SB Nation Bay Area: All Posts by Jen Neale

2013 Anaheim Ducks Report Cards

2013-05-23T22:45:00Z

For the next few weeks, we'll be doing a player by player analysis of regular and post season play. Find out who has been grounded for the summer, should be sent to military school or made prom king.

Player Name/position: Jordan Hendry, Defenseman

Overall Grade: B+, No complaints but nothing stands out; just how it should be for a defensive defenseman with a caveat that we didn't get to see him tested at the NHL level.

Contract Status: UFA, $600,000 Salary/Cap Hit in 2013 (per Capgeek, of course)

2013 Stats: 2 Games Played, 0 goals, 0 assists 0 points 17:35 average TOI per game

2013 AHL Stats: 62 GP, 2-9-11, 63 PIM, minus-9 with Norfolk.

Playoff Stats: N/A

Offense: Well, he sure as Hell wasn't expected to provide any offense with the big club, so I guess he met expectations there. His best offensive season in the NHL was with the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, where he put up eight points (2-6-8) in 43 games and he clearly didn't have that kind of opportunity this season.

However, his .17 points per game is right on track with his previous three prolonged stints in the AHL (.16 in '09, .15 in '08 and .20 in '07). Most impressively he got 101 shots on goal (1.6 per game) as an Admiral this season, eclipsing his previous best of 97 (1.2 per game) in 2007.

Defense: His minus-9 rating (for what it's worth) was the worst and only the second negative rating of his AHL career (minus-3 in '08). I'd love to see his average time on ice to get an idea of how Norfolk coach Trent Yawney was using him, but even the AHL's game sheets don't keep track of that. Honestly, it's very difficult to tell how he lived up to expectations, having only seen him play in two games this season. Trust me, the analysis will get much better as we work our way up the depth chart in this series.

Highlight of the Season: Two multi-point games (2/17 vs. Bridgeport, and 3/9 vs. Hershey) and a stretch of four points in five games from Dec. 1-14. During that hot streak the Ads went 3-1-1 and Hendry scored both of his goals for the season, including the game winner over the Binghamton Sens.

Expectations for Next Year: None. He's a 29-year-old free agent who spent most of 2011-12 with Lugano of the Swiss league. I'd say this year he was eighth on the defensive depth chart, behind Sami Vatanen and slightly ahead of a concussed 18-year-old first round draft pick in Hampus Lindholm. So, if he is re-signed he's not likely to crack the Ducks' lineup barring several simultaneous injuries to blueliners.

Having said that I would have no problem signing him up for another year of stay-at-home defending in Norfolk, unless our resident Admirals fans have something else to say about it.

Last Day Of School - Ducks Exit Interview News & Updates

2013-05-14T22:52:00Z

Saku Koivu said he'll take a couple of weeks to consider whether he wants to go through another 82-game season.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Saku Koivu said he will take a couple of weeks to decide his future. Bob Murray says he has met with him and "I would like him back."
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 14, 2013

Murray also vowed that team won't be back as is. Did indicate that he wants Koivu to return. Will have talks with Selanne over next while.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

I am praying he feels up to it. He anchored that third line. And he's my favorite player, totally biased.

Ben Lovejoy said his agent and Ducks have had contract talks. Hopes something can be knocked out soon. "We're working on it."
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

I like it. After a rough start, he became incredibly dependable on the blue line and blossomed during the playoffs.

Toni Lydman confirmed that he suffered a concussion on Justin Abdelkader hit. Thought he should have gotten longer than two-game ban.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Interested in seeing how this impacts Lydman's future with the team. He's a pending free agent. He played well in place of Souray during the playoffs; however, he was frequently scratched during the season.

Ducks GM Bob Murray addressed media. Revealed that C Nick Bonino's injury was a torn hamstring while playing soccer before March practice.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

NO MORE PRE-GAME, PRE-PRACTICE SOCCER. PERIOD.

Murray also said Francois Beauchemin was playing with torn ACL for a while. Will undergo surgery as soon as they arrange it.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Makes things a little clearer. His speed and agility definitely declined after an incredible start.

Murray said Ryan Getzlaf's right ankle was never right after injuring it March 3 against Dallas when he got tied up with Jamie Benn.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Still played pretty well. He wasn't right after he injured his ankle the first time until this season.

Murray didn't like that team didn't address hits by Jarret Stoll on Cam Fowler in February or Abdelkader's hit on Lydman.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Murray doesn't think an enforcer is needed but thought there should have been more "team toughness" regarding Stoll, Abdelkader.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

So he wanted Brad Staubitz to beat the crap out of them but he was in the press box?

Selanne: "We have such a good team here. We know we’re better than this. I think everyone feels there is some unfinished business here."
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 14, 2013

Full transcript of Teemu Selanne's session with the media today. "This team was ready to go further." bit.ly/14kKT58
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) May 14, 2013

Both Murray and Selanne agreed that losing Bonino particularly hurt the winger. Selanne didn't have a regular center in absence.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Pretty sure Teemu says 'unfinished business' after every season but it will keep the rumors going for a while. Personally, I thought he'd be done after the struggles he had this season.

