SB Nation - Joffrey Lupul

Thursday links: Happy Birth-day after edition

averagejoe — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:00:28 -0000

One year ago yesterday, this little blog left its humble Word Press home and joined SB Nation. It's hard to imagine a world without the "z" button and auto-refresh comments. Happy Birth-day after to everyone.

Blues news

Blackhawks top Blues via a shutout. Ugh. Classic letdown game. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Alex Pietrangelo may not have played last night — in fact, he was in Canada — but according one fan, he helped knock off the glass last night at the United Center. [Chicago Now]
Team Canada has named its World Junior Roster, and Jake Allen and Alex Pietrangelo are on it. Go Team Canada? [NHL.com]
With Jake Allen making Team Canada, his family will be doing some traveling. [Daily Gleaner]
Look, this year may be a bit of a downer, but the future is still bright in St. Louis. [The Hockey News]
Erik Johnson and the Blues are talking contract. Surprisingly, the Blues aren't talking to David Perron. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
If you see cats and dogs living together, you'll know why: Brett Hull and Mike Keenan have patched things up. [Belleville News-Democrat]

Hockey news

Results from last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
Hey look, the Blues aren't playing tonight. We can't lose! [Yahoo! Sports]
The NHL wants not one, but TWO outdoor games. One in the States and one in Canada land. [ESPN]
Speaking of Canada, the Canadian teams are no longer struggling to stay afloat. [ESPN]
More Canada: The league is looking at increasing exposure in the Great White North. [TSN]
Joffrey Lupul will be out 6-to-8 weeks with back surgery. Does he have any kids to lift so Ducks fans can chart his progress? [TSN]
Joining Lupul in the "out 6-to-8" club will be Jason Spezza. Spezza has a torn MCL. [TSN]
The NHLPA is looking for a new leader and five players have joined the search. [TSN]

Other links

A list of the 10 biggest memes of 2009. The drunk guy we featured twice? He's No. 1. [Ranker]
The best mugshots of 2009. There are some AWE. SOME. ones in here. [Buzzfeed]
Get someone really good? That's a burn. [Buuurn]
Remember earlier I said dogs and cats living together might be a sign of the end of the world? I meant bears, lions and tigers. [urlesque]

Video

I think we all could use something lighter with the struggles on ice. I present you singing Muppets.

Adios, bitches. Gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Wingless Ducks Pay Canucks A Visit

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:00:23 -0000

Ducks (12-13-7) vs Canucks (19-14-0)

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: TSN

THE OPPOSITION: Battle of California, Anaheim Calling

UPDATE (4:00 PM): Word is that Rypien will move up to the 3rd line to center Glass and Bernier.

UPDATE (1:15 PM): The Canucks are not taking the Ducks lightly, plus, Jonas Hiller will start in goal for the Quacks.

*****************************

You probably know this already, but Kyle Wellwood will be a healthy scratch against the Ducks. Alain Vigneault stated that he wants to ice a grittier team against the Ducks. So Darcy Hordichuk will most likely draw in. Wellwood said after practice on Tuesday that he isn't surprised he's riding the pine because he didn't have a great game against the Kings and was on the ice for their lone goal. Wellwood only played 9:38 and was a -1. I wonder where the Canucks' patience level is with him. Time is running out for the pint-sized slumping center.

The Canucks are looking to win 4 in a row for the first time this season. They seem to have found their groove back. Their home record is now a stellar 13-4-0. They have outscored their opponents 11-6 in the last 3 wins. Speaking of the number zero, their zero points in the overtime loss section continues to be an eyesore. They sit in 10th spot in the West while being 5 games above 500. Dallas, who has 10 overtime-shootout losses, sits in 9th.

More after the jump..

Detroit, who sits in 8th spot, 1 point ahead of the Canucks, has 5 OTL's. The Canucks' 104 goals for ranks them 3rd in the West. Their somewhat impressive 85 goals against ranks them 3rd best in the West. Their 19 wins ties them with San Jose, Colorado, Calgary, Nashville and Phoenix. That is a 6-way tie for most wins in the Conference. It's frustrating to look at, but it is what it is. They just have to continually plug away and get into the playoff hunt. These wins are going to count for something (like a tie breaker perhaps) towards the end of the season.

Speaking of madness: the Ducks' 12-13-7 record puts them at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, only 8 points out of a playoff spot. They have won 2 of their last 3 games after losing 5 straight. They have had 4 days off since beating Columbus 3-1 on the 12th.

