, and the Ducks obviously died. Right before the Detroit game, Carlyle called out his top line for poor play despite their impressive numbers. He said that the contracts of his top line players justify the pressure being applied to them in these clutch situations. Since the top line does consist of the Ducks go-to-guys, is it fair to say that the overall poor play of the top line is what led to this poor road trip?

ARTHUR:

It's not fair to say that, and it's not fair to say that because Carlyle decided to run the big line into the ground after the Koivu/Carter injuries. Carlyle is right that this point streak is little more than a streak; the line has lacked consistency all season. But if we're going to lay a knock on them for the failure of this road trip, then we'd have to assume that Sheldon Brookbank didn't sit for an entire period, that Getzlaf wasn't double-shifted at center, that Artyukhin was given a chance before the Pittsburgh game and that Carlyle didn't systematically wear down key players in his TOI management. Not everyone is Scott NIedermayer, no matter how much they get paid.

The mistakes on this road trip were the same mistakes the team has made all season-- no execution, players trying to do too much and a lack of consistent effort. Most of the Ducks team has been guilty of that, including the big line. And I think the proper reaction when you lose your most consistent players (Koivu and Carter) is to let the entire team play. Give everyone a chance to step it up. Don't force ice time on the guys you WANT to step it up.

When we drafted Getzlaf, the scouts flagged him for consistency and attitude, and five years into his career, they weren't wrong. Getzlaf needs to fight sometimes, he needs to wait until he gets into the offensive zone to slash a guy back and he needs to make a host of other bad calls, probably just to stay focused. And I don't know if Perry's ever as effective as when he's needling another player. These guys wear the 'A' because they're superstars, not because they give the workmanlike performances that steady a team. I frankly think Carlyle is trying to pigeonhole them as players that they aren't, and I don't see how they can be effective that way.

If anything, this team needed a blue collar guy on a blue collar paycheck to eat ice time responsibly. Asking the game-breakers to game-dominate is what leads to Ryan or Perry making that extra move, doubling the turnover numbers and leaving this team with the same problems they had before the injuries.

DANIEL:

I agree that Carlyle should have been rolling a steady 4 lines instead of double shifting the top line, but these guys are supposed to be able to get it done in high pressure situations.

ARTHUR:

You don't think that's pee-wee hockey thinking? That you can just tap your star player on the shoulder and tell him to score five goals so the rest of the team can take the night off? I mean, this is the pros, with neutral zone traps and modern butterfly goaltenders; is it fair to tell any three players that they have to go out there and manufacture a three-goal lead or they're not earning their paychecks?

DANIEL:

Well, it's fair to tell them not to turn the puck over in the slot. And it's fair to tell Getzlaf not to take a Fighting Major with Old Man River to open the 3rd when you're only down 2 goals. And it's pretty fair to ask Perry to play the new penalty killing system and eliminate the passing lane to the slot instead of pressuring the point like we used to. I understand what you're saying about Getzlaf, but if he's supposed to be the captain of the future, can't he grow out of some of that?

ARTHUR:

Well, I don't know if I want to see Getzlaf outgrow that; I don't trust how competitive or involved he is in a game without it. But, with Perry, are we really nitpicking his defensive play? Because he'll never outgrow that. Selanne's ridiculous turnovers the other night should be proof enough of that. Some forwards are allergic to defense and backchecking.

DANIEL:

Maybe. But Perry said he wanted to play the PK. He ASKED to be out there. If you're going to ask to be out there, you should know the system we're using.

All I'm saying is that these guys make some very unacceptable mistakes. I thought that Carlyle should have been rolling 4 lines so as to not wear them out, but at some point, these guys have to look in the mirror and decide to set the best example. I coach college speech. I know it's not hockey, but as a coach you recognize that everyone has a different way of keeping their head in the game. If Getzlaf needs to do something stupid to keep his intensity up, like get in a fight, or take a ridiculous slashing penalty 100 feet away from the play, then he at least has the responsibility to do it at a time that is not detrimental to the team. It's the same thing I tell anyone who competes for me, you have to do what you have to do in order to turn in your best performance, but it can't be detrimental to the needs of your team. If Getzlaf insists on doing things like this, despite what it does to the team, then he's being a little childish. He has to do what he needs to do, but based on his salary, it's not too much to ask him to do it responsibly.

Perry's situation is a little bit different. I think he's been really effective this year without having to be an agitator. He's letting his goals do the talking, but he still needs to be more defensively responsible. Yes, he essentially created our shorthanded goal against the Pens, but he also made the mistake on the kill that put us down 2-0. And his inability to clear the puck from the zone cost us a goal on Monday. He admitted that championship teams start with defense (ibid), which means he needs to do more in terms of making us a solid defensive team.

Our problems this year have been, for the most part, defensive. Part of this stems from line rotation and the inability for anyone to find comfort in their role, part of it is because Bob Murray acquired bad players, and part of it is because no one is standing up and saying, enough is enough. Perry and Getzlaf are supposed to be THE guys. They need to grow up a little and act like it, no matter how tired they are.

Tales of the Tape: Bill Guerin vs. Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim), 11-16-09

JDunman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:01:34 -0000

Barely into the 3rd period, Bill Guerin got smacked from behind by Ryan Getzlaf, then again as he got back to the skates. Guerin and Getzlaf stayed near each other, and then the gloves came flying.

Getzlaf got some weak head shots in before Guerin caught him in a headlock, which pulled off his helmet. Getzlaf went for a shot that was blocked by Guerin, and then the two went down to the ice. I'm not quite sure if Getzlaf pulled Guerin or vice-versa, but it doesn't really matter. This one's a draw.