Viktor Fasth had a strained lower abdominal muscle and was playing at "80 percent" at the end of the year.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

I wonder when he actually injured himself. Puts another wrinkle in the Jonas Hiller future story.

Meeting with reporters, Boudreau appears as if he'll have Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth duke it out for starting job in '13-14.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Hmm...

Notable Ducks UFAs: Selanne, Koivu, Lovejoy, Lydman, Steckel, Hendry, Dvorak, Lombardi, Guenin. RFAs: Beleskey, Palmieri, Zolnierczyk.
— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 14, 2013

Bye-bye to who?

More to come...

Is It September Yet? The Off-Season Begins

2013-05-14T17:32:41Z

Now the Ducks 2013 season is officially in the books, we keep track of goings on during the off-season.

Other than Bobby Ryan, Bob Murray is the most polarizing figure in the Anaheim Calling community. Yet, the national media has recognized him as one of the top 3 GMs this year. And while he has an eye for spotting talent that other GMs have overlooked, his ability to develop that talent has often been called into question. What gives?

Game 7 recaps. Read at your own risk. [LA Times]
Let the Teemu Selanne offseason speculation begin! [ESPN] [SBNation.com]
In addition to Bob Murray, the Montreal Canadiens' Marc Bergevin and the Pittsburgh Penguins' Ray Shero have also been nominated for GM of the Year. [Vancouver Sun]
Post-Game 7 comments from Cam Fowler. [Mayor's Manor]
What happened to Corey Perry during the playoffs? [Edmonton Journal]
The coach of our ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets, is retiring. [News-Sentinel.com]
Wysh reacts to Bob Murray's nomination. [Puck Daddy]
Ducks' fans five stages of grief. [Battle of California]
The Ducks' official Bob Murray announcement. [Anaheim Ducks]
Five reasons the Ducks were eliminated from the playoffs. [NHL.com]
Emerson Etem's post-series comments. [Mayor's Manor]
Will the Ducks make a play in Stephen Weiss in the offseason? [Edmonton Journal]

GameThread: Red Wings @ Ducks - No Control & Lucille Bluth

2013-05-12T23:14:41Z

Next Game

Detroit Red Wings
@ Anaheim Ducks

Sunday, May 12, 2013, 7:00 PM PDT
Honda Center

TV: Fox Sports West, NBCSN, TSN & RDS

Radio: ESPN 710 AM

Your Enemy: Winging It In Motown

Complete Coverage >

I was going to write our normal preview with all the stats stuff; however, if you're here today, chances are you've watched the entire series. You know about the players and the story lines. No sense in re-hashing the same stuff.

This is it. It's Game 7. Win or make tee-times.

I hate to be cliche in this situation but it feels appropriate. This is in the hands of the players and how much they want it. We're completely powerless. There is nothing I can do to make the situation more certain. As a person that likes to be in control of her surroundings, it's a terribly uncomfortable position to be in.

There is nothing left to say. Play the best 60 minute game of the season or regret it for the entire summer.

Sooo, I have no good segue...

In honor of Mother's Day, I'm going to do a little something different and honor the ultimate mother, Lucille Bluth.

My all time favorite television show is Arrested Development. (Don't know it? Acquaint yourself NOW.) They released a clip of their return to TV via episodes on Netflix. Most people have seen it but if you haven't enjoy!

(Happy Mother's day to all the moms out there, including Mrs. Kober and Mrs. Deming, and to the ovaries of those of us who intend to be moms at some point.)

Next Game

Detroit Red Wings
@ Anaheim Ducks

Sunday, May 12, 2013, 7:00 PM PDT
Honda Center

TV: Fox Sports West, NBCSN, TSN & RDS

Radio: ESPN 710 AM

Your Enemy: Winging It In Motown

Complete Coverage >

This is it. It's Game 7. Win or make tee-times.

There is nothing left to say. Play the best 60 minute game of the season or regret it for the entire summer.

Sooo, I have no good segue...

In honor of Mother's Day, I'm going to do a little something different and honor the ultimate mother, Lucille Bluth.

(Happy Mother's day to all the moms out there, including Mrs. Kober and Mrs. Deming, and to the ovaries of those of us who intend to be moms at some point.)

Zetterberg, Red Wings Force Game 7 In Anaheim

2013-05-11T06:56:49Z

Final Score: Ducks 3, Red Wings 4 (OT)

First Period Recap: Based on the first five seconds of the game, it looked like it was going to be a very, very long night. As soon as Saku Koivu won the face-off, the Ducks went for a change. Gustav Nyquist took advantage of the sloppy change and took the puck into the Ducks zone. Luckily Ben Lovejoy gets back in time to block Nyquist's shot on Jonas Hiller.