Despite losing Teemu Selanne (broken hand) and Joffrey Lupul (back issues) recently, the Ducks may be turning a corner. They are finally getting scoring from the second line (sound familiar?), and at lot of that has to do with some guy named Dan Sexton, the Ducks' undrafted free agent signing who they recently called up due to the Selanne injury. He and Koivu are clicking. Sexton has 4 goals and 1 assist in his last 4 games. Koivu has 2 goals and 3 assists. Bobby Ryan has 1 goal and 4 assists. These guy have carried the Ducks over the past few games, as the top line has cooled off.

Jonas Hiller, who stopped 35 of 36 shots against the Blue Jackets last game, may get the start for the Ducks. However, he has been anything but stellar this season.

Corey (Canuck-Killer) Perry has 4 goals and 12 points in his last 5 games against the Canucks.

The last time the Canucks played the Ducks was October 30th in Anaheim: a 7-2 loss as poor Andrew Raycroft and Cory Schneider were hung out to dry. The Canucks had built an early 2-0 lead in that game and then completely crumpled. Time to make amends for that travesty!

COMPARATIVE STATS

GOALS PER GAME AVERAGE: Canucks 4th, Ducks 16th

GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 8th, Ducks 25th

5 on 5: Canucks 3rd, Ducks 16th

POWER PLAY: Canucks 2nd, Ducks 4th (uh-oh)

PENALTY KILL: Canucks 21st, Ducks 24th

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 12th, Ducks 22nd

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Ducks 27th

FACE OFF PERCENTAGE: Canucks 11th, Ducks 22nd

If you are new here, some of us predict the scores, winning team and winning goal scorer each Canucks game. The leaderboard is on the left sidebar on the main page. Bragging rights! And I got 'em so far!

Let's Talk About Sexy

Arthur from Anaheim Calling — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:33:13 -0000

ARTHUR:

Dan Sexton's NHL career is off to an eye-popping start. With goals in his last three games, the half-pint forward is serving crow to his naysayers, including your blogger (who short sold Sexton's ability to perform in a physical, defensive system but should have short sold Murray's desire to maintain a defensive system in the first place).

Big Sexy is doing something truly special for the Ducks, but eventually Teemu Selanne will come back. At that point, Sexton may have to play on a line with more physical responsibility, an assignment that usually defeats Anaheim's small forwards (Shannon, Ebbett) and even some regular-sized ones (Christensen). Daniel, is Dan Sexton playing well enough to stay in the lineup, maybe even the Top 6, when Teemu Selanne comes back from injury?

DANIEL:

Dan Sexton needs to stay here when Selanne gets back. I'm not going to bore people with an analysis of his talents. Yes, he's fast. Yes, he's great in the corners and great at finding the puck. And Big Sexy's ability to shoot from anywhere to generate instant offense is very Lupul-esque.

He needs to stay here because his enthusiasm right now reminds me of Bobby Ryan's last year, when Ryan was desperate to stay in the NHL. Big Sexy is excited to be here. He's seizing every opportunity with two hands, and he's absorbing hockey wisdom like a sponge (and from Saku Koivu, no less). His energy is starting to flow through the team. Sometimes, veteran teams fall into a lull, and a spark from a rookie who has a 'no surrender' attitude can get everyone's mind right.

Since Sexton's arrival, the Ducks are 2-0-3. Not a great record, but having watched the games, I think Anaheim has started to show more urgency and started to deliver close to 60-minute efforts. I don't think that has everything to do with Sexton, but I think that, just as Ryan did last year, he brings a new source of scoring and excitement to the team.

I know the practicality of keeping him is rough. Personally, I think the most viable option is to put Selanne on the top line, and keep Sexton, Koivu, and Bobby Ryan together. Lupul is responsible enough to play on a third line with Marchant and Nokelainen, and that line's offensive plan can just be to get Lupul the puck. While breaking up Koivu and Selanne might seem like disrespecting Koivu's original purpose in coming here, I think Koivu is more interested in winning. And if Ryan, Sexton and Koivu keep playing like this, they shouldn't be broken up. It's also important to keep Ryan on a scoring line, just so that he doesn't develop more negative feelings that might have him walking at the end of the year. Lupul, on the other hand, is happy to be here and locked up contractually. He'll suffer on a third line if it means he can play in the Top 6 next year, when Selanne will likely retire.