This is both Guerin and Getzlaf's first fight this season. Next up is Ottawa, who is tied for 4th in the NHL for fights, with 16. The Penguins are just behind them with 14, tied for 7th.

Poll

Who won the fight?

Bill Guerin

112 votes

Ryan Getzlaf

13 votes

Draw

114 votes

239 votes | Poll has closed

Ducks Gameday -- The Most Frustrating Concurrent Eleven-Game Scoring Streaks Ever

Earl Sleek — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:55:25 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

Little-known fact: Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will also be representing Canada at the Summer Olympics in the synchronized diving event. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

Browse more photos »

Anaheim Ducks (6-9-3, 15th in west) at Pittsburgh Penguins (13-7-0, 3rd in east), 4:30 pm
Penguins buzz at PensBurgh and The Pensblog; Ducks buzzkill at Anaheim Calling.

Well, this season's pretty much over. Or at least it's become hugely reliant on a scripted Disney finish.

Even if the Ducks finish the rest of their season seven games above .500 from here on out (32-25-7, let's say), there's less than a 1% chance that they'll qualify for the postseason -- based on Sports Club Stats' 457,757 simulations with that finishing record, Anaheim would still miss the postseason with a 99.2% likelihood. For comparison, if the Sharks finish their season going seven games above .500 they'll make the playoffs with nearly a 100% likelihood; if the Kings do so they'll make the playoffs with a 91.2% likelihood. And I don't really know how this Anaheim team would even generate that sort of turnaround -- there's not much to suggest this team is on the cusp of anything except another soul-shattering loss.

What's been frustrating about the losing is that Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have been seemingly scoring at an exceptional rate -- both are riding 11-game scoring streaks (Getzlaf 2-17-19, Perry 9-7-16) that have them now among the NHL's top sixteen scorers (heck, Getzlaf leads the league in assists), but their offense hasn't led to many victories at all. Over their concurrent streaks, the Ducks have a 3-6-2 record, have dropped to 15th in the west, and part of the problem seems to be about when top-line offense decides to kick in. "Too Little, Too Late" seems an appropriate phrase:

Getzlaf and Perry have combined for 11 goals in the last 11 games, but 8 came when the Ducks were trailing.

Over the last 11 games, 60% of Getzlaf-Perry points and 72% of Getzlaf-Perry goals have come when the Ducks were already behind on the scoreboard. Of course, with the losing, the Ducks have been trailing more than they've been leading, but it's not nearly that stark a contrast -- over the past 11 games, the Ducks have spent 38% of the time trailing, 34% of the time tied, and 28% of the time leading. They've only been outscored 35-34 over that stretch, so underlying numbers aren't horrid, but the timing of offense sure sucks. Just enough to lose games.

For Getzlaf and Perry in particular, it seems that they don't really get into gear until after they've already cost the Ducks on the scoreboard; then usually comes a renewed effort to make up for earlier on-ice shittiness (to be fair, there's plenty of candidates for "who plays shitty when the score is tied", not just Getzlaf and Perry). The general rule seems to be that the Ducks' top line is very good in trailing situations, but Getzlaf and Perry aren't difference makers in situations when opponents have incentive to score goals.

I'm not against desperation offense, by any means -- it's "nice" that the Ducks do compete after falling behind. But that skill on its own has very little value; this season's a pretty good testament to that.

* * *

I'll be missing tonight's end-of-game comments -- I'm joining in on a Blackhawks podcast / radio show at 7 pm tonight with the guys from HOCKEE NIGHT to help them properly complain about Andrew Ebbett. If you're web-savvy enough, you may be able to listen in and submit chat comments live, but I'm not the go-to source on how that's done. [UPDATE, 6 pm -- just got an e-mail that tonight's puckcast has been called off for tonight.]

Prediction: Ducks fall behind, then Getzlaf and Perry extend their futile points streaks.

Go Ducks.

SB Nation - Ryan Getzlaf

Game 32 Preview: Ducks in Columbus

Team Canada Watch: Centre

#15 / Center / Anaheim Ducks

#91 / Center / Dallas Stars

#18 / Center / Philadelphia Flyers

#91 / Center / Tampa Bay Lightning

#26 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

#91 / Center / Boston Bruins

#37 / Center / Boston Bruins

Ducks Win 4-3 in Yet Another Stars Overtime Loss

Defending Big D 3 Stars of the game

Senators beat Ducks 4-3 and finally win a shootout and a road game

Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks: Game Recap

Minnesota Wild 5-4 (so) Anaheim Ducks

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

2010 Winter Olympics Hockey: Anaheim Hopefuls

TEAM USA

#9 / Right Wing

GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT 2009 - Bobby Ryan 21 9 6 15 1 14 4 0 0 0 69 13.0 "Nearly A Lock"

#19 / Defenseman

"Nearly A Lock"

TEAM CANADA

#15 / Center

"Pack Your Bags"

# 27 / Defenseman

"Pack Your Bags"

#10 / Right Wing

"Moving Up"

TEAM FINLAND

#11 / Center

"Pack Your Bags"

#17 / Center

"Moving Up"

#8 / Right Wing

TEAM SWITZERLAND

#1 / Goalie

TEAM RUSSIA

Евгений Артюхин(Evgeny Artyukhin)

#24 / Right Wing

"In A Battle"

Big Line Letdown

Tales of the Tape: Bill Guerin vs. Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim), 11-16-09

Who won the fight?

Bill Guerin

Ryan Getzlaf

Draw

Ducks Gameday -- The Most Frustrating Concurrent Eleven-Game Scoring Streaks Ever

GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT

2009 - Bobby Ryan 21 9 6 15 1 14 4 0 0 0 69 13.0

"Nearly A Lock"

Евгений Артюхин
(Evgeny Artyukhin)