It continued to be all Red Wings for a good part of the first period. What seems to be the story of the series, the Ducks just couldn't keep Detroit out of their zone, nor could they keep the puck in the Red Wings zone if they managed to get it out. When Anaheim did control the puck in Detroit's end the Red Wings collapsed around Jimmy Howard protecting him from ... no one! The Ducks just wouldn't go to the front of the net and plant themselves there for any extended period of time.

Nearly six minutes in, the Ducks commit the first penalty of the game. Ryan Getzlaf tripped up Mikael Samuelsson in the neutral zone. Someone should study the Red Wings and how they're able to win any games. They simply fall down so easily. (Sarcasm font needed).

Johan Franzen had his giant ass in front of Hiller all night and Anaheim did nothing to get him out of the way. Throughout the entire penalty kill, Hiller was on his toes looking over or around Franzen. Somehow Hiller manages to stop what felt like a million shots on the successful penalty kill. It looked like the Ducks would be going right back on the PK when Lovejoy tries to send the puck around the glass and it goes into the stands. No surprise, the Red Wings and their fans wanted a delay of game penalty. The officials caucused and decided the puck touched the glass - no penalty.

Anaheim's best scoring chances were coming from the third and fourth lines. Lovejoy - who had another really strong game - intercepts a Detroit pass and sends a stretch pass up to to Andrew Cogliano. Cogs looked like he was wearing Acme rocket skates as he pulled away from the Red Wings. He rips off a quick wrist shot and it goes just wide.

As for the first line, Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan couldn't connect. Perry was always being shadowed and I'm not really sure what Bobby was doing. He skated aimlessly a lot and he'd commit to taking a run at a player, completely abandoning the play. All of this was happening at the worst time because Pavel Datsyuk was on the ice. Datsyuk fakes around Getzlaf and Francois Beauchemin and sends a backhand through the legs of Sheldon Souray and into the net. Detroit draws first blood with less than a minute to go.

Right before the final whistle, Daniel Winnik bounces the puck off Joakin Andersson and on net. Howard is forced to make a leg save. Collecting his own rebound, Winnik sends his shot up over Howard. The period ends with Detroit leading 1-0.

Second Period Recap: Koivu loses the opening face-off to Andersson but the puck makes its way to Cogliano. Cogs passes to Koivu who is in alone with Howard. Howard comes out to challenge and Saku's shot hits the Detroit goalie in the chest.

The Red Wings nearly go up by another goal when Ryan allows Henrik Zetterberg to out-skate him, throw on the breaks and spin around in order to pass infront of Hiller to an onrushing Justin Abdelkader (back from suspension), who over-skates the pass.

Emerson Etem intercepts the puck in the neutral zone and out-skates the Detroit defense. He's joined in the Red Wings' zone with a flying Teemu Selanne. Etem gets right on net and passes across the crease to Selanne for what looked like a guaranteed goal. Howard, sprawled out on his tummy, makes a miraculous leg/ankle/foot save as Selanne tried to elevate the puck into the goal.

Following the near miss, the Ducks controlled a majority of the offensive zone time but they were gambling when they did. The defensemen were pinching, leading to a couple two-on-one opportunities for Detroit.

As I said earlier, the third and fourth lines for Anaheim were the only ones with good scoring chances through this point in the game. The fourth line, as it's been doing lately, was group to get the Ducks on the score sheet. Etem (who else?!) sends a pass to an all alone Kyle Palmieri streaking into the Detroit zone. Tiny Dancer's laser of a shot ricocheted off the post, hits Detroit defenseman Ben Smith in the midsection and deflects into a wide open goal. A little bit of puck-luck ties the game at 1-1. This is Palmieri's third goal of the playoffs, tying him with Getzlaf and Nick Bonino for most goals on the team.

Detroit's two most dangerous players - Datsyuk and Zetterberg - nearly put the Red Wings in the lead again when Datsyuk skates around Selanne (who is trying to hook Pavel) and right up on goal, flinging a backhand just barely wide of Hiller. Not too long after the shot, the Ducks allow Zetterberg float around the goal line alone and he sends an shot off the post. The puck deflects directly to Abdelkader and his shot is clumsily swatted away by Hiller. The Ducks escape the second tied with Detroit.

Third Period Recap: To open the period, Jonas Hiller makes a Jonathan Quick-esque gaffe behind the net. With only a Red Wing in front of him, Hiller sends a blind backwards pass directly to another Red Wing at the side boards. Hiller just barely squeaks back in net as a shot is sent on goal.

Luca Sbisa takes a shot at the point and it's blocked by Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi has a clear lane for a breakaway and he's blatantly tripped by Sbisa. Somehow, there was no call. Considering the other shenanigans happening since the Getzlaf penalty in the first period, I figured the refs were just going to let them play. More on that later.