ARTHUR:

I definitely agree that the key to keeping Sexton in the NHL is to NOT put him in the Bottom 6, but it's also hard to put Lupul there when he played so well after coming back from his back injury. He, too, was a source of enthusiasm for this team in recent games. Then again, with Loops suffering from a new nagging ailment every few games, a demotion might do him some good. We might get a longer stint out of him if he wasn't part of the overworked top line, and he's definitely gritty enough to play on a checking line, more so than Sexton, Selanne or even Ryan.

If Dan Sexton stays with the Ducks this season, he stays because he can create offense. Not just the shoot-first, look-into-pass-options-later offense that made a young Joffrey Lupul so good, but the sort of playmaking offense that can really frustrate the opposition. I've been clamoring for longer attack sequences this year, and Sexton and Koivu have been able to create that. Teams were weary of our heavyweight line last season, but now we have a welterweight line. They're making plays in the middle of the ice with a dangerous Bobby Ryan coming off the boards. Teams are in the ring with Manny Pacquiao when it's Sexton-Koivu-Ryan; they just don't know where the punches are coming from out there. And I can't imagine Carlyle will give up the option of sending Pacquiao over the boards when Ali comes back to the bench.

Of course, the coach has downplayed Sexton's success, noting that he sees it as the success of a line. And Carlyle has traditionally asked his rookies to earn their spot in the Top 6, regardless of size or playmaking ability, so why would Big Sexy be any different? But I think Sexton stays in the Top 6 because I see his quick NHL start as a sea change in the Ducks organization. Anaheim is finally playing a system where David McNab's undersized stars can shine. It would be a step backwards to put his playmaking ability on the backburner just because 'that's the way we've always done it.'

Now out of the comfort zone, Flyers face make or break stretch

Travis Hughes — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:09:30 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Claude Giroux and Mike Richards need to wipe the depressing looks off their faces and get this team going.

Browse more photos »

Devils. Bruins. Penguins. Penguins. Rangers. That's the schedule for the Philadelphia Flyers over the next week.

It's officially make or break time. This team needs to string points together right now. Not only are all of these teams rivals, they're all pretty strong opponents. Yeah, you could argue against the Rangers, who have been stuck in neutral just like the Flyers. If you think they won't be up for the first game of the season against the orange and black, though, you're mistaken.

The key is for the Flyers to match intensity this week. The largest problem with this team right now is a simple lack of confidence. They lack it in basically every aspect of the game besides goaltending, and it's a major reason why they simply can't put the puck in the net.

The firing of their coach and friend John Stevens probably didn't help the fragile self-esteem of this group. After all, it's easy to forget that the core of this team is still quite young. They were one of the youngest in the league last year, and the additions of Chris Pronger and Ian Laperriere, along with the subtractions of Joffrey Lupul and Scottie Upshall, have only gone so far in changing that fact.

Besides, Pronger and Laperriere, two guys who were brought in largely to take leadership roles on the club, haven't done so, at least when it comes to an off-ice role, with Pronger saying things like how he doesn't want to step on Mike Richards' toes.

So far under Peter Laviolette, though, the Flyers have been taken out of their comfort zone. In comes a new coach, holding them accountable for stupid, undisciplined penalties right off the bat. Pronger has been, seemingly, a more vocal presence since Laviolette has come on. The new coach has moved morning game day skates from the Wachovia Center to the Skate Zone in Voorhees, where they were located for almost 30 years prior to last season.

That decision a year ago was made in large part to help the younger players, who live in Center City Philadelphia. Now, those young players will have to drive the extra 20 to 30 minutes over the bridge to the practice rink every morning while the veterans, who for the most part live in South Jersey, are given the luxury of the shorter drive on game day mornings.

Laviolette said the issue wasn't even up for debate. He also went into tactical reasons for the move, such as not wanting to be in the same building as the opponent so the team could go over secretive things like power play formations and the like without the other team seeing what he's doing. But whether it was the main reason for the move or not, the young, under performing core has been effectively taken out of their comfort zone.

Now, it's up to them to respond and show they have something to prove. They have to take this personally. Richards has to lead the charge, emotionally and on the ice. He can set the tone for this team early on, and he'll have to against the Devils for the team to have any success. It's not that Richards has to score a goal in the first ten minutes. But when he's at his best, he's zipping around the ice, doing anything possible to make a high-percentage play. He has to set that tone, but his linemates and the other goal scorers on the team have to follow. That means Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, James van Riemsdyk, and most of all, Jeff Carter, have to match his intensity.