Anaheim continues their pressure from the second period into the third. Cogliano, all over the place tonight, pressures the Red Wings and gets the puck over to Koivu. Saku quickly passes a charging Winnik in the middle of the ice. The pass was perfect but Winnik managed to miss the wide open net, sending the puck up and over the goal.

When play started again, the third line for the Ducks continued to pressure on the forecheck. From the corner boards, Winnik passes to Cogliano who sends the puck to Lovejoy at the blue line. Reverend Lovejoy intentionally shoots the puck wide for a rebound off the lively boards behind Jimmy Howard. His plan works and the puck pops back into play, in front of Winnik. Winnik whiffs on the shot as Koivu circles behind the net and intercepts the puck. He can't gain full control and the puck barely misses going in.

Remember how I said I thought the refs were going to let them play? Well, no surprise here, they didn't. Tiny Dancer (Palmieri) is whistled for high sticking after retaliating on Smith for a hit. The Ducks weren't on the penalty kill for very long. 40-ish seconds later, Zetterberg takes a shot from the point and scores. Franzen - again - screens Hiller and the puck goes in between the goalie's arm and post. Detroit back in the lead 2-1.

Detroit nearly scores on themselves again when Carlo Colaiacovo turns the puck over to Corey Perry. Perry skates in to the offensive zone and slows down to buy time for Cogliano to join him. Perry attempts to make the pass to Cogs but Colaiacovo intercepts the pass and manages to deflect the puck right on net, forcing Howard to make a quick save.

On the next play, Cogliano is sent to the box for tripping Datsyuk. It's amazing Datsyuk is able to play hockey with how easily he falls over. (Sarcasm font). Note this is the third and final power play for Detroit. The Ducks received no calls. Say whaa? No power plays while in Detroit?! Shock me, shock me.

Anaheim gets the first scoring chance on their penalty kill. Shorthanded, Bryan Allen and David Steckel move the puck into Detroit's zone. Allen sends a hard shot on net and Steckel attempted to retrieve the rebound and put it on net but he whiffs.

The local broadcast showed Getzlaf chirping Zetterberg and Bertuzzi from the bench. Bertuzzi says something that gets Getzlaf mad and he slams his glove against the glass. The best part is that in the little space between the two benches is Brian Engblom for NBCSN. He's in the tiniest glass case of emotion I've ever seen. It made me laugh. I didn't see the national broadcast, so I don't know what Engblom heard Getz and Bertuzzi say to each other. A little later the cameras show Perry sitting in the spot where Getzlaf was and he had a smirk on his face as Bertuzzi continued to chirp.

Anaheim killed the power play but weren't out of the woods. Jakob Kindl shoots from the blue line, the puck hits Hiller in the legs as he drops to his knees. He has no idea where the puck is and reaches behind to block the five hole. The puck was underneath him and the Ducks had an additional safety net with Lovejoy putting himself in net and behind Hiller.

Later the Ducks weren't so lucky. Dan Cleary, like usual, had himself parked in front of the net. Around him were Getzlaf and Lovejoy but they did nothing to try to move Cleary. Up high, the Decepticon Abdelkader shoots on net and Cleary, still screening Hiller, deflects the puck in the net. Detroit now up 3-1.

Clearly frustrated, Beauchemin lands a massive, legal hit on Cleary near the benches. Beauch and Bonino try to get back on the bench when Cleary, who also attempts to slew-foot Beauch, and Nyquist starts hitting people on the Ducks bench. The worst of it was received by Cogliano who was just minding his own business. Cleary's stick gets up on the dasher, and from the bench, Corey Perry, being Corey Perry, grabs the stick and yanks Cleary towards him. All the while Bonino is facewashing Nyquist. I didn't mention the referee is watching all of this and finally decides to break it up as Getzlaf howls for a penalty.

I'll admit it, I figured the Ducks were spiraling downward at this point. In four minutes, they were outshot by Detroit 17-5. The Big Line couldn't produce anything. Bobby kept going for the pretty play (leading to a turnover) instead of just getting the puck in the zone. Yet, all the sudden things started to change. The Ducks transformed into a desperate team.

Anaheim was firing shots on Howard and each time Detroit tried to clear, Getzlaf kept the puck in the zone. On one instance, Getz keeps the puck in and sends it right to Cam Fowler. Fowler throws the puck in the direction of the goal. The puck bounces off Etem's leg right to Valtteri Filppula. Filppula does a gloriously boneheaded thing by giving a blind reverse pass to no one behind the goal. Etem grabs the loose puck and taps it in past Howard. Ducks now down by a goal with just under 3:30 to play.

Somehow the referee didn't make a call when Perry obviously trips Kyle Quincey behind the Red Wings' net, despite staring at the infraction as it unfolded. Because of the lack of call, Quincey loses the puck and it makes its way to a pinching Beauchemin. Beauch gets the puck back to Perry on the near side and in-turn Perry passes across the crease, right to Bobby Ryan on the far aside. BR easily scores to tie the game. Two goals for the Ducks only 0:51 seconds apart and Mike Babcock quickly calls a time out. By the way, never fails - I spend the game cursing Bobby Ryan's play and he ends up scoring a humongous big goal.

Zetterberg got off the final shot of the period and it nearly was the game-winning one. Getzlaf's pass to Etem is intercepted by Zetterberg who'd been lurking around the blue line. His fast shot hits the post and then sends the puck back through the crease, just skirting the goal line. Hiller was completely beat.

We're going to overtime.

Overtime Recap: Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Red Wings come out of the intermission with massive pressure on the Ducks in the first minute. Hiller's teammates in front of him are practically cardboard cutouts and he has to make some strong saves to keep them in it. When Anaheim does finally get the puck, all they can do is ice it to clear the zone. The players needed to change but couldn't because they iced, so Bruce Boudreau uses his timeout.

Six seconds after the time out, the game ended. Datsyuk beats Koivu on the draw. The puck gets to Zetterberg who shoots from the point. Hiller is not only screened by Cleary (of course), he's also screened by Fowler and Lovejoy. It looked like Fowler attempted to block the shot but instead it deflected into his own goal. Doesn't matter how it went in, it went in and the game was over.

Detroit forces a Game 7 after another miraculous comeback by the Ducks in the final minutes. Gulp.

**********

The Good: I am head over heels for the play of Emerson Etem. I wish he'd get time up with Getzlaf AND Perry (not as separate entities). His energy and forecheck are desperately needed on the top line. Matt Beleskey is good at the physical play but think of how much more opportunities Getz and Pears would get just by having Etem's speed, tenacity and ACCURACY with the puck along side them.

The Bad: After a second game with an amazing comeback and a nearly instant loss in OT, I feel like someone punched me in the stomach. Momentum was their friend and then overtime happened. Now the Ducks have to fight for their lives back home on Sunday when they should have ended things tonight.

The Ugly: It's fantastic the Ducks can come back to tie the game up in the final minutes but man are they a buzzkill when they don't actually win the game.

**********

3rd Icehole: The St. Louis Blues. They allowed Dustin Penner to score with 0.02 seconds left and send the Kings into the next round. Los Angeles is now waiting on the winner of this series. Holy cow.

2nd Icehole: Sheldon Souray. No mind-blowingly awful penalty but he's become such a non-factor because he's scared to make a mistake. What's good about a defenseman with a cannon of a shot if he's not going to use it.

1st Icehole: Penalty Kill. The PK seemed to have really improved and then they go 1-for-3. Not sure what stings worse - how iffy the penalties that were called on them were or how they Ducks received zero power play time themselves.

Next Game: Sunday, May 12 at 7:00 PM PST in Anaheim. IT'S GAME 7! (And Mother's Day!)

GameThread: Ducks @ Red Wings - He Took The Midnight Train Goin' Anywhere

2013-05-10T22:47:49Z

Next Game

Anaheim Ducks
@ Detroit Red Wings

Friday, May 10, 2013, 5:00 PM PDT
Joe Louis Arena

TV: KDOC, CNBC, TSN & RDSI

Radio: AnaheimDucks.com Only

Your Enemy: Winging It In Motown

Complete Coverage >

Don't want to get ahead of myself but I found this Tweet from Ducks' radio guy Dan Wood interesting:

@mamaaabearrr Yes indeed, given CHI's win last night, if #NHLDucks win this series, they would face LA-STL winner -- and have home-ice edge.
— Dan Wood (@Duckscolorman) May 10, 2013

LA has a 3-2 series lead over the Blues with Game 6 tonight in Los Angeles. DUN DUN DUNNNN!

Moving on...

SERIES LEADERS

Scoring: Birthday boy Ryan Getzlaf remains at the top of the Ducks with five points in the series. Thanks to his game-winning goal on Wednesday, Nick Bonino is one point away from tying Getzlaf for the lead. Bonino and Getzlaf have three goals each; however, of Bonino's three goals, two are of the game-winning variety.

Johan Franzen, also know as 'The ~~Ass~~ Mule', leads Red Wings in goals with three and all three have come on the power play. Damien Brunner is the Red Wings overall points leader with five.

Goaltending: Numbers can be deceiving. Both Jonas Hiller and Jimmy Howard have stood on their heads at different times throughout the series, and at other times, some saves (or lack thereof) have made both fanbases squirm.

Hiller currently leads the goalie stat battle. Jonas holds a 0.930 SV% and a 2.08 GAA; Howard has a 2.85 GAA and 0.903 SV%

I'd like to see the number of saves each player makes with his glove. Howard has a brilliant on-his-butt save with his glove straight up in the air in Game 5. Hiller has his typical snatch the puck out of the air and show it to the shooter save a couple times every game.