The third and fourth lines will continue to get it done. They've been working hard this entire stretch, and that's not surprising given the make-up of those two units. You've got guys like Laperriere and Asham leading the charge on the third line, and those guys simply don't let up. And on the fourth line, you've got a bunch of guys fighting to make a name for themselves in what they know will be a limited time in the NHL.

We have to hope that going up against a few rivals this week, especially the Penguins in a home-and-home that caps off in Philadelphia, will give the Flyers big guns the spark they so desperately need. If you're going to prove that you're still capable of winning the Cup this season, you've got to win against your Cup-contending rivals. You've got to win this week.

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

Browse more photos »

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.

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ Anaheim Ducks (9:00pm CST)

Brad G — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:37:57 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars
@ Anaheim Ducks

Tuesday, Dec 8, 2009, 9:00 PM CST
Honda Center

Local TV:FSSW

Radio: Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket

Complete Coverage >

Tonight the Dallas Stars travel to Anaheim to face the ~~Mighty~~ Ducks, and start their longest road trip of the season. It's a five game stretch that will see the Stars go fourteen days between home games, and includes games on both the West and East coasts. This morning the Stars find themselves in 8th place with 34 points, only 4 away from the 12th place Edmonton Oilers, and 5 points away from the third place Blackhawks. This critical stretch against quality opponents is yet another opportunity for the Stars to come together and find the consistent play they've been looking for, or else fall to the wrong side of eighth place in the conference. Knowing the Stars this season, they'll somehow find a way to go 2-2-1 on this trip and end up right back where they started. Which wouldn't be all bad.

These teams met just five days ago in Dallas. The Stars were held off the score sheet through two periods, and a bit of a goaltending duel (or a contest of offensive ineptitude) had carried into the late stages of the game when Dallas finally broke through with two of the more embarrassingly fluky goals you'll ever see. Brenden Morrow added an empty netter and the Ducks lost the game in regulation, as well as Teemu Selanne. Since that meeting Thursday, the clubs have combined to lose three shootout games over the weekend: Dallas to Edmonton, and Anaheim to Minnesota and Ottawa.

Follow the jump for a look at both teams and the injury situation...

The Stars:

The big news for Dallas tonight will likely be the season debut of young defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy, according to the Dallas Morning News. Dallas recalled Vishnevskiy from the Texas Stars and placed defenseman Karlis Skrastins on IR with a lacerated finger.

Our own Brandon Worley opined on the subject:

When news first came that Skrastins was out indefinitely with a cut finger on his hand, it was just about inevitable that he would have to go to injured reserve at some point. The cut is on the hand that grips the top of his stick and it's going to take at least a week for it to heal to a point where he can play comfortably. What I hoped would happen is that the Stars would recall Maxime Fortunus or Garrett Stafford when this happened, in order to provide some intelligent and physical relief on defense while Skrastins was out. Neither are flashy guys, but both are solid defensemen who won't make many mistakes.

And Mike Heika agreed:

I personally would have called up Maxime Fortunus and played him beside Fistric, but I think they like what Vishnevskiy has done so far this year with the Texas Stars. It's probably only for one game and Skrastins will come back Friday against San Jose, so we'll see how this works.

It appears as though Woywitka will be the odd man out tonight, but Marc Crawford has surprised us before.

While trying to keep Perry and Getlzaf away from Marty Turco with an increasingly young and inexperienced group of blue-liners, the Stars will also continue attempting to right the ship on offense. Two goals against the Ducks on Thursday (and an empty netter) and two goals against Edmonton on Saturday gives Dallas only two goals scored in an eye popping 12 of their last 16 games. James Neal will likely be reunited with Richards and Eriksson tonight to further the cause.

Marty Turco will be in net. [link]

The Ducks:

Anaheim, in spite of having one of the scarier offensive pairs in the league in Perry and Getzlaf, have lost five straight and will be looking to get off the slide with a win tonight. Ducks forward Joffrey Lupul returned from injury after the Dallas game, tallying three goals already in two games.

It's tough to figure out which goaltender is starting for Randy Carlyle these days. The OC Register explains...

The fact is Giguere and Hiller have been alternating starts the last four games since Hiller got the nod against the Kings after a start Giguere made against Phoenix in which he played well but lost in a shootout to Phoenix.