Who's Hot? Nick Bonino scoring machine-o! Two out of three of Bones' goals have come on the power play. He may not be a somewhat immovable object like Johan Franzen but he's just as dangerous. On top of his scoring, he just seems to be the spiritual leader of the team.They need Bonino. I still can't believe I'm saying that.

Pavel Datsyuk is second on the Red Wings in scoring with four points. What scares me the most about Datsyuk is when his hands get hot. Sounds weird, I know, but think back to the goal he scored. It was a laser shot between Hiller's shoulder and the post through a tiny, tiny opening that popped the water bottle. When he starts getting on a roll of making almost trick shots like that one, he's nearly impossible to stop. The Ducks need to lay the body on him early and wear the old guy out.

Who's Not: Only two Ducks have appeared in the series and have no points: Toni Lydman (injured) and Luca Sbisa. Conversely, seven Red Wings have appeared and currently have no points: Brian Lashoff, Cory Emmerton, Todd Bertuzzi, Jonathan Ericsson, Jordin Tootoo, Niklas Kronwall (!!) and Danny DeKeyser (injured).

*********

Yeah, I did it! I took a lyric from the Detroit Red Wings beloved song 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey - sung by fans at the JLA every game - and made it my headline. And you know why? The song is about getting the hell outta Detroit and not looking back.

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Working hard to get my fill,

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice,

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on

Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Now that I have the song stuck in your head, I'll continue.

Following the conclusion of their season, the Detroit Red Wings will officially become a member of the re-aligned eastern conference. Not only will a win tonight put the Ducks in to the second round of the playoffs, it will shut the door on years of history between Anaheim and Detroit, hockey-wise.

Detroit fans will never understand just why we hate the Red Wings so much. Many long-time Ducks fans are around my age and became a fan of the team somewhere between elementary school and freshman year of high school. For me, it was 1995 and I was in seventh grade.

Until the 2003 season, the Detroit Red Wings destroyed a part of my soul attached to my hockey team. No matter what, the bad guys in red had a stranglehold over the Mighty Ducks in the regular and post season. I still remember the playoffs where Paul Kariya blocked a shot and broke his foot in Game 3 against Detroit, who were already up 3-0 in the series. Game 4 tickets were my birthday present from my parents and I wasn't able to see my favorite player play in the final game of the series. They ruined my birthday, even if it was unintentional.

Anaheim has a chance to close out their Western Conference history with Detroit in a playoff elimination in a building that's never been especially kind to the team. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few great moments in ~~Satan's Buttcrack~~ Joe Louis Arena for the Ducks but the bad outweigh the good. I'd like to see the boys emphatically shut the door and come home knowing they'll only have to see these guys twice in the regular season and only in the playoffs when both teams reach the Stanley Cup Final. I'll take it.

Win this one for my inner-child, Ducks.

Next Game

Anaheim Ducks
@ Detroit Red Wings

Friday, May 10, 2013, 5:00 PM PDT
Joe Louis Arena

TV: KDOC, CNBC, TSN & RDSI

Radio: AnaheimDucks.com Only

Your Enemy: Winging It In Motown

Complete Coverage >

Don't want to get ahead of myself but I found this Tweet from Ducks' radio guy Dan Wood interesting:

@mamaaabearrr Yes indeed, given CHI's win last night, if #NHLDucks win this series, they would face LA-STL winner -- and have home-ice edge.
— Dan Wood (@Duckscolorman) May 10, 2013

LA has a 3-2 series lead over the Blues with Game 6 tonight in Los Angeles. DUN DUN DUNNNN!

Moving on...

SERIES LEADERS

Johan Franzen, also know as 'The ~~Ass~~ Mule', leads Red Wings in goals with three and all three have come on the power play. Damien Brunner is the Red Wings overall points leader with five.

Hiller currently leads the goalie stat battle. Jonas holds a 0.930 SV% and a 2.08 GAA; Howard has a 2.85 GAA and 0.903 SV%

*********

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Working hard to get my fill,

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice,

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on

Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Now that I have the song stuck in your head, I'll continue.

Win this one for my inner-child, Ducks.

Detroit Radio Hosts Should Stay Radio Hosts

2013-05-07T20:16:53Z

I was doing my usual morning reading when I came across a tweet from Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski:

Via @katiebakes, the single dumbest piece of writing you'll read today. bit.ly/108SSlC
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 7, 2013

I trust and respect both Wysh and Katie, so when they say I'm going to get dumb writing, I believe them.

Much to my surprise, when I clicked on the link it was a story on the Justin Abdelkader hit on Toni Lydman from a person named Bill Simonson, sports-talk radio host in the state of Michigan. Wysh took his swing at the 'writer' earlier and now it's my turn. My comments are in italics.

NHL misses the mark with suspension of Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader

The NHL got it so wrong in suspending Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader two games for his hit on Anaheim's Tori Lydman.