Neither goalie has won since and it’s left Giguere wondering what would have happened had Carlyle stuck with him during a run where he went 3-0-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average.

"If you keep going, good things could happen," Giguere acknowledged. "Sometimes a judgment call is more appropriate than that. I think at this point, Jonas and I have got to just take it one day at a time, not worry too much about the next game and just worry when you’re called upon and try to give the team a chance."

Carlyle’s basic approach has been to foster competition between the two would-be No. 1 goaltenders. But could it be having a reverse effect where it’s more you lose you’re out that win and you’re in.

"I’d be lying if I’d say it’s not in the back of our minds," Giguere said. "My mind anyway, I don’t about Jonas. You go into the third, it’s a tie game or whatever and you think about if you want to keep playing, you absolutely need to win. You can’t give up that next goal.

The pattern suggests Hiller tonight, which is a real shame, because I think we all enjoyed Giguere's third period performance on Thursday immensely.

Injuries:

Anaheim: Teemu Selanne (hurt by a Karlis Skrastins slap shot. Broken hand)

Dallas: Karlis Skrastins (hurt later the same game. Lacerated finger)

Have a prediction? Make it in the comments.

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.

Browse more photos »

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.

Ducks Season Gone in a Flash?

Daniel AC — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:20:50 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

8 months ago: Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne, left, of Finland, puts a shot over Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco to win the game during the shootout in an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, April 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

Browse more photos »

DANIEL:

This is Anaheim Calling to the hockey world. The Ducks chances of crawling out of the cellar just went form bad to abysmal. TSN is reporting that Teemu Selanne will be gone for the next 4-6 weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. Selanne is a key component of the Ducks secondary scoring in 5 on 5 situations along with Saku Koivu. More importantly, Selanne is third in the league with 7 power play goals, and second in game winning goals with 4. Aside from being a fan favorite, Selanne is very important to the overall performance of the Ducks, and with Joffrey Lupul still sidelined with back spasms there is no indication of who will replace Selanne's goal scoring abilities.

Recent acquisition Kyle Chipchura has played with Saku Koivu before and might be an accidental success with the space that has oppened up on Koivu's wing. Lupul has been skating recently and might only be a couple games away. Chipchura would provide a big body to go along with Koivu's playmaking and Lupul's shoot first mentality. Possible chemistry could ensue. This would lead to a demotion for Artyukhin whose only bad game in the past week was against the Kings when he took three offensive zone faceoffs penalties, a trend he had seemed to reverse.

Perhaps the best hope for the Ducks was just called up from the AHL. Dan Sexton, a.k.a. Big Sexy, had a phenomenal year in the ECHL posting 13-13=26 in 18 games. Dan Sexton is generoulsy listed at 5'10" and a 170 lbs. More importantly, the guy is crafty in the corner. During training camp I was most impressed with Sexton's ability to come out of the corner with the puck against bigger opponents. He uses his speed and lack of size to his advantage. Think Andy McDonald, only as a winger instead of up the middle. I'm excited to see what Big Sexy brings to the team. If nothing else, I expect energy and better play along the boards. I'd love to see an all rookie line of Beleskey-Sharp-Sexton. This line would have Arthur's favorite combination from old Nintendo, the fat guy, the regular guy and the skinny guy.

No matter what happens, the Ducks are going to have to solve this problem from the inside. There's a report that the best s ource for talent via trade, the cap strapped Blackhawks, don't need to move any players until the off season. The Ducks' rookies can get it done. The Ducks need to let their depth start doing a little work, otherwise the top players won't have any guess for a potential stretch run.

Restraint Of Trade

Arthur from Anaheim Calling — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:27:35 -0000

ARTHUR:

The Pond hosted 15 of the league's pro scouts at the start of the Ducks' seven game homestand, a contingent that caused LA Times writer Helene Elliott to predict a vastly revamped roster before the team left for Dallas this week. Yet, one game before their departure, the roster remains the same, or at least, unaffected by trade.

Daniel, it's tough to get a deal done in November, but assuming a trade fell through or Murray's finger eased off the trigger, do you think the Ducks GM should still spend the month of December trying to make a move?