His name is TONI, but go on...

Then again, this is a professional sports league that usually gets it wrong on everything it does out of the league office in New York.

I wouldn't say gets 'everything' wrong, otherwise the Red Wings would still be in the Western Conference next season, right? Or they would have picked two new teams for the first of six Winter Classics that bring millions of dollars of revenue to state that desperately needs it, right?

Abdelkader's hit in Saturday night's Game 3 against the Ducks was no more than a four-minute penalty. Not one official blew his whistle on impact. Abdelkader was given a charging major and a game misconduct.

Wow. Ok. You're right, they didn't blow the whistle upon impact. They waited until Toni was crawling to all fours.

This suspension is typical garbage from the sewers below the NHL headquarters. It seemed to me like the Ducks' Corey Perry tried to cut Jimmy Howard with his skate, yet Perry plays on.

Jimmy Howard should really switch mask companies if he's worried about skates cutting his face. Did I think Perry tried to kick Howard in the head? Absolutely, that's what he does. At least I can admit it when my player is nasty.

The Ducks are cheapshot artists who zero in on Red Wings players along the boards, and they go unpunished. Meanwhile, the NHL office sits back and enjoys the view on its NHL network.

Ha! Cheapshot artists? Do they play to the edge? Yep. Just like Tomas Holmstrom when he elbowed James Wisniewski or Brendan Smith when he knocked out Ben Smith. Niklas Kronwall is an incredible physical player, he plays right to the edge of legal. Getting 'Kronwall'ed' isn't a term for hugs.

By the way, the NHL network is garbage. What the NFL and MLB have done with their networks makes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's vision look like old school, black-and-white television.

I do agree, NHL Network needs a lot of work. I will give them credit for not being complete mouth-pieces for the Commissioner.

The quacks from Southern California are getting some help here from the league office. My conspiracy side says the league would love a team such as the Ducks, from the second-largest media market in America, to have a deep run in the playoffs.

HA! HAHAHA! Really??? So why didn't this happen two years ago when they lost to Nashville? NASHVILLE! My guess is that you've never been to Orange County. We are a part of the Los Angeles market but not the primary source of revenue. That would be LOS ANGELES, who has their own hockey team. We proudly hold the title of the lowest rated Stanley Cup Final in league history. Pretty sure that's not what the league is looking for.

By the way, LA is - on a good traffic day, on the weekend at 3:00am - 45 minutes away from Honda Center.

The NHL's mindless cronies loved watching the Los Angeles Kings win it last year. The Red Wings - like most teams from Detroit - get no national media love or attention from the NHL. Bettman is hooked on the big markets. He thinks his sport should be on the same level as the NFL and Major League Baseball in the U.S. He is so wrong.

Are you serious?? Detroit gets no national media love?! Let's play a little game comparing the number of national games the Ducks had aired on NBC, NBCSN and NHL-Network to what the Red Wings received post-lockout:.

Ducks: 0 games on NBC, 1 game on NBCSN and 6 games on NHL-N
Red Wings: 5 games on NBC, 7 games on NBCSN and 9 Games on NHL-N.

Note: With the major cable companies in Southern California, you have to pay additional money to receive the NHL-N. It doesn't come with your basic cable package. Another additional charge for HD.

Any smart business person is going to be focused on the big markets! Call me crazy but why would you put a ton of money into gaining viewers in Tampa Bay when there are hundreds of thousands of more people in New York and Los Angeles? Higher ad revenues come when there are more people watching. Doesn't take a business degree (which I have) to know this is Marketing 101.

NHL could do better

Of course!

Beyond the few hockey diehards - and bandwagon fans in the playoffs interested in the Red Wings - ask yourself, what does the NHL do to draw you in? They have no clue how to market the sport in America. Name five stars in the league not in Detroit?

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Zach Parise, Steven Stamkos, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, et. al. I can do this all day. Crosby and Ovechkin alone have been over-marketed but people sure as hell know who they are.

The Red Wings know how to market and run a franchise better than the NHL can run their own business. If it weren't for the Red Wings, I couldn't care less for the league.

Clearly you wouldn't have interest in this league because you know nothing but the Detroit Red Wings and don't want to learn any else about some of the great stories in the NHL.

How about current Wild goaltender Josh Harding and his battle with MS? Or how Boston-native Keith Yandle warmed up in a jersey dedicated to 8 year old bombing victim Martin Richard? It's kind of amazing Saku Koivu and Phil Kessel are still alive, let alone playing hockey at a high level after surviving cancer.

Bettman is by far the worst leader of a sports league to ever walk this earth. He let the league expand when it it was stupid to expand. The NHL has a blind arrogance from the league office that makes you think they have no idea what they're doing.