DANIEL:

Yes, I think the Ducks need to make a move in December in order to completely right the ship and start thinking about the playoffs. A quick glance at the standings places the Ducks at 13th in the conference, but only 7 points out of 8th. That's only 4 wins. Yes, there are a few teams still to jump, but if we've endured our worst stretch of the season, some of those teams haven't seen theirs yet, and therefore, can be overtaken in the standings.

I think the game last night exposed the Ducks two key needs: secondary scoring and a solid defensive defenseman. I've really enjoyed the dynamic play of The Incredibles, but that line just isn't producing. After some 7 games together, the trio has generated just one goal. Selanne's numbers are inflated from power play scoring. Maybe Lupul solves this problem by providing a dangerous third line with March and Noks, so a trade might not be necessary for scoring.

However, last night the Ducks gave up a rebound goal and then Boynton deflected in the game winner. The Ducks don't have a legitimate shut down defender. Sadly, there aren't a lot of options out there. If he was healthy and the Coyotes weren't playing so well, I think my top choice would be the very affordable Kurt Sauer. Otherwise, reports have surfaced that the Canes are shopping Aaron Ward. Ward has been known to be a little injury prone, but a change of scenery could improve his play, and he'll come at a lower price. Also the Islanders have been given the go-ahead to add talent, so maybe we could get Brendan Witt for a veteran forward like Marchant or swing a bigger deal involving Lupul.

Although I think the real rewards can be reaped in Washington. The impending raises due for the likes of Semin, Fleischmann, and Backstrom this summer, and Varlamov the summer after that means that paying Pothier, Poti, and Greene will be almost impossible. In that case, maybe a swap involving Wisniewski for Poti or Pothier might actually help both clubs. No matter what, one of these two needs has to be addressed soon if the Ducks want to compete this year. Otherwise, let's start examining picks 10-15, because we'll only be good enough to miss the playoffs.

ARTHUR:

You know, with long term injuries to Ryan Carter, Joffrey Lupul and now Kyle Calder, I don't know if December is the time for Anaheim to be shipping off healthy bodies. Yes, we would be getting healthy bodies in return, but that definitely takes us into a 'devil we don't know' discussion. I don't know if Murray is as comfortable losing Marchant today as he was two weeks ago, and with two rookies in the Bottom 6, maybe he shouldn't be.

That doesn't mean that I think the Ducks GM is, or should be, content with the way his team played on this homestand. They took three potential wins to overtime and have definitely shown flashes of the same checkered effort and affinity for implosion that dropped this squad to the dregs of the Western Conference in the first place. This is a team that can still benefit from the infusion of new blood, or even just the extraction of one of their own. Until there's a consistent 60-minute effort on the ice, no one should be safe.

But maybe Murray can get through this long December on the road without pulling the trigger. That would give Carter and Lupul some time to heal, maybe give Jiggy and Hiller some more time to pose for the scouts, but most of all, it would put Murray back in the driver's seat for trade negotiations. Two weeks ago, the scouts attended a feeding frenzy, but the closer we get to March, the more Murray is just fishing.

Oilers Roundtable Discussion, 1/3 of the way through the season - Part II

Derek Zona — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Christopher J. Morris - AP

Browse more photos »

It's been all about disappointments and Dustin Penner thus far for the Oilers. Who's has suffered the biggest letdown, and besides Big Pun, who has surprised the group?

Our lineup includes: the prolix Shepso, combining modern western philosophy and hockey at Bringing Back The Glory; Chappy, owner of This is Not a Love Song; HBomb, everyone's favorite bartender in the Oilers' 'sphere; Dawgbone, the pragmatic commentor that writes too infrequently at After The Green Light; Doogie2k, the go-to guy on physiology working at Still No Name; everyone's favorite antagonist Ender, Doogie's partner in crime at Still No Name; and SumOil, a frequent commenter here and the biggest optimist that any of us know.

Find the entire series here, tagged 2009 midseason roundtable

The conversation continues after the jump.

3. Who or what has been the biggest disappointment thus far?

Shepso: I hate to say it, as I called him as the player to watch last time (though I did also pray to the gods for Penner) has been Patrick O’Sullivan. He started off strong and has just disappeared, shootout brilliance not withstanding. He tried really hard and gave great efforts at the start of the season, but the well appears to be dry now. Aside from Patty O, the return of Grebs on Acid hasn’t been fun. I hope he gets it out of his system while he’s on the IR. The Wall really hasn’t been great, but I know he too is trying very hard and has been working with a mostly AHL caliber of defense in front of him so I can’t justify ripping into him just now. I’ll save that for year three of his contract. Finally, Nilsson’s horrific -12 makes him my absolute worst goat of the team thus far.