Totally agree, Bettman is arrogant, as are Roger Goodell and David Stern. I'm not a huge fan of Bettman but you can't ignore his gamble on the lockout paid off. Hockey is experiencing some of its highest ratings in years. I get the expansion argument as a fan of an expansion team. In the next three years, the NHL is projected to collect billions of dollars in revenues, leading to less revenue sharing among the teams. If Detroit wants to pay more, that's fine with me. The Ducks will gladly take the money.

You know what? You should really blame Wayne Gretzky. He came to LA and really drove the growth of hockey to California. Don't forget he kept Phoenix in Phoenix when he was a coach, albeit not a good one. Screw you greatest player ever for growing the game on the west coast!

If Canada didn't like hockey, the NHL would be out of business. Please don't tell me about the number of minor-league teams and people who play hockey. I love minor-league hockey and those who play, but if there weren't cheap tickets, cheap beer or cheap hot dogs, there would be no minor-league hockey. It's entertainment and player development.

Of course there wouldn't be a league without Canada. The teams up there are revenue drivers because it's the country's national sport. If Americans didn't like baseball, basketball and/or football, there would be no MLB, NBA or NFL. Not sure why nationality matters. It's not like the Canadians have forced curling on you.

By the way, hockey players have been my favorite athletes to interview over the years. They are real, honest and down to earth, for the most part. What I have found is that those who play the sport, live it.

Okay...

Red Wings a model franchise

Well, I guess, if you want to talk about staying power, yeah. Then again, model franchises don't go into a tailspin and have to fight for a final playoff spot when one player retires. That's something the Ducks did when Chris Pronger left and again when Scott Niedermayer retired.

Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment is dysfunctional as all hell but they're worth $1 billion. That business model works.

I fell in love with the NHL after watching a game in person 15 years ago. The speed of the sport live is addicting. The NHL has never had a clue how to bring hockey into mainstream American conversations. I put that all on Bettman.

In 1995, I fell in love with a hockey team based on a movie, despite being born in and with my family hailing from Pittsburgh. Good thing Bettman didn't capitalize on Disney's want to get into the pro sports business because Disney is definitely not known in mainstream America.

I love the Red Wings. From the owners on down, they do everything the right way. The NHL should call Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and general manager Ken Holland and ask them how to market hockey and create a loyal fan base.

Wait. So there is no national attention on the Red Wings but they're perfect at marketing and creating a loyal fan base? Do they go door-to-door? Talk to me about successful marketing when Detroit has to go up against another hockey team, two baseball teams, two basketball teams, a soccer team, collegiate mega-sports, beaches and themeparks and still get butts in the seats.

As far as fans go, history is on the side of the Red Wings. Original six teams have some of the most loyal fan bases in the world. My team has only been around for 20 years and we too have a loyal fan base. It may be smaller but they're still loyal.

The NHL also should say it blew the call on Abdelkader and shouldn't have suspended him.

Flip it around and had this been Lydman (of the cheapshot Ducks) hitting Abdelkader. You'd lead the pack to have Lydman arrested and deported back to Finland or sent to GitMo.

Lace 'em up and let Abdelkader hit you the way he hit Lydman. In the aftermath, you'd have migraines, just like Lydman. You wouldn't be able to do your job, just like Lydman. Then again, the latter wouldn't be a bad thing.

"We Don't Have Winter" Classic Coming To So Cal, Ducks vs. Kings at Dodgers Stadium

2013-05-06T19:50:48Z

Since the Winter Classics started, we'd all thrown around the idea of having a Winter Classic on the West Coast. We always laughed it off because it could never work! We don't have 'winter' in Southern California! So, naturally the NHL goes and schedules Kings vs. Ducks game at Dodgers Stadium (aka Chavez Ravine) on January 25, 2014 at 7:00PM PT.

Yes folks, it's officially official, So Cal is getting one of 3290482347829387 Winter Classics during the 2013-2014 NHL season.

While I think there are waaay too many outdoor games, I do have to admit it's kinda cool we're getting our own game. How it's going to work, I have no idea. It's usually in the 50's and 60's in January, not minus-37 like Edmonton.

I haven't been to Dodgers Stadium in a while (um, I don't want to die), so I asked Eric Stephen (no, not Eric Stephens) the editor at True Blue LA if the place was still as crappy as I remember. It is not! Thanks to Magic Johnson and friends, the stadium got an LA-style face-lift in the off-season. Check out True Blue LA for more pictures of the upgrades, including the scoreboard.

This is a great way to attract new fans and their money! The Winter Classic event has always been a cash cow and ratings grab for the NHL. After losing half the season of revenues in 2012-2013, they're doubling down on this particular series of events to try to make up the hole. One kind of funny note, many hockey writers have complained about having to cover all these Winter Classic games but they don't seem to mind coming to California in January as opposed to Chicago or Michigan.

So boys and girls, grab your wetsuits, boardshorts and bikinis and head to Chavez to cheer on the Ducks!

[We'll post more information as it becomes available.]