As far as situational disappointments, I assumed Tom Renney’s PK would be a lot better thus far. I am also really confused about the deployment of Andrew Cogliano. He has speed, he has hands, he has o-zone awareness, yet he has been lugging around dead weight for much of the season. His game is more suited to the wing, yet he is insisting upon playing center while Duff Man was apparently brought in to play the wing. I like 91 centering 18 and 46 a lot more than 13.

Finally, and this is more of a heartbreaker then a disappointment; the flare-up of Fernando’s colitis is just so tragic for one of the best guys to play for this team in a number of years. I know this sentiment has been and will continue to be echoed throughout the blogging community and the city of Edmonton as a whole. Good Luck Fernando, we all miss you and wish you luck and a quick recovery.

Chappy: He's starting to turn it around, but I'd really like to see a bit more from Shawn Horcoff.

HBomb: Patrick O'Sullivan would get my vote. The guy can shoot the puck, but he has no finish whatsoever. He's like Joffrey Lupul in that he's got a slow release and takes time to get his shot off at full power, but when he does, it's impressive. Unlike Lupul, however, O'Sullivan's skill-set prevent him from achieving absolute uselessness when he's not scoring. He's not a lost cause, but at the same time, he's probably very available as a trade asset if Tambellini ever decides to try and improve this hockey club.

Dawgbone: Without a doubt Shawn Horcoff. In past years when he wasn't scoring he was at least generating scoring chances and doing a good job at getting the puck going the other way. This year nothing was going right for him early, and while things have gotten better, he still isn't having much luck (it seems any mistake he makes ends up in the back of the net). What's really troublesome is that he's not even taking draws anymore. Hopefully that's just a sign of tightness in his shoulder as opposed to an actual injury. Another disappointment this year has been Andrew Cogliano. 28 shots in 23 games is not enough, especially with his speed and ability to create his own shot. His biggest downfall has been missing the net. Among all forwards who have 20 or more SOG, Cogliano has the worst % of actually getting his shots on net (28 SOG on 39 attempts). That's defenceman territory.

Doogie2k: Probably Patty O'Lanterns. I swear, that kid must have an extra NOT gate in the circuitry that decides whether to pass or shoot: so many times, I've seen him pass when he had a lane, or shoot a muffin into the goalie's logo when there's been an open man. And speaking of muffins to the chest, I've also never seen so many shots directly at the goaltender from an alleged goal-scorer. Seriously, when was the last time there were so many bad decisions in someone paid that much? (Oh, wait, I watched Alexei Kovalev in Montreal last year. Never mind.)

Ender: Cogliano. Yes, he's been stapled to Moreau, but with the guy's skill level there's no way he shouldn't have charged up the roster like Gagner has. Maybe if their roles were reversed their stats would be as well, but Cogliano seems to have more or less given up on a 1st or 2nd line role, which is super disappointing - though it'll likely help with the cap.

Other than that, obviously my biggest disappointment has been seeing a healthy OIlers team for what? 2 games this season?

SumOil: I will like to answer this question as who AND what has been the biggest disappointment. There are many things wrong with this team-lack of intensity, lack of actual NHL players etc..etc..but the two biggest disappointments so far have been

a. Gilbert b. Passive Oilers management.

Tom Gilbert: Gilbert has been one of my favorite oiler in the last 2 seasons. After his 45 point season last year, I expected Gilbert to be an even better defenseman this season. I thought he will get way better defensively while regressing a little in his offesive production. This season has been a disappointment. His offensive game seems non-existent and he hasnt inspired any confidence with his defensive play either. He has regressed so much since last season, that if traded for Stafford at this moment, we will have robbed Buffalo. Gilbert is a good, smart hockey player just entering his prime, and its time he starts playing like one.

Oilers Management: Oilers management has been as passive as a monk this season. They seem to have an excuse for everything and are probably more optimistic about this team's chances of making the playoffs than a certain fan we all know ;). Make a damn move. We need a defensively responsible center who can win face-offs(after Hemsky's injury, we also need a top 6 forward but that can be a start). If not that, make a trade for the sake of making one. This might wake up the players who have gotten too comfortable with their lazy play knowing that their jobs are secure. There are many teams that struggling like the Oilers and will like to trade to send a message to the players. But no our GM wants to wait till 2020 untill the roster gets healthy. If we have learnt one thing in the last 3 years, it is that some one or the other is always injured(flukey one or not) and a definite plan B is a necessity.

4. Who, aside from Dustin Penner, has been the most pleasant surprise?

Shepso: I’m thrilled about the emergence of the real Dustin Penner. Last year I wrote about the unfortunate mistake that was MacT’s disciplinary strategy and the effect it must have had on DP’s development. Feel free to read it - I think it was my best work last season. Anyhoo, I am really rather proud of how he has rebounded and think he is the best player on the team by leaps and bounds. However, it is one of the other pieces of the former Heatley puzzle that has been the most pleasant surprise; Ladi Smid +7. That is what we needed from him. He makes great decisions with the puck, he hits, his skating is much better, and he just looks really happy to be on this team right now. That to me is the best news of the year. Quite frankly, the kid has been an absolute gem, and when paired with Lubo, looks capable of being an all-star shutdown defenceman.

Chappy: Having seen a lot of rubber in their own end, I think our goaltending has been our best asset so far. I think Nikolai Khabibulin has held the team together nicely since his gaffe in game 1. Should Khabibulin need a break (and I see him needing a few more than he's gotten so far) Deslauriers is showing that he can fill in nicely for 20-25 games. I'm very impressed at our goaltending tandem. Here's hoping Khabibulin comes back sooner rather than later from his back flare-up.

HBomb: Gilbert Brule's showing some promise. Yes, he's got some warts on his game, but he can finish and his faceoff ability isn't Cogliano-esque. Before he was hurt, Ryan Stone was the runaway winner in this category. Did anyone expect him to even make the hockey club?

Dawgbone: Vishnovsky. We all knew how good he was before he got hurt, but the question was could he come back from it? I think that answer is a resounding yes. Aside from needing some time early in the year to get back into gear, he picked up where he left off last year. He's been so good that I'm convinced that the Oilers make the playoffs last year if he didn't get hurt. Another pleasant surprise has been Brule. I was never a big fan of his, he reminded me a lot of Jani Rita. Very obvious skills that jumped out, but never in a position to use them. In the games I saw last year Brule was running around all over the ice and was never in position to make a play. This year he's been much better at finding lanes and attacking from in front of the puck as opposed to from behind the puck.

Doogie2k: I'm gonna stick with my original answer and say Ladislav Smid. Sure, playing with Lubomir Visnovsky will do that for you, and yeah, he was my personal Golden Rooster for the most recent Blackhawks game, but in most of the games I've watched, his decision-making has been much better and much calmer, he's been more willing to pinch to keep a play alive, and he's lost his man far less often than in past years. I know his on-ice SCD/15 year-over-year doesn't seem bear out this improvement at first glance, but considering that as a team, the Oilers have been much worse in the scoring-chance department this year, I'll take the relative stagnation as a sign of improvement.

Ender: I've been pretty happy with both of the goaltenders, which was the biggest question-mark for me coming in. From what I've seen they both easily have the skill to make it happen and while they both terrify me while handling the puck, I'm ok with my Penner-esque complaints against them. I said this about Penner last year and I'll say it about these guys this year - It's great that they can play at the level they do, but when they seem asleep in 1/3-1/2 of their games it pisses me off. If the results are there regardless, great, but my god I'd feel more confident watching the game if they got off of the Benadryl.

SumOil: There is one player who has has the biggest improvement from for the Oilers and that is Smid. However the player who has surprised me the most is Gilbert Brule. Last season when he was called up,he struggled in the big show. His performance in the A did not inspire much confidence in his play either. During the pre-season there was a lot of talk about him getting Brodziak's role as the 4th line center. Most of us felt that this was more to do with his draft pedigree than him earning his due. However, Brule has been one of those positive contributors this season. He hasn't been able to replace Brodziak as he isnt as defensively reliable, but has consistently provided the team with secondary scoring. Early on, being on a line with Penner did help his stats and when(finally) Penner was promoted to the top line, many of us feared that his scoring will slow down considerably. However, he is third among all forwards in scoring and 2nd in goals. Quoting Bruce McCurdy after Brule's performance against the Sharks:

"Brulé is no Hemsky obviously but I'm starting to think we might have an Actual NHL Player™ on our hands. He's showing some real intensity to go with a nose for the net and a quick